Kobe Bryant, the 18-time All-Star who won five NBA championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Lakers, died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. He was 41. Also killed in the crash was Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others who were on board the aircraft.
Bryant became one of the NBA’s most popular players and the face of the Lakers during his career. Winning a record four NBA All-Star Game MVP awards, he was the overall league MVP in 2008, a two-time NBA scoring champion and 12 All-Defensive selections.
He teamed with Shaquille O’Neal in a combustible partnership to lead the Lakers to NBA titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002. He later teamed with Pau Gasol to win two more titles in 2009 and 2010.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist with the dominant U.S. team, Bryant retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points in his final NBA game. In December 2017, the Lakers hung banners retiring his No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys in the Staples Center rafters in an unprecedented double honor.
Vanessa Bryant, in a statement, thanked everyone for their outpouring of support and announced the formation of a fund to help the other affected families. Kobe and Gianna were buried on Feb. 7 in a cemetery near the family’s Southern California home. Additionally, the Lakers set a public memorial service for Kobe and Gianna on Feb. 24.
Here’s a complete look at all of our coverage of Bryant’s untimely passing.
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Features
- Tears, laughter flow at Kobe Bryant memorial
- Celebrating the life, on and off court, of Kobe
- Kobe Bryant leaves behind epic legacy
- Hill, Parker, Thomas share their favorite Kobe memories
- Kobe Bryant: A career in images
- The best of Kobe Bryant on TNT
- Hang Time Podcast: Remembering Kobe Bryant
Memorial Service at Staples Center
- Vanessa Bryant on losing Kobe and Gianna
- Michael Jordan on his ‘little brother’
- Shaq looks back at his bond with Kobe
- Rob Pelinka shares stories about his best friend, goddaughter
- Recapping an emotional ceremony
- Los Angeles pays tribute to Kobe, Gianna Bryant
Lakers’ tribute
- Kobe, Gianna to be honored at memorial service on Feb. 24
- LeBron: ‘Mamba out … but not forgotten’
- Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth perform halftime tribute
- Cellist Ben Hong performs as Lakers honor Kobe’s best moments
- Moment of silence for Kobe, Gianna and the other victims
- Lakers, Trail Blazers honor Kobe with shot clock violations
- Usher signs ‘Amazing Grace’ during pregame tribute
- All Lakers introduced as ‘Kobe Bryant’
- Lakers warm up in Kobe jerseys
- Postgame: LeBron, Davis share memories of Kobe
- Full pregame tribute
- Powell: Lakers battle through first action since Kobe’s death
TNT memorial
- Mamba Forever: Howard Beck essay
- Best Kobe stories
- More Shaquille O’Neal
- Jerry West
- Charles Barkley
- Kenny Smith
- Dwyane Wade
- Rick Fox
- Derek Fisher
- Candace Parker
- Reggie Miller
- Steve Nash
- Ernie Johnson
On-court tributes
Some teams in the NBA opened their first game in the wake of Bryant’s death with voluntary backcourt violations (in honor of Bryant’s No. 8) and shot clock violations (in honor of Bryant’s No. 24) as a way to pay tribute to Bryant’s career.
- Bill Russell wears Kobe Bryant jersey to Celtics-Lakers game
- Warriors hold moment of silence, play tribute video pregame
- Nets leave courtside seats empty as tribute
- Kings honor Kobe, daughter in pregame tribute
- Embiid dons No. 24 for Sixers-Warriors
- Jazz and Rockets commit violations
- Mavs and Thunder commit violations
- Kings and Wolves commit violations
- Magic and Heat commit violations
- Pacers and Trail Blazers commit violations
- Suns and Grizzlies commit violations
- Spurs and Raptors commit violations
- Clippers and Magic commit violations
- Celtics and Pelicans commit violations
- Hawks and Wizards commit violations
- Cavs and Pistons commit violations
- Pistons wear No. 8, No. 24 jerseys in pregame intros
- Hawks’ Young wears No. 8 to honor Kobe
- Wolves hold pregame ceremony for Kobe, Gianna
- Heat honor Kobe, daughter before game
- Celtics pay tribute to Kobe, crash victims
- Pelicans honor Kobe, Gianna in pregame tribute
- Paul George narrates tribute video to Kobe, victims
Kobe Bryant’s career
- All-Access: Kobe’s one-of-a-kind career
- Kobe’s best play against every NBA team
- Inside look at Kobe’s final game
All-Star 2020
- Magic Johnson leads pregame tribute to Kobe
- NBA family remembers, honors Kobe at All-Star Game
- All-Star uniforms honor Kobe and Gianna
- NBA names All-Star MVP after Kobe
- Kobe remembered at All-Star Saturday Night
- Through the Years: Kobe at All-Star
- Magic Johnson on the legacy of Kobe
Reactions to Bryant’s passing
CURRENT PLAYERS
- Kyrie Irving
- Victor Oladipo
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Carmelo Anthony
- Bradley Beal
- DeMar DeRozan
- Kevin Durant
- Marc Gasol
- Draymond Green
- Buddy Hield
- LeBron James
- Nikola Jokic
- Damian Lillard
- Kevin Love
- CJ McCollum
- Donovan Mitchell
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Stephen Curry
NBA LEGENDS
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Caron Butler
- Jerry Colangelo
- Julius Erving
- Sam Mitchell
- Jermaine O’Neal
- Gary Payton
- Brian Shaw
- Kenny Smith
- Steve Smith
- Dwyane Wade
- Dominique Wilkins
COACHES
- Scott Brooks
- Mike Budenholzer
- Steve Clifford
- Alvin Gentry
- Steve Kerr
- Nate McMillan
- Mike Miller
- Nick Nurse
- Gregg Popovich
- Doc Rivers
- Quin Snyder
- Erik Spoelstra
- Terry Stotts
- Frank Vogel
- Luke Walton
OTHERS
- All-Star uniforms to honor Kobe, Gianna, victims
- Fans gather at Staples Center to remember Kobe
- Pelinka: ‘I lost my best friend and my sweet goddaughter’
- Jeanie Buss credits Kobe for inspiring her
- Stan Van Gundy: Kobe was ‘a true icon’ in NBA
- Howard Beck: No way to measure Kobe’s passing
- Shaun Powell: Kobe’s impact in L.A. immeasurable
- Steve Aschburner: Bryant was a force unto himself
STORIES
- Twitter reacts: NBA legends, players reflect on Kobe
- Mavericks announce no team will ever wear No. 24 again
- Multiple NBA players change jersey numbers to honor Kobe
- Powell: Lakers battle through first action since Kobe’s death
- Powell: Bryant’s determination resonates through L.A.
- Powell: City struggles to process death of an icon
- Aschburner: Kobe’s second career act ends too soon
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