Grief-stricken players and teams around the NBA paid their respects to Kobe Bryant on Sunday in myriad ways as the stunning news of the former Lakers great's death shook the league.

Nearly every team playing across Sunday's eight-game schedule -- not long after it was learned that Bryant died in a helicopter crash at age 41 -- took a planned shot-clock violation. Teams took turns holding the ball for 24 seconds and eight seconds in the backcourt in honor of the No. 24 and No. 8 jerseys that Bryant wore. The tributes drew standing ovations across the board.

In San Antonio, before the Spurs took on the Toronto Raptors, a moment of silence was held. Spurs assistant coaches Becky Hammon and Tim Duncan and guard Lonnie Walker IV were visibly upset. Hammon and Walker wiped away tears, and Duncan had his hands over his face. The Raptors and the Spurs then dribbled out the initial 24-second shot clock.

"Everybody is pretty emotional about the tragedy with Kobe," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "All of us know what a great player he was, but he went beyond great playing. He was a competitor -- that goes unmatched. It's what made him as a player so attractive to everybody -- that focus, that competitiveness, that will to win. And even more importantly than that, we all feel a deep sense of loss for what he meant to all of us in so many ways, and so many millions of people loved him for so many different reasons. It's just a tragic thing."

In Atlanta, as the Hawks played host to the Washington Wizards, guard Trae Young donned a No. 8 jersey at the beginning of the game, representing a number Bryant wore with Los Angeles. After the tip, which Atlanta won, Young crouched to his knees with the ball at the foul line, emotionally watching the seconds tick off, before changing to his No. 11 jersey.

"Today was a tough day to play basketball," Young said after the game. "My condolences go out to Vanessa and the Bryant family. It's a tough day to play. I just wanted to go out and play for him."

In New York, prior to the Brooklyn Nets' game vs. the Knicks at Madison Square Garden and prior to their shot-clock violations, it was announced that guard Kyrie Irving would not play for personal reasons, so as to mourn Bryant's death.

"As an organization, we're devastated. Our players are devastated," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. "We have a player [Irving] that's very close to Kobe. Our thoughts and prayers are with him also. Just a tough time for the NBA for all of us."

In New Orleans, where the Pelicans took on the Boston Celtics, the crowd was standing in unison at the tip, clapping and chanting, "Kobe, Kobe," while Boston's Kemba Walker and New Orleans' Lonzo Ball orchestrated their shot-clock strategy.

As the two teams gathered at center court, Walker held up two and then four fingers to Ball, saying "two-four, two-four." Ball nodded, and when the Pelicans won the tip, Ball crossed center court and began clapping with the ball at his side. Walker and the Celtics did the same on the ensuing possession.

"You think about his family and his friends and the situation they are going through," Toronto veteran Marc Gasol said. "You just want to go home and kiss your kids and your wife. The rest is irrelevant right now."

The Dallas Mavericks said in a statement Sunday that they will be retiring Bryant's No. 24.

"Kobe's legacy transcends basketball, and our organization has decided that the number 24 will never again be worn by a Dallas Maverick," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said.

The helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and eight other passengers that crashed into a hillside in Southern California on Sunday was in a climbing left turn about 2,400 feet high before it dove to the ground, a person familiar with preliminary investigative information about the fatal crash told ESPN.

Further, the source told ESPN, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity, the pilot had, only moments before, contacted air traffic controllers to say that he had begun a climb to "go above the layer" of clouds present.

The chopper went down in Calabasas, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles after departing John Wayne Airport in Orange County at 9:06 a.m. PT. The first 911 call reporting the crash was received at 9:47 a.m.

Audio reviewed by ESPN indicates that a few minutes prior to the crash, an air traffic controller told the pilot he was "still too low level for flight following," meaning the aircraft was below the level at which it could be picked up by radar due to the area's hilly terrain. That audio came from recordings posted on LiveATC.net, which has partial audio of the communication between the pilot and air traffic controllers.

Additional recordings between the pilot and air traffic controllers posted on the site indicate that the pilot was getting guidance from controllers as he navigated what was reported to be a dense morning fog.

Air traffic controllers noted poor visibility around Burbank, just to the north, and Van Nuys, to the northwest.

After holding up the helicopter for other aircraft, they cleared the Sikorsky S-76 to proceed north along Interstate 5 through Burbank before turning west to follow U.S Route 101, the Ventura Highway.

Shortly after 9:40 a.m., the helicopter turned again, toward the southeast, and climbed to more than 2,000 feet above sea level. It then descended and crashed into the hillside at about 1,400 feet, according to data from Flightradar24.

When it struck the ground, the helicopter was flying at about 160 knots (184 mph) and descending at a rate of more than 4,000 feet per minute (45 mph), the Flightradar24 data showed.

Authorities said that nine people were aboard the helicopter and presumed dead. Bryant, an all-time basketball great who spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, was among the victims.

Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna also was killed, a source told ESPN.

The National Transportation Safety Board was sending a team of investigators to the site. The NTSB typically issues a preliminary report within about 10 days that gives a rough summary of what investigators have learned. A ruling on the cause of aviation crashes can take a year or more.

Among other things, investigators will look at the pilot's history, the chopper's maintenance history, and the records of its owner and operator, NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference.

An FAA aircraft registration database showed the helicopter was a 1991 Sikorsky S-76B model owned by a company named Island Express Holding Corp. It was previously owned by the State of Illinois, according to the database.

"The S-76 is a pretty expensive, sophisticated helicopter. ... It's certainly a quality helicopter,'' said Justin Green, an aviation attorney in New York who flew helicopters in the Marine Corps.

Colin Storm was in his living room in Calabasas when he heard what sounded to him like a low-flying airplane or helicopter.

"It was very foggy so we couldn't see anything,'' he said. "But then we heard some sputtering, and then a boom.''

Storm could see smoke rising from the hillside in front of his home.

Firefighters hiked in with medical equipment and hoses, and medical personnel rappelled to the site from a helicopter, but found no survivors, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said.

Firefighters worked to douse flames that spread through about a quarter acre of dry brush, Osby said.

Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Josh Rubenstein said that the department's Air Support division grounded its helicopters Sunday morning due to foggy conditions and didn't fly until later in the afternoon.

"The weather situation did not meet our minimum standards for flying," Rubenstein said.

The fog "was enough that we were not flying." LAPD's flight minimums are 2 miles of visibility and an 800-foot cloud ceiling, he said. The department typically flies two helicopters when conditions allow -- one in the San Fernando Valley and one in the L.A. basin, he said.

The LAPD Air Support Division is the largest municipal airborne law enforcement organization in the United States, according to the department.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

We were visiting relatives on a brisk Thanksgiving afternoon on Cape Cod in 2007, and I was balancing a piece of piping-hot apple pie in my hand when my phone pinged to let me know I had a text message.

It was from Kobe Bryant.

"Hey Jackie, wishing you and your family a very happy Thanksgiving," he wrote.

While this was mildly surprising, as Kobe and I weren't exactly regular social correspondents, we had been emailing on and off for years for various professional reasons. This text felt a bit like an olive branch. Bryant had initially emerged from his bruising sexual assault case both angry and defiant, fully embracing his black hat and the Black Mamba mantel; but as time passed, he began repairing his relationships within the basketball community.

It felt as though his Thanksgiving salutation warranted a response, but there was only one problem: Back in 2007, I was new to texting and not terribly adept at it. My daughter Aly, who was 15 at the time and a passionate basketball fan, gleefully offered to reply for me.

I can't remember what she texted, but it included just enough of the edgy social slangs -- u instead of you, which old fogies like me hadn't quite caught onto yet -- to prompt Kobe to immediately shoot back, "Hey, you didn't write this!"

"You're right," I admitted. "My daughter answered for me."

"I knew it!" he responded triumphantly.

Naturally, I couldn't put anything past Kobe Bryant. He was far too insightful and intuitive for that. He was the most intelligent professional athlete I had ever encountered, curious and demanding and savvy and competitive and relentless and infinitely complicated.

Aly and I were atop Breckenridge Mountain on Sunday afternoon enjoying a glorious day of skiing when a stranger recognized me and approached with a look that I know all too well. Horrific news travels at Mach speed, even when you have no cell service.

Kobe. Gone. In a most unspeakable and horrible accident that also claimed the lives of several others, including his beautiful and accomplished young daughter Gianna.

The Hoop Collective podcast: Remembering Kobe Bryant

The shock swiftly reverberated throughout the NBA, Hollywood and across the globe. For those of us who knew him well, it was, simply, incomprehensible. Bryant was a man with limitless possibility, a man whose trophy case included MVPs, an Oscar and a best-selling novel.

When I heard the news, I thought immediately of Michael Jordan, who Bryant told me on several occasions was the player he aspired to be. Certainly, Bryant came closer than anyone else to matching the talent, the intensity -- and the aura -- of His Airness. I reached out to Jordan via text, knowing the news would be overwhelming and deeply personal.

"I'm devastated!!!!" Jordan wrote me. "Too emotional to respond. I can't find the words to make sentences!!!!

"I just started crying," added a teary-eyed Charles Barkley. "That's all I've been doing, is crying."

Barkley had gone to an early showing of the movie "The Gentlemen" and had left his phone at home. He emerged from the theater and immediately sensed something was terribly wrong.

"I just feel a tremendous sadness," Barkley said.

Hall of Famer Jerry West traded for a teenage Bryant in the 1996 draft, shipping well-established and highly regarded center Vlade Divac to the Charlotte Hornets for the rights to the young phenom, who declared for the draft right out of high school. It was a bold move that literally altered the landscape of NBA history.

It was West who guided a young Bryant through the pitfalls of an NBA climate that was often unkind to a gifted yet impetuous young talent. Bryant would later credit West as the first of many mentors who helped him shape his career as an unforgettable NBA icon.

"I haven't come to grips with this," said an audibly distraught West. "First you have a feeling of shock, then a feeling of horrible sorrow, and then you start having all these recollections of the times I shared with him. Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.

"I feel like I've lost a son."

Bryant maintained a high profile in the game during retirement, breaking down current NBA players for ESPN+ in a segment called Detail and appearing at Lakers games, often with one of his treasured daughters in tow. But, Barkley said, Bryant made a conscious effort to keep his distance.

"I don't think anyone knew Kobe well -- I ain't gonna lie about that," Barkley said. "Every time I saw him, he was courteous, he'd come by and say hello, but then he'd keep it moving."

Perhaps that's because that is how Bryant decided he wanted it. From the time he was an 8-year-old competing against players three years older than him, Bryant wasn't satisfied with winning -- he was gunning for total domination. He attacked the game with a fierceness that was both admirable and, at times, unsettling to his peers. Like his idol Jordan, who famously reduced teammate Steve Kerr to tears, Bryant once felled teammate Sasha Vujacic with an elbow in practice that left him weeping.

"I could never understand," Bryant once told me, "why winning wasn't the most important thing to everyone. Why are you here then?"

While he was playing, Kobe would sometimes sit down with me during the Los Angeles Lakers' annual trip to Boston. We would eat lunch in the Four Seasons dining room and dissect his complicated relationships with Shaquille O'Neal, Phil Jackson and Dwight Howard, among others.

In his final NBA season, Kobe agreed to sit down at the Four Seasons with me again, this time to reflect on a career that, he said, was built from advice and counsel from some incredible influences -- from Bill Russell to Dr. J to Michael Jordan.

Many of those mentors shared their grief and dismay on Sunday over a meteoric life gone too soon. One of them, Bill Russell, who talked with Kobe after Bryant devoured Russell's book "Second Wind," said on Twitter: "[My wife] Jeannine and I are absolutely shocked to hear of the loss of one of my favorite people and one of the best basketball minds in the history of the game! Our hearts and prayers to [Bryant's wife] Vanessa and his girls. @kobebryant you were my biggest fan, but I was yours."

My final correspondence with Kobe came just a couple of weeks ago. I was working on a story regarding a legendary play that Jackson had run for him while he was with the Lakers, and I asked if he could share some memories about how it worked.

"Can't right now," Kobe texted back. "My girls are keeping me busy. Hit me up in a couple of weeks."

If only I could.

COSTA MESA, Calif. -- John Altobelli, a highly successful baseball coach at Orange Coast College, was among the victims of the helicopter crash that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant on Sunday morning. Altobelli died alongside his wife, Keri, and his 13-year-old daughter, Alyssa, the family confirmed to ESPN.

The three were traveling with Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, to a youth basketball game when the helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California. Alyssa and Gianna, who is also 13, were teammates. Altobelli, 56, coached at OCC for 27 years, leading the Pirates to four state titles and more than 700 wins.

"He kind of gets overshadowed by Kobe a little bit," OCC associate baseball coach Nate Johnson said, "but he was his own Kobe of the junior college baseball world."

Johnson, 30, will now take over for Altobelli as head baseball coach. Hours after word spread of Altobelli's passing, nearly 300 players and coaches from every phase of the program's history gathered at the baseball field to honor the legendary coach and his family, placing flowers atop home plate. Altobelli has another daughter, Lexi, who is a junior in high school, and a son, J.J., who is a scout for the Boston Red Sox.

The OCC baseball team was set to defend its 2019 state championship and begin its 2020 season on Tuesday, with a 2 p.m. PT home game against Southwestern. Johnson asked his players whether they wanted to honor the schedule and received a quick answer.

"Players want to play," he said.

"John meant so much to not only Orange Coast College, but to baseball," OCC athletic director Jason Kehler said in a statement. "He truly personified what it means to be a baseball coach. The passion that he put into the game, but more importantly his athletes, was second to none -- he treated them like family."

Altobelli, known simply as "Alto" by those who played for him, had been named National Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association over the offseason. He posted a record of 705-478-4, led the program to eight trips to the state final fours and became one of only five coaches in the history of California community college baseball to win four or more state championships.

But those who knew him best remembered him Sunday for his unrelenting selflessness. For the way he pushed his players but still managed to keep the game fun. For the family atmosphere he created. And for the fundraising efforts he led, which paid for major upgrades for the school's baseball stadium.

"He built all of this," Johnson said. "This is all his."

One of Altobelli's brothers, Tony, has spent the last 14 years as the sports information director at OCC. Tony spent Sunday grieving while also fulfilling his job requirements, which included contacting about a dozen reporters with information about his brother and writing the story about his passing for the program's website.

"I think the fact that I've been going non-stop today, I haven't had a chance to let it process and sink in yet," Tony Altobelli said in a phone conversation. "I think the minute I do, I'll probably cry my eyes out and wet the bed. But in the meantime, I'm doing the best I can to tell everyone about my brother. Not just how good of a coach he was, because he was one of the best at this level, or quite frankly any level. But just what kind of an unbelievable human being he was. He cared about his team, he cared about his players, more than life itself. He cared about his family. He's what everyone wants to be when they grow up. He was my older brother. He set the bar for me, and he set it pretty flippin' high."

Altobelli also spent some time in the prominent Cape Cod League, coaching players such as Jeff McNeil and Aaron Judge. McNeil, an All-Star with the New York Mets last season, played for Altobelli in the summer of 2012 while with the Brewster Whitecaps and told ESPN's Jeff Passan that he is "one of the main reasons I'm still playing professional baseball."

McNeil had a poor first two years at Long Beach State, but the coaches there asked Altobelli to bring McNeil to Brewster anyway.

"He took a chance on me, kept me the whole summer," McNeil said. "Him taking that chance on me, having me on his team, got me drafted."

Altobelli struck up a friendship with Bryant in recent years through their daughters, inviting Bryant to be a surprise guest speaker in 2018 and riding with him in his helicopter on several occasions. Altobelli told Johnson he would be riding with Bryant again on Sunday morning and was noticeably excited about the trip. They would land at Camarillo Airport, then take a 15-minute drive to the Mamba Sports Academy and watch their girls play.

But the helicopter crashed 30 miles south of its destination, killing nine people. Johnson confirmed the devastating news during a phone conversation with Altobelli's son. Tony was exercising and listening to music in Balboa Island when the crash occurred. He heard about Bryant, but didn't know his brother, sister-in-law and niece were with him until being notified by one of the team's assistant coaches an hour later.

"Kobe's the top of the one percent, and so is Alto," said Travis Moniot, a minor leaguer in the Chicago White Sox system who played for Altobelli as a sophomore. "I imagine Kobe wouldn't associate himself with anything less than the top of the one percent as people and character, and I think that just speaks volumes to both of them -- about the type of people they were."

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Cadillac DPi-V.R dominated the proceedings during the 58th annual Rolex 24 at Daytona, earning the overall victory Sunday at Daytona Int’l Speedway in the season opener for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Carried down the stretch by Japanese standout Kamui Kobayashi, the WTR Cadillac led 493 of a race-record 833 laps en route to the team’s fourth overall Rolex 24 win and third in the last four years.

Alongside Kobayashi, the Taylor team’s all-star cast included full-time co-drivers Renger van der Zande and Ryan Briscoe, as well as five-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon.

Though there were a few nervous moments – such as the 8 a.m. hour, when Briscoe blew the red lights at the end of pit road and earned a stop-and-hold plus 60-second penalty following the fourth full-course yellow – the team as a whole never faltered down the stretch.

Briscoe used a stellar triple stint to not only run his team back onto the lead lap, but ultimately to take the lead from the JDC-Miller Motorsports/Mustang Sampling No. 5 on the 690th lap around Daytona’s 3.56-mile infield road course – just inside of four hours to go in the twice-around-the-clock grind.

From there, the WTR entry led all but one of the final 144 laps on its way to victory lane, ceding the top spot for a brief moment with 36 minutes to go when Kobayashi came down pit road for the last time.

Aside from that, it was one of the more-dominant performances in Rolex 24 history, a run that also kept Kobayashi perfect through two appearances in the North American endurance classic.

“I’ve been to Le Mans several times and never won, but here, I’ve come twice (and gotten) two wins,” Kobayashi noted in victory lane. “I think this was the best car I’ve ever driven. It was fantastic and a fantastic feeling to win here again.”

“Kamui was the guy that all our drivers realized could finish this race and be the star (at the end),” said team owner Wayne Taylor. “Add to that we’re representing a Japanese company (in Konica Minolta), and it was just the right thing (to do).”

Though Dixon was suited up to potentially go in for a final sprint to the finish, that opportunity never materialized.

It didn’t matter, however, as the Kiwi celebrated his third overall win at the Rolex 24, putting him into an exclusive club of drivers to have won the event three or more times.

“I’ve been in these situations before, and you don’t want to add any complications,” Dixon explained. “The driver lineup was so strong. We just wanted to eliminate any process where we might mess up somehow. … I had a lot of fun; I want to thank Chip (Ganassi) for allowing me to do this race, and I can’t thank Wayne and Max (Angelelli) and Konica Minolta enough.

“This is big, man. It’s so crazy to have to sit there and watch the race for the majority of it!”

After claiming his first Rolex 24 win last year, van der Zande’s victory marked his second-consecutive Daytona score with Wayne Taylor Racing, as he and Briscoe chase the season championship this year.

“I didn’t know the car was going to be this good. It’s amazing,” said van der Zande. “I’ve never had such a good car here from start to finish. It was like a dream. It was so nice to be in a fast car. I’m over the moon.”

“This car was just phenomenal,” added Briscoe, whose triumph marked his third class victory but first overall win in Rolex 24 competition. “We had the pace all race long. This is three out of four years for Wayne, and I just feel lucky to be a part of it. It was a bit of a roller-coaster ride, especially the early morning, but once we got on the straight and narrow, man … the car was fast.”

Mazda Team Joest completed its most-successful Rolex 24 to-date on Sunday, making it to the checkered flag for the first time and finishing second with the No. 77 co-driven by Oliver Jarvis, Tristan Nunez and Olivier Pla.

Jarvis brought the car home to the finish, crossing the line 65.426 seconds back of Kobayashi.

Completing the overall and DPi podiums was the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R fielded by JDC-Miller Motorsports, coming in as the last car on the lead lap at the hands of Loic Duval, Joao Barbosa and Sebastien Bourdais.

In LMP2 action, the No. 81 DragonSpeed ORECA 07 co-driven by Ben Hanley, Henrik Hedman, Colin Braun and Harrison Newey – the son of legendary Formula One car designer Adrian Newey – dominated the class and finished two laps ahead of the rival No. 52 ORECA 07 from PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports.

It was the second-straight Rolex 24 class win for DragonSpeed, but this time came with a completely-different driver lineup.

“Those last 18 laps were long laps,” said Hanley, who drove the final stint for the team. “The team was counting me down, and I almost told them to be quiet, because they just seemed to be taking forever at the end. Everyone did a faultless job, though. I don’t think we made any contact at all through the race.”

Ben Keating, Gabriel Aubry, Simon Trummer and Nick Boulle brought the PR1/Mathiasen No. 52 home in the runner-up spot, after mechanical issues at the end of the 18th hour dropped them from contention to collect the class honors.

On the final step of the LMP2 podium was the Era Motorsport No. 18 team of Kyle Tilley, Dwight Merriman, Ryan Lewis and Nic Minassian, 11 laps behind the class-winning DragonSpeed entry.

Golf took the back burner on Sunday afternoon when multiple news sources reported Kobe Bryant was among five killed in a helicopter crash outside of Los Angeles. 

It only took moments for sports fans to take to social media to send well wishes to his family and share memories of Bryant's career. 

Ravens defensive end Matthew Judon is a candidate for Baltimore's franchise tag and trade inquiries from other teams, league sources tell ESPN, potentially continuing the recent trend of offseason trades featuring high-profile pass rushers.

Other teams have noticed the impacts that Dee Ford and Frank Clark have had in San Francisco and Kansas City, respectively, and a contending team could try to pry Judon loose from the Ravens.

Judon is scheduled to become a free agent this offseason, and the Ravens would like to bring him back, but they also are likely to listen if another team expresses interest in trading for him, according to sources.

NFL teams have proven they're willing to pay handsomely for pass rushers in trades; the 49ers dealt a second-round draft pick to the Chiefs for Ford, who then signed a five-year deal worth up to $87.5 million this past March.

The Chiefs then traded first- and third-round picks in 2019 plus a second-round pick in 2020 to the Seahawks last April for a third-round pick in 2019 and Clark, who signed a five-year, $105.5 million deal with $63.5 million guaranteed.

Ford and Clark have become focal points of their respective defenses and will both play next Sunday in the Super Bowl. Judon also has emerged as a focal point for the Ravens, recording at least seven sacks in each of the past three seasons.

Judon, 27, had a career-high 9.5 sacks this season and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his four-year career. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said earlier this month that he "very much" wants the team to keep Judon.

"We're going to try to get as many of these guys re-signed as we can," Harbaugh said on Jan. 17. "Matt is probably right at the top of the list, for sure. ... Our goal will be to have Matt back."

Kobe Bryant and his daughter were among five people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Sunday, a source confirmed to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Bryant was 41.

Drafted 13th overall in 1996 out of Lower Merion High School, Bryant was a five-time NBA champion, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and the 2008 MVP. The 18-time All Star retired in 2016 after 20 seasons in the league, all with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA world past and present -- many of whom shared the court with the 2020 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame nominee -- expressed their condolences on social media.

Most people will remember Kobe as the magnificent athlete who inspired a whole generation of basketball players. But I will always remember him as a man who was much more than an athlete. pic.twitter.com/9EZuwk8wrV

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@kaj33) January 26, 2020

I'm feeling numb - words can't describe the impact Kobe has had on the world, LA, and the Lakers - not to mention the influence he had in my life as someone I grew up idolizing. I loved him - and send my condolences to all the families who lost someone today. RIP

— Joey Buss (@Jbuss) January 26, 2020

...This S*** can't be real... this the first moment I was able to meet Gianna Maria, she's been to only 3 games this year... 2 of them were mine... She told me I was her favorite player to watch?? I can't believe this??

Rest Easy Gigi❤️ pic.twitter.com/IfDrE9Gjlv

— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) January 26, 2020

Man I don't even know where to start?? I started playing ball because of KOBE after watching the 2010 finals. I had never watched ball before that and that finals was the turning point of my life. I WANTED TO BE LIKE KOBE. I'm so FREAKING SAD right now!!!!

RIP LEGEND

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) January 26, 2020

I'm heartbroken by this news, you were a true legend, and friend. Rest In Peace @kobebryant, my thoughts and prayers to his wife and kids. #legend #mamba #goat pic.twitter.com/1VKYdbrVEk

— Tony Parker (@tonyparker) January 26, 2020

I'm stunned. Words can't even come close to describing it. Just an incredibly sad and tragic day.

— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) January 26, 2020

A moment I will never forget. This was my first NBA game. ??? https://t.co/bZepaPVJMt

— Meyers Leonard (@MeyersLeonard) January 26, 2020

At a loss for words, RIP to a legend. Can't believe this. #Kobe

— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) January 26, 2020

Two weeks ago I got to meet and converse about life and basketball with one of my favorite players EVER. I got to watch and meet his daughter GiGi as well. Life is too short. This one hurts BAD. Prayers up to Vanessa and the family. ??? pic.twitter.com/ZfVcUMwMAS

— Jordin Canada ✨ (@jordin_canada) January 26, 2020

RIP to the legend...you inspired millions on and off the court. Thank you for your life and influence. "The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do"-... https://t.co/pAhb2BRQzx

— Anthony Tolliver (@ATolliver44) January 26, 2020

Peace and power to the Bryant family, and basketball lovers around the world. R.I.P @kobebryant ? #MambaMentality pic.twitter.com/yn3Bgo0VAu

— Goran Dragić (@Goran_Dragic) January 26, 2020

Can't believe it, don't want to believe it! This is unreal! I cried when I saw the news!
Thank you @kobebryant for everything you did for basketball and for who you were as a person. I'm gonna miss you!
One of the saddest days...this one hurts a lot. pic.twitter.com/95zAuxqWUz

— jose manuel calderon (@JmCalderon) January 26, 2020

R.I.P Legend ?

Prayers up ? ? pic.twitter.com/oUAgvA1DXp

— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) January 26, 2020

So sick rn... you inspired me to work as hard as I do. I use to watch you before all my highschool and college games man this one hurt me fr ?? Love you Bean R.I.P. #8/24forever pic.twitter.com/niaKOWt3d7

— Miles Bridges (@MilesBridges) January 26, 2020

Rest In Peace Kobe Bryant - a sad day for all of sports - Kobe was a pioneer and legendary ambassador for the game of basketball . Thoughts and prayers go out to Kobe's family . https://t.co/kn03JPIjzb

— Jay Wright (@VUCoachJWright) January 26, 2020

Speechless on this plane ride home! A sad day bruh! RIP Kobe Bean Bryant! Prayers go to his family and loved ones ?????? This doesn't even feel real man..

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) January 26, 2020

Devastated to hear the news about @kobebryant. He was the best to ever do it. Praying for the Bryant family during this difficult time. Your legacy will live forever, you inspired and transformed a lot of us ??? pic.twitter.com/8r0faP9hX2

— Bismack Biyombo (@bismackbiyombo) January 26, 2020

It's not even about basketball at this moment, May God be with your family ?? thank you for all the words. #RIP #kobe #8 #24 pic.twitter.com/j9zmjaoQP5

— Emmanuel Mudiay (@emmanuelmudiay) January 26, 2020

? I still can't believe this is actually true ... My sincere condolences to Bryant family , may the sprit of God bring you the comfort in such tough moment... RIP Kobe Bryant #nbafamily #MambaForever #loveyouKobe

— Nene Hilario (@NeneHilario42) January 26, 2020

THE DAY I EARNED YOUR RESPECT WAS A DAY ILL NEVER FORGET.! REST PEACEFULLY GOAT.! ???? pic.twitter.com/cKnTCNo23s

— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) January 26, 2020

The sports world joined the NBA in remembering Bryant's legendary career and impact.

Today we @WaltDisneyCo mourn the tragic loss of @kobebryant...a giant in sports and a person so full of life. Terrible news and so hard to process....

— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) January 26, 2020

Rest In Peace Kobe Bryant - a sad day for all of sports - Kobe was a pioneer and legendary ambassador for the game of basketball . Thoughts and prayers go out to Kobe's family . https://t.co/kn03JPIjzb

— Jay Wright (@VUCoachJWright) January 26, 2020

Still can't believe ⁦@kobebryant⁩ ???????? pic.twitter.com/swscrtnFAx

— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) January 26, 2020

Man not Kobe... Prayers to his family and friends! #RIPMamba

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) January 26, 2020

We miss you already Kobe ❤️❤️????

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) January 26, 2020

Terribly sad ?
RIP to a legend who meant so much to so many. You will be remembered forever as the champion you are.? pic.twitter.com/xRVuSf157X

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) January 26, 2020