Los Angeles, fans remember Kobe Bryant one year after deadly crash

LOS ANGELES -- Basketball fans gathered across Los Angeles on Tuesday to remember Kobe Bryant, one year to the day after the former NBA superstar perished in a helicopter crash with daughter Gianna and seven others.

Fans laid flowers and Los Angeles Lakers memorabilia at a makeshift memorial outside the Staples Center, the arena where Bryant became a city icon during a two-decade playing career.

Bryant, 41, his daughter and fellow passengers died on January 26 last year when the helicopter they were travelling in slammed into a hillside in Calabasas in foggy conditions.

In a post on Instagram, Bryant's widow Vanessa published a letter she had received from one of her daughter's best friends which read in part: "You have probably heard this, but if I ever become a mom, I hope my daughter turns out exactly as yours did."

Vanessa Bryant added in the post: "I miss my baby girl and Kob-Kob so much, too. I will never understand why/how this tragedy could've happened to such beautiful, kind and amazing human beings. It still doesn't seem real."

Bryant's former Lakers team-mate Pau Gasol was among those who tweeted their messages of remembrance.

- 'I miss you hermano' -

"I miss you, hermano... not a day goes by that you are not present in what I do," the Spanish international wrote.

"Your spirit, your drive, your ambition, your love... continues to shine in my life and in many others. ... I hope you and Gigi are smiling down seeing how strong, sweet and amazing your girls are."

Lakers legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson simply posted a picture of himself in Lakers uniform alongside Bryant.

"Kobe will always be my Lakers brother for life," Johnson wrote.

The Lakers meanwhile posted a black and white photograph of Bryant planting an affectionate kiss on his daughter's head, with a caption: "Family is forever."

Other Los Angeles sporting franchises also paid tribute. The Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team posted a photo of the pitching mound at Dodger Stadium emblazoned with Bryant's "24" jersey number in Lakers colours.

The Los Angeles Galaxy Major League Soccer team also posted a pitcher of Bryant and his daughter, with a caption reflecting their nicknames: "Mamba & Mambacita forever.

Bryant won five championships with the Lakers during his career before finally retiring in 2016.

- Street-art memorials -

Since his death, dozens of large-scale murals have appeared on walls throughout Los Angeles.

An emotional 2020 season for the Lakers culminated with LeBron James leading the team to their first NBA championship in 10 years last October.

The team are not playing on Tuesday, and not planning a formal tribute to Bryant when they play in Philadelphia.

Lakers star James said last weekend he was still struggling to come to terms with his close friend's death.

"Man, it's a saying that says, 'Time heals all,'" James said. "And as devastating and as tragic as it was and still is to all of us involved with it, only time (will help). And it takes time.

"Everyone has their own grieving process. Everyone understands that everyone individually is different. Everyone is going to grieve differently.

"All you can do as a friend or a loved one or anyone in our brotherhood or our familyhood that we have here in the Lakers organization is to put an arm around someone when they need it."

The National Transportation Safety Board meanwhile is due to announce the results of its investigation into the deadly crash on February 9.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: In touching memorial, LeBron vows to carry on Bryant legacy

LeBron James vowed Friday that he and his Los Angeles Lakers teammates would continue the legacy of club icon Kobe Bryant, who died Sunday in a helicopter crash.

James, his voice fraught with emotion, addressed the Staples Center crowd before the Lakers returned to NBA action for the first time since Bryant's death.

Flinging away his prepared notes, James said to cheers he would speak from the heart, calling on all present to celebrate Bryant's life and a career that included five NBA titles in 20 years with the Lakers.

"I know at some point we will have a memorial for Kobe," he said. "But I look at this as a celebration tonight.

"This is a celebration of the 20 years of the blood, the sweat, the tears, the broken down body, the getting up, sitting down to everything, the countless hours, the determination to be as great as he could be.

"Tonight we celebrate the kid who came here at 18 years of age, retired at 38 and became the best dad we've seen over the last three years.

"The fact that I'm here now means so much to me," James said. "I'm going to continue with my teammates to continue his legacy not only for this year but as long as we can continue to play the game of basketball that we love, because that's what Kobe Bryant would want."

After the game, James said he decided to deviate from his notes "pretty much when I went up there.

"I wanted to make sure I acknowledged all the lives that were lost Sunday morning and I didn't want to mess that up so I looked at the names on a paper," James said.

He movingly pronounced the names of all nine people who died in the crash, a somber list that included Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna.

"But when I kind of looked at the notecards I had or that was kind of being insisted on -- and some of it was what I wanted to talk about -- I decided for me personally just letting the words flow right from the heart and whatever comes out they're pure -- there's truth to it," James said.

One truth he'd come to realize, James said, was that the ruthlessly competitive Bryant had blossomed since retiring in 2016 as he focused on creative pursuits and life with his wife, Vanessa, and their four daughters.

"Seeing Kobe play the game of basketball 20 years for the Lakers since he was 18 to 38, and I was like you know it's crazy, these last three years, out of all the success he had, five rings, multiple MVPs, All-Star Game MVP, first-league everything, all-life, all-world all-basketball -- it felt like these last three years was the happiest I've ever seen him," James said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Lakers honor Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna, others lost in helicopter crash

Five days after Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Southern California, the Los Angeles Lakers suited up Friday night for their first game since the legend's death.

With the eyes of not only basketball but the entire sports world and beyond focused on Staples Center, the Lakers paid tribute to the nine lives lost Sunday, and they honored their fallen hero with a taste of Hollywood flair before their game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

After the Lakers players took to the floor for warmups wearing the Nos. 8 and 24 -- both numbers hanging in the rafters in honor of Bryant -- the lights in the arena went out, and fans awash in a sea of cellphone lights began chanting "Kobe! Kobe!"

When the lights came back on, recording star Usher was at center court and sang "Amazing Grace," flanked by bouquets in the shape of the Nos. 8 and 24 and the clocks above the backboard showing the same numbers. 

From there, the lights would again go out until the next speaker or performer took to center court and the lights came back on.

And each time the lights went out, those chants would break out.

After Usher came Los Angeles-based cellist Ben Hong, who played "Hallelujah" while the video board played interview clips of Kobe Bryant and Bryant family photos.

The Lakers then put the names of all nine people killed in the crash on the Jumbotron, then after brief comments from the public address announcer, the arena recognized a 24.2-second moment of silence. Gianna Bryant wore No. 2 in her youth games.

R&B group Boyz II Men -- natives of Philadelphia, where Bryant starred in high school -- then sang the national anthem. As the song concluded, Lakers star LeBron James wiped tears from his eyes, then shared a long embrace with teammate Anthony Davis.

James then took the microphone and addressed the crowd.

He began by reading the names of all nine people lost when the helicopter that was on its way to a youth basketball tournament crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California. 

Kobe Bryant, 41, was a coach for the team on which Gianna, 13, played. Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56; his wife, Keri; and their daughter Alyssa, 14 -- who played on the same club team as Gianna Bryant -- were also killed. 

Christina Mauser, a 38-year-old who was the top assistant coach of the Mamba girls basketball team, was also killed in the accident, as were Sarah Chester, 45; her daughter Payton Chester, 13; and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50.

James then dropped the speech he had written and instead told the crowd, "Laker Nation, I would be selling y'all short if I read off this (stuff) so I'm going to go from the heart."

"This is a celebration of the 20 years of the blood, the sweat, the tears... the determination to be as great as he could be," James continued. 

"Before we get to play ... Kobe is a brother to me, and from the time I was in high school, to watching him afar, to getting in this league at 18, watching him up close -- all the battles that we had throughout my career -- the one thing that we always shared was that determination to just want to win, and just want to be great. And the fact that I'm here now means so much to me.

"I want to continue along with my teammates, to continue his legacy, not only for this year but for as long as we can play the game of basketball that we love because that's what Kobe Bryant would want.

"So in the words of Kobe Bryant, Mamba out. But in the words of us, not forgotten. Live on, brother."

Then came pregame introductions, where every member of the Lakers was introduced the same way:

"No. 24, 6-6, 20th season out of Lower Merion High School, Kobeeee Bryant."

The Lakers wore a "KB" patch on their jerseys, and that same emblem -- along with Bryant's retired Nos. 8 and 24 -- were emblazoned on the court. Fans on one side of Staples Center were given No. 8 Bryant shirts to wear while fans on the other side got No. 24 shirts.

The Lakers organization also left empty the seats Kobe and Gianna Bryant sat in when they attended games, each draped in a jersey with a bouquet of roses on the seat.

When the game began, the Lakers won the opening tip and, like much of the NBA this week, took a 24-second violation. The Blazers then returned the favor and took an 8-second violation.

The Lakers opened the scoring on their second possession, Davis blocking Damian Lillard's 3-point attempt, James snatching the ball out of the air and sending a pass the length of the court to Davis for a dunk.

The Lakers were originally scheduled to play the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, but the NBA agreed to postpone the game as the Lakers players were not ready to play.

Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony, a close friend of Bryant and with whom he won two Olympic gold medals, did not play in Friday's game, with the team calling it "personal reasons." 

Lillard said that Anthony "was not ready," and a report in The Athletic said Anthony could not play "because of his continued grieving and emotions over the loss of Kobe Bryant on Sunday."

Bryant won five NBA championships for the Lakers and amassed a number of accolades. He was the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2007-08, a 15-time All-NBA selection, 18-time All-Star and 12-time All-Defensive team member. 

He was twice named MVP of the NBA Finals and was the All-Star Game MVP four times.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Bryant built Hall of Fame career with tireless work ethic

LOS ANGELES --- For 20 long seasons, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant lit up the National Basketball Association with a work ethic and closing ability matched by very few until he finally ended his stellar career on Wednesday.

At the age of 37, he realized that time was running out and last November he announced that the 2015-16 season would be his last as his battered body was no longer able to withstand the rigors of protracted campaigns.

Five-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer Bryant was sidelined for nearly eight months in 2013 with a torn Achilles' tendon, then played just six games during the 2013-14 season because of a severe knee injury.

Last season, he played 35 games but increasingly suffered soreness in his knees, feet and back, prompting coach Byron Scott to cut back significantly on Bryant's playing time going forward while altering his on-court role.

His 2015-16 campaign has effectively been a farewell tour, his time on court significantly cut back though he ended up playing in 66 of 82 games, particularly on the road, to give fans one last chance to say goodbye.

Popularly known as "Black Mamba," Bryant made a living by making the seemingly impossible possible for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Until age finally caught up with him, he made a habit of draining game-winning shots despite being double or triple-teamed, establishing a reputation for being one of the best ever closers in the NBA as a shooting guard.

At times, Bryant has been accused of being a ball-hog, though he has frequently excelled as a facilitator and is unrivalled in the modern game when it comes to basketball IQ.

"Every night you played, I couldn't wait to watch knowing that I would witness an unbelievable shot or move that I had never seen on the court," fellow Lakers great Magic Johnson wrote about Bryant on his website on Wednesday.

"I marveled at the skills and loved the energy you brought to the game wearing that purple and gold uniform. You never disappointed the city, Laker fans and basketball fans worldwide. All you cared about was winning games and championships and that's why so many people love you.

"Very few people have changed the game of basketball but you will be recognized as one of them alongside my 'Dream Team' teammates, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan."

Cut of beef
Named Kobe by his parents after they spotted the popular Japanese cut of beef on a restaurant menu shortly before his birth, Bryant is a five-times NBA champion having won titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010.

He was drafted out of high school with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets but was traded shortly after the Lakers for Serbian Vlade Divac.

He has appeared in 18 All-Star games, was named the Most Valuable Player for the 2007-08 regular season and landed MVP honors in the 2009 and 2010 Finals when he led the Lakers to consecutive championships.

Bryant has also won gold medals with the U.S. basketball team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

Twice NBA champion LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who is widely regarded as the best player currently competing in the league, pointed to Bryant's work ethic as a significant motivation for him.

"I knew I had to be better because of Kobe Bryant," said James. "I knew he was in the gym and I knew he was working on his game. And I knew he was great.

"So every day that I didn't want to work out or every day I felt like I couldn't give more, I always thought of Kobe. Because I knew that he was getting better."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

NBA releases All-Star Game Twitter emojis

Here's another reason to follow the NBA during the 2016 All-Star game: brand-new Twitter emojis!

The Association just released a set of emojis for the players participating in the annual league showcase in Toronto.

You have the Black Mamba for Kobe Bryant, a crown for LeBron James, a PG-13 movie ticket for Paul George and player faces for guys like Steph Curry and Russell Westbrook.

There's also a set for the NBA on TNT crew including Shaq.

Check out the @twitter emojis for #NBAAllStarTO! All you got to do is tweet an All Star's #FirstNameLastName pic.twitter.com/6D26rwcJzA

— NBA (@NBA) February 12, 2016

This story was originally published on the ABS-CBN Sports website.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

WATCH: Kobe Bryant's Christmas Day mixtape

Check out NBA's collection of Kobe Bryant's superb plays from his memorable games on Christmas Day.

The video, "Kobe Bryant's ULTIMATE Christmas Day Mixtape," showcased Bryant's high-flying dunks, quick crossovers, and other highlight plays.

The video was NBA's tribute to the Black Mamba, who has already announced his plan to retire at the end of the 2015-2016 season.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

WATCH: 'Vintage' Kobe dunks over Houston's Capela

Check out how Kobe Bryant flashed his old deadly form as he threw down a dunk over the younger Clint Capela of the Houston Rockets.

After getting a pass from Jordan Clarkson, Bryant dribbled past Trevor Ariza.

The 2008 MVP then went to the basket and slammed a right-handed dunk despite a challenge by Capela.

Although Bryant finished with a team-high 22 points, the Lakers fell 107-87 to the Rockets.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Kobe hides 20 signed shoes all over the world

Kobe Bryant just revealed his last signature shoe as an active player and to celebrate his 20 amazing years in the game, the Black Mamba is hiding 20 autographed shoes all over the world.

With the official unveiling of the Nike Kobe 11, Bryant added that 20 authographed pairs will be scattered in secret place all over the world while clues will be put up on social media.

"There will be questions that pose as clues. Some of the questions will be kind of standard stuff – growing up questions and stuff like that. Others will be centered around innovation. It's important for them to really understand the product," Kobe said.

The global scavenger hunt will take place a week from now on December 22. Let the Kobe games begin.

This story was originally published on the ABS-CBN Sports website

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bryant okay with five NBA titles as he nears retirement

Kobe Bryant played his final game at the Palace of Auburn Hills and one thing remains significant regarding his legacy and the place the Detroit Pistons call home.

It was the site of one of his two NBA Finals defeats.

Back in 2004, the mighty Los Angeles Lakers, featuring Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Gary Payton and Karl Malone, lost to the tough Pistons in five games.

And in Bryant's quest to tie and even surpass Michael Jordan's six NBA titles, the Pistons loss was a hard pill to swallow for the Black Mamba.

Until it wasn't.

"They kicked our ass," Bryant said per Baxter Holmes of ESPN on the 2004 Finals. "They were the better team. They executed extremely well. They played extremely well and executed well. They pressured us, and we weren't ready to go deeper into our offense and into our automatics. The stuff that wins us championships is being able to go into our automatics. We just weren't prepared to do it."

With retirement on the horizon, Bryant is at peace that he'll get to finish with five championships after going to the Finals seven times.

"I did everything I could. I'm fine with that. When I started playing basketball, I knew I didn't want to have any regrets. I wanted to push as hard as I can, as much as I can. I've done that. So I'm completely fine with that," Bryant said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com