David Beckham has posted an emotional, moving tribute to Kobe Bryant, after the basketball legend tragically died on Sunday.
Byrant lost his life in a helicopter accident in California. He was just 41.
Kobe’s teenage daughter Gianna Maria was also on board the helicopter when it crashed and has passed away. She was just 13.
The terrible tragedy stunned the sports world and beyond when news of it broke on Sunday.
Bryant was one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, a five-time NBA champion with the LA Lakers who was named MVP in 2008.
Kobe’s impact transcended his sport and his passing has prompted an outpouring of tributes.
Barack Obama paid his respect to the NBA legend on Sunday evening. The former President of the United States posted a poignant tweet and offered his sympathy to Kobe’s family.
Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 26, 2020
Bryant’s former LA Lakers teammate Shaquille O’Neal paid a moving tribute to his friend after news broke of his death.
And, on Monday afternoon, the day after Kobe’s passing, David Beckham offered his condolences to Bryant’s family and paid him a heartfelt tribute.
Beckham and Kobe struck up a friendship during the footballer’s time with the LA Galaxy between 2007 and 2012, when the pair both lived in Los Angeles.
The former Manchester United midfielder was often spotted at Lakers games during his spell with the MLS franchise, and he was in attendance for Bryant’s last Lakers game back in 2016.
Beckham’s post reads:
“It’s taken me hours to work out what to write and still my words won’t ever be enough to describe how I am feeling after the tragic loss of Kobe. This was one special athlete, husband, father and friend. Having to write these words is hard enough but also knowing we have lost an amazing human being and his beautiful and talented daughter Gianna is heartbreaking.
“The commitment Kobe showed to his sport was inspiring, to go through the pain and, to finish a game off like only he could, inspired me to try to be better. Sometimes I would only go to games just to watch that clock go down to the last 2:00 minutes knowing that we were about to witness something special.
“Kobe always talked about Vanessa and his beautiful girls and how proud he was of them. Kobe’s passion was his family and basketball. He was determined to inspire the next generation of boys and girls to embrace the sport that he loved. His legacy will live on. My family’s love and prayers go out to Vanessa and the girls, to Kobe’s basketball family, and of course to the families of those who were tragically lost with him yesterday.”
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