RIP Kobe Bryant and his daughter,
Shaquille O’Neal has led tributes to Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, after they died in a helicopter crash.
Each the 41-year-old basketball legend and his daughter Gianna had been amongst 9 individuals to die on Sunday (Jan 26) when Kobe’s personal helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California. Fellow NBA star Shaquille has now taken to social media to pay his respects to his late good friend.
He wrote on Twitter: “There is not any phrases to precise the ache I am going by with this tragedy of shedding my niece Gigi & my brother @kobebryant. I like you and you can be missed. My condolences exit to the Bryant household and the households of the opposite passengers on board. I am sick proper now.”
Former US president Barack Obama additionally used Twitter to pay tribute to Kobe and Gianna, dubbing the tragedy “unthinkable”.
He wrote: “Kobe was a legend on the court docket and simply getting began in what would have been simply as significant a second act. To lose Gianna is much more heartbreaking to us as dad and mom. Michelle and I ship love and prayers to Vanessa and the complete Bryant household on an unthinkable day.”
Musician John Legend additionally tweeted: “I am so unhappy and shocked proper now. In Staples Area, the place Kobe created so many recollections for all of us, making ready to pay tribute to a different good man we misplaced too quickly, Nipsey Hussle. Life might be so brutal and mindless generally. Maintain on to your family members. We miss you, Kobe.”
Paula Abdul, Jimmy Kimmel, Nick Jonas, Bruno Mars, Whoopi Goldberg, and Pharrell Williams are additionally amongst those that have expressed their “shock” and “unhappiness” upon listening to the information.
Whoopi wrote: “RIP Kobe, hero to many together with my grandson, extraordinary athlete and all the time sort to me & my household. My deepest condolences to his household.”
Paula shared an image of herself with the sports activities star and stated: “I’m utterly speechless and devastated on the sudden passing of my expensive good friend, @kobebryant. Kobe had a giant coronary heart and a good greater love for the neighborhood of Los Angeles. By way of his basis, he modified the lives of so many individuals and households along with his spouse, Vanessa.”
As of the time of writing, it isn’t identified what triggered Kobe’s helicopter to crash, and his spouse Vanessa Bryant – with whom he had Gianna, in addition to 17-year-old Natalia, three-year-old Bianka, and seven-month-old Capri – has not but commented publicly on the tragic information.