Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter accident in Calabasas, California early Sunday morning. Bryant was 41 years old. The news of Bryant’s passing comes less than 24 hours following LeBron James surpassing him on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Just hours earlier Bryant had reached out to James through multiple forms of social media to congratulate him on his accomplishment. In a postgame interview, James lauded Bryant, noting Bryant’s influence on him growing up and how special it was to wear a Laker’s jersey during this achievement.
Bryant is considered not just one of the game’s best scorers but is mentioned time and time again alongside Michael Jordan and James as one of the all-time greats.