NBA mourns the loss of Kobe Bryant on two-year anniversary of tragic death
Bryant was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame in May
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NBA legend Kobe Bryant tragically died in a helicopter crash while on his way to a youth basketball tournament with his 13-year-old daughter Gigi and seven others Jan. 26, 2020. Exactly two years later, Bryant's death still weighs heavily on those who knew him best and the fans who adored him.
On Wednesday, tributes from around the sports community poured in remembering the legacy of Bryant.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Family is Forever," the Los Angeles Lakers said in a tweet with a picture of Bryant embracing Gigi courtside.
Bryant spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers and was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA selection, five-time NBA champion, 12-time All-Defensive selection, two-time NBA Finals MVP and 2007-08 NBA MVP.
He was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame in May.
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Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates after defeating the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals June 17, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Nathaniel S Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NBA players, current and former, shared posts remembering Bryant using #KobeForever.
Bryant, Gigi, and seven others were flying from Orange County to a youth basketball tournament in Ventura County Jan. 26, 2020, when the pilot encountered thick fog near Calabasas before crashing.
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Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Western Conference warms up with daughter Gianna Bryant during the 2016 NBA All-Star Game at the Air Canada Centre Feb. 14, 2016, in Toronto, Ontario. (Elsa/Getty Images)
Those who died along with Bryant and his daughter were Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli; Altobelli’s wife Keri and their daughter Alyssa; Christina Mauser, who helped Bryant coach his daughter’s basketball team; and Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton, as well as the pilot. Alyssa and Payton were Gianna’s teammates.
Former Lakers general manager Jerry West, who acquired Bryant in a trade after the 1996 draft, spoke about the "shock and sadness" he feels when thinking about Bryant’s passing in an interview with the New York Times.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts in the third quarter against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center April 13, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Elsa/Getty Images)
"He was just one of those unique players that comes along. He had a big personality. He was very bright. He was going to be a bigger success off the court than on the court. He was taken away too young."
Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.