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  • Usa, NBA champion Kobe Bryant dies in a helicopter crash

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January 27, 2020 Kobe Bryant had always loved helicopter travel and when he played for the Lakers he used his Sikorsky S-76 to move from his Newport Beach villa to the Staples Center in Los Angeles: the same model on which he traveled yesterday at the time of the crash at the gates of Los Angeles, in Calabasas. The accident happened around 10 am, probably due to the thick fog. His thirteen-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other people, including the pilot, also died with him.

A few hours before the tragedy, Bryant had congratulated LeBron James who in Philadelphia had passed him in the ranking of the best scorers of all time in Lakers history hoisting himself in third place overall in the history of the NBA. "Great respect for my brother King James," tweeted Kobe.

The 41-year-old was accompanying his promising basketball player to a game. In addition to his wife Vanessa, Bryant leaves three daughters: Natalia, Bianca and little Capri, born in June. Kobe had played 20 seasons in the Lakers, winning five NBA championships and 18 All-Star titles before retiring in 2016. He had also twice been Olympic gold, helping the American team of NBA stars to obtain the title in 2008 in Beijing and in 2012 in London. In 2018 he also won an Oscar for the film, 'Dear Basketball'. After his retirement in 2016, the Lakers had withdrawn both shirts used by Kobe Bryant, the 8th and 24th wing, an honor never reserved for other players of the Californian franchise.



The world mourns the great champion
The condolence was unanimous, from the world of sport to that of politics and culture. "This is terrible news," tweeted President Donald Trump after learning of the disappearance of the basketball legend who had repeatedly criticized him stating that tycoon created "division and anger" and inspired "dissent and hatred". "He was a legend on the field" and the death of his daughter Gianna is even more heartbreaking, "observed Barack Obama tied to Kobe by a deep friendship. Son of a former NBA player, Joe Bryant, Kobe grew up in Italy and spoke Italian fluently The Grammy Awards for Music Oscars, which is held in the Staples Center in Los Angeles where Bryant has played with Laker for 20 years, was dedicated to the deceased champion.



Fip has a minute's silence on all fields
A minute of silence on "all the fields and in each category in the races of the whole week". This is what the Italian Basketball Federation ordered in an official note. "A small but heartfelt and dutiful gesture to honor the life and memory of Kobe Bryant, absolute champion who has always had Italy in his heart".

Malagò: "Italy in mourning"
"Italian sport is in mourning. Kobe Bryant is a son of Italy, in every sense. His childhood was here, growing up in Rieti, Reggio Emilia and also in Reggio Calabria, and he also felt Italian: for this reason our country must remember it in a different way ". So the president of the CONI, Giovanni Malagò comments on the disappearance of the NBA champion, victim yesterday in Los Angeles of a helicopter accident together with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and other people.

Mayor Pistoia: "A mourning for the city"
Kobe Bryant's death "is a mourning that has affected the whole city". So the mayor of Pistoia, Alessandro Tomasi, who adds "the death at 41 of a basketball legend like Kobe Bryant, together with his daughter, is a tragedy". The young basketball champion had grown up in Pistoia. "The whole city was struck by this tragic news - Tomasi said -, because many of my generation, I am his age, have played basketball with him, have attended school with him, have gone out with him, have known the father who played here. For us he is a particular mourning, he is not only the great champion, he is not only the legend, but he is a person, a boy who played here and who trod our fields ".

Tribute of Kyrgios and Gauff to the Australian Open
Tribute to Kobe Bryant also at the Australian Tennis Open, where the eighth final is played between the Spanish champion Rafa Nadal and the local favorite Nick Kyrgios. The latter took to the field for warm-up and for the usual photos before the match wearing a yellow shirt with the n. 8, to remember the similar uniform worn for a long time by the former Lakers champion who died tragically last night. The young American champion Coco Gauff, very impressed by Bryant's death, wrote the dedication 'Mamba mentality' on her pink shoes and then 'rests in peace' with historical numbers of the American champion, the 8th and 24th. other American tennis player, Cathie McCally, Gauff's doubles partner, wanted to remember the former athlete, writing 'Kobe' on the shoes. In the stands of the 'Rod Laver Arena' in Melbourne there were tributes to the basketball star, in the public in fact there are those who wore the yellow Lakers shirt with the n. 24 of the sample.