US basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in the city of Calabasas, California on Sunday, January 26.
Bryant, 41, and Gianna, 13, were travelling in a private helicopter when it came down and burst into flames.
Many Nigerians have taken to the social media to mourn the late American star with only few of them knowing who he really was.
Below are the 10 things you need to know about Kobe Bryant:
1. Kobe Bean Bryant (August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player.
2. Bryant was born in Philadelphia, the youngest of three children and only son of former NBA player Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant.
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3. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu.
4. Bryant started playing basketball when he was 3 years old, and the Lakers were his favorite team when he was growing up.
5. He married Vanessa Laine on April 18, 2001, at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, California and they had four daughters.
6. A shooting guard, Bryant played his entire 20-season career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Los Angeles Lakers.
7. He entered the NBA directly from high school and won five NBA championships.
8. Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, and the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP).
9. Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, he led the NBA in scoring during two seasons, ranks fourth on the league’s all-time regular season scoring, and ranks fourth on the all-time postseason scoring list.
10. Bryant was the first guard in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons.