Bryant hailed as 'true Olympic champion' by IOC president

Kobe Bryant was as “an outstanding and true Olympic champion,” IOC President Thomas Bach said Monday.

basketball great, who was killed in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles on Sunday, helped United States win Olympic gold medals at 2008 Beijing Games and 2012 London Games.

Bryant also worked with Olympic hosting bid for Los Angeles, city where he won five NBA titles with Lakers. When Los Angeles hosts 2028 Olympics, men’s basketball will be played at Staples Center, where Bryant played with Lakers.

“He embraced power of sport to change people’s lives,” Bach said in a statement published by International Olympic Committee. “After retiring from game he loved so much, he continued to support Olympic Movement and was an inspiration for Olympic Games LA 2028.”

Bryant narrated final filmed segment of

“re are so many different cultures represented here, so many different ethnicities represented here,” he said of Los Angeles in video. “It’s an opportunity to learn matter where you look.”

41-year-old Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among nine people who died in crash in Calabasas in foggy wear conditions Sunday morning.

“We will all miss his energy and his humble nature," Bach said. "Our thoughts are with his family and friends and all or victims.”

International basketball federation secretary general Andreas Zagklis described Bryant as a “sun in basketball universe, shining on and off court.”