Published 13:03 IST, January 28th 2020
Kobe Bryant and LeBron James' last-ever telephone conversation revealed by Lakers players
A few hours before the crash, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant talked over the phone, where Bryant congratulated James for passing him on the NBA all-time list.
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Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and 7 others lost their lives in a devastating helicopter crash in California on Sunday. The group was heading to one of Gianna's basketball games. A few hours before the crash, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant talked over the phone, where Bryant congratulated James for passing him on the NBA all-time assist list. According to NBA analyst Shams Charania, several Lakers players also listened to the conversation.
LeBron James and Kobe Bryant's conversation was heard by several Lakers players
One final conversation: LeBron James and Kobe Bryant had phone call late Saturday night after James passed Bryant on the NBA scoring charts, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Several Lakers players listened into call -- in what would be their final memory of Bryant's voice.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 27, 2020
Kobe Bryant death: The Lakers vs Clippers game postponed
The following has been released by the NBA pic.twitter.com/NgrEP2qpDi
— NBA (@NBA) January 27, 2020
Kobe Bryant death: His last social media posts were for LeBron James
Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother 💪🏾 #33644
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 26, 2020
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Kobe Bryant dead: The Laker legend's NBA career
Kobe Bryant played with the Lakers for two decades, starting as an 18-year-old rookie in 1996. Bryant retired in 2016, third on the all-time NBA scoring list. He had five NBA championships to his name, winning NBA MVP in 2008. Bryant had a career average of 25 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. Kobe Bryant even paired up with LeBron James for the Olympics, winning the country two gold medals in 2008 and 2012 respectively.
Kobe Bryant death: The world pays tribute to the Black Mamba
Kobe Bryant's fans gathered around Staples Center, where the Grammys were being held. While the award show was going on, an impromptu memorial was also created for the Black Mamba. The San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors stopped their game to honour Kobe Bryant, committing a violation on 24 seconds. 24 was Bryant's jersey number for the second half of his career. Dallas Mavericks also paid a tribute to him, stating that no player will ever wear the No.24 jersey in his honour.
13:03 IST, January 28th 2020