Los Angeles Lakers Release First Official Statement On The Passing Of Kobe Bryant

Jeter McGregor Nowitzki And Earnhardt Pay Respects To Kobe Bryant

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The Los Angeles Lakers have released their first official statement regarding the passing of Kobe Bryant. While the team previously made a statement regarding Tuesday’s canceled game against the Clippers, the statement made late Thursday night represents the first time that the team is publicly commenting on Bryant’s passing specifically.

We are devastated and have been forever changed by the sudden loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna. We send our love to Vanessa, the Bryant family, and to the families of the other passengers.

Words cannot express what Kobe means to the Los Angeles Lakers, our fans, and our city. More than a basketball player, he was a beloved father, husband, and teammate. Their love and light will remain in our hearts forever.

The Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to support the families affected by this tragedy. To help, please visit http://MambaOnThree.org. For those who are inspired to continue Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit http://MambaSportsFoundation.org.

In addition to the statement, the Lakers’ official Twitter account also updated their profile picture and their header photo to a black Lakers logo and a black and white photograph of Kobe, respectively.

Kobe Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria Bryant, 13, tragically passed away in a Calabasas, California helicopter crash on Sunday, January 26. The Bryants were not the only victims of the horrific accident, as seven other people were killed in the crash: John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, and Ara Zobayan.

Bryant, who won five NBA Championships and was named an All-Star 18 times during his illustrious career, will go down as one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game.

The thoughts and prayers of the entire BroBible team out go out to the friends, family, and loved ones of the Bryant family and the families of all the victims during this extremely difficult time. May Kobe, Gianna, and all of the victims of the crash rest in peace. Mamba Forever.

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Eric is a New York City-based writer who still isn’t quite sure how he’s allowed to have this much fun for a living and will tell anyone who listens that Gotham City is canonically in New Jersey. Follow him on Twitter @eric_ital for movie and soccer takes or contact him eric@brobible.com

Eric Italiano BroBIble avatar
Eric Italiano is a NYC-based writer who spearheads BroBible's Pop Culture and Entertainment content. He covers topics such as Movies, TV, and Video Games, while interviewing actors, directors, and writers.