• LeBron James was seen grieving Kobe Bryant’s death on Sunday after the Los Angeles Lakers’ plane landed in California.
  • Bryant died in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter, Gianna, and 7 other people on Sunday. He was 41.
  • James surpassed Bryant on the NBA all-time scoring list on Saturday, after which the Lakers icon congratulated him.
  • James had said that Bryant was an inspiration for him throughout his basketball career, and spoke about Bryant’s influence in a four-minute video shared on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” Sunday morning.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was seen grieving, following news of Kobe Bryant’s death after his team’s plane touched down in California on Sunday.

Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter, Gianna, and 7 other people on Sunday, had congratulated James for surpassing him on the NBA all-time scoring list just before his death.

The 41-year-old had written on Twitter: “Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother.”

Hours after news of Bryant’s death broke on Sunday, James was seen hugging people outside of the Lakers’ team plane, and wiping away tears.

https://twitter.com/12SportsAZ/status/1221558341236748288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

James had said that Bryant was an inspiration for him throughout his basketball career. In a a four-minute video shared on ESPN's "SportsCenter" just before Bryant's death, James spoke of the Lakers icon visiting a youth basketball he attended as a child.

"I went to ABCD camp, and he came and talked to all the kids that were there. I happened to be one of the kids that was there and I was just listening," James said. "I was just trying to soak up everything that I could and I remember one thing that he said. He was, like, 'If you want to try to be great at it, or want to be one of the greats you have to put the work in. There's no substitution for work.'"

While Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016, his legacy is still felt across the league. Athletes, politicians, and celebrities alike have spoken out about his death, issuing condolences and telling stories of his life.

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