'RESPECT'
TOMORROW'S clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and their cross-city rivals the Clippers has been postponed by the NBA.
Lakers legend Kobe Bryant died yesterday and the whole of LA is still in mourning after the tragic helicopter accident.
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A league statement confirmed: "The National Basketball Association game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the LA Clippers scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 28 at Staples Center has been postponed.
"The decision was made out of respect for the Lakers organization, which is deeply grieving the tragic loss of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other people in a helicopter crash on Sunday.
"The game will be rescheduled at a later date."
The Clippers and Lakers were due to meet in LA's Staples Center, which hosted yesterday's Grammys.
Fans have been gathering outside the venue to pay their respects and the area is a flood of yellow and purple.
NBA games and NFL's pro-bowl went ahead in the wake of Sunday's shocking accident as the sporting world honoured Bryant.
The news broke shortly before the Denver Nuggets hosted the Houston Rockets and the sides shared a tearful moment of silence before the game began.
Canada's Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs tipped off at the same time and the players on court paid tribute to Kobe in their own special way.
Both teams started the game with a shot clock violation in remembrance of Kobe’s No24 jersey, which had already been retired by the LA Lakers when the 41-year-old left the sport in 2016.
NBA legend Bryant and his daughter Gianna, 13, were on their way to a basketball practice when the chopper came down - in conditions that had forced the LAPD to ground their choppers.
The superstar shot to fame as an 18-year-old and played for the franchise for 20 years, winning five NBA championships on the way.
He is survived by wife Vanessa and his other daughters Natalia, Bianca and Capri, who was born in June 2019.
Kobe's career in numbers
- 4th highest all-time NBA scorer - 33,643
- 5× NBA champion (2000–2002, 2009, 2010)
- 2× NBA Finals MVP (2009, 2010)
- NBA Most Valuable Player (2008)
- 18× NBA All-Star (1998, 2000–2016)
- 4× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011
- 11× All-NBA First Team (2002–2004, 2006–2013)
- 2× All-NBA Second Team (2000, 2001)
- 2× All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2005)
- 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2000, 2003, 2004, 2006–2011)
- 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2001, 2002, 2012)
- 2× NBA scoring champion (2006, 2007)
- OLYMPIC CHAMPION: Beijing 2008, London 2012
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