Kobe Bryant Tribute: NYC's Empire State Building Lights Up in Purple and Golden To Mourn NBA Legend's Untimely Death (See Photo)

The Empire State Building in New York City paid tribute to Kobe Bryant on Monday by lighting up in colours of purple and gold signifying LA Lakers, the team that Kobe played with for 20 years. The iconic building in Manhattan looked stunning as it remembered the sportsperson. Along with Empire State, the Madison Square Garden also lit up in the LA Lakers colours in the memory of Kobe.

Kobe Bryant and his daughter 13-year-old daughter Gianna died in a southern California helicopter crash on Sunday. It was going from Calabasas to nearby Thousands Oaks when the incident occurred. The basketball player was flying with eight others including Gianna were all killed in the crash. According to reports, the accident occurred from a fire onboard Kobe Bryant's private helicopter before spiralling out of control and crashing in Calabasas. Kobe Bryant Wife and Kids: Know Everything About Late NBA Star’s Family - Partner Vanessa Laine and Daughters Gianna, Bianka, Natalia and Capri.

Empire State Building tweeted a picture with the caption, "Our lights will shine in purple and gold this evening as we pay tribute to basketball legend Kobe Bryant, an inspiration to millions across the globe who was taken too soon. Our hearts go out to all of the families, friends, and fans affected by this tragedy. #824Forever"

Empire State Building Pays Tribute to Kobe Bryant:

Paying tributes to NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist, US Sports magazine Sports Illustrated ran with a single black and white of Bryant in profile and the headline 'Kobe Bryant, 1978-2020'. Sports fraternity across the world paid tributes to the great the NBA legend. Social media platforms were flooded with messages of shock, despair, mourning and tributes to the later player and his daughter. Kobe is the son of former NBA player Joe Bryant. Kobe declared himself for the 1996 NBA draft after high school and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the 13th pick.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 28, 2020 11:59 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).