NBA basketball legend Kobe Bryant died today at 41 in a helicopter crash.
The five-time NBA champions and 2008 MVP was among the 9 passengers, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria, killed when the helicopter they were in crashed on a hillside in Calabasas, California with no survivor. The causes of the accident are still to be determined.
The whole world of sports plummeted in shock as the news quickly spread across the globe. The Black Mamba was an inspirational character whose influence spread far beyond the world of basketball.
Bryant played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers and retired in April 2016. His achievements include being the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player and two-time NBA Finals MVP. He was also two-time NBA scoring champion and a two-time Olympic champion.
On top of establishing himself as one of the most dominant and charismatic athletes in the past 20 years, Kobe was a true calcio lover and a Milan supporter. He also had a deep connection with Italy, where he spent part of his childhood.
The son of professional player Joe Bryant, he had followed his dad in various basketball clubs and cities across the Italian peninsula – Rieti, Pistoia, Reggio Calabria, Reggio Emilia – from age 6 to 13.
Kobe was perfectly fluent in Italian and still loved to use it whenever he came back to Italy and was interviewed by the press. His love for the Belpaese was also exemplified by the choice to give his four daughters Italian names: Gianna Maria, who perished with him in the crash, Natalia, Bianca, and Capri.
The Cult of Calcio extends its deepest condolences to the Bryant family and to all those affected by the tragedy.
As a form of respect, we will turn our home page background to black for one day.