Former President Barack Obama pays tribute to late 'legend' Kobe Bryant

As the NBA world mourns the life of Kobe Bryant, who died Sunday at the age of 41 after a helicopter crash in Calabasas California, the tributes continue to pour in.

One of them came from a former president.

Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, posted a tribute in honor of Bryant on Sunday evening on his verified Twitter account.

“Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act,” Obama posted on Sunday. “To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.”
 

Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 26, 2020

Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was also killed in the crash, as the pair were on their way to an AAU basketball game.

Bryant played 20 seasons in the NBA, all of them with the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 33,643 points, which had ranked third on the all-time list in NBA history until current Laker LeBron James surpassed him Saturday night.

Bryant won five NBA Finals championships and was an 18-time all-star.