ROME (AP) — At a Lakers preseason game in Beijing in 2013, the arena rang out with chants of “Kobe! Kobe!” — despite the injured superstar not even having suited up.From Los Angeles to Italy, Asia and beyond, Kobe Bryant was bigger than just a basketball player. He was the sport’s global ambassador.It was a role that Bryant began studying for at an early age, during his seven-year childhood tour of Italy while his father played pro basketball in the country.“Because of that, he was fluent, he could understand the mentality,” Italian coach Ettore Messina, a former consultant with the Los Angeles Lakers, told The Associated Press. "And he played soccer so he learned to use his feet, not only his hands. Because of that he was open minded.”Bryant, an 18-time NBA All-Star with the Lakers and a lifelong soccer fan, died Sunday with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, California. He was 41.“The other thing that was crucial in his career was USA Basketball. Because... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jeered like a traitor just a few miles from the high school where he won a state title, Kobe Bryant stewed on the bench as the final minutes of the 2002 All-Star game ticked away. Nearly every fan in Philadelphia had booed the hometown guy whenever he touched the ball.Never one to forget a slight, Bryant was stung by the vitriol.“I'm just out there trying to play and have a good time,” Bryant said. “My feelings are hurt, being from Philadelphia.”His local roots meant little to the rowdy crowd that would not forgive Bryant for comments from the previous season when the Los Angeles Lakers played the 76ers in the NBA Finals.Bryant had warned fans that he wasn't coming home to relive the glory years at Lower Merion High School. He proclaimed he was “coming to Philly to cut their hearts out.”The Lakers won the championship in five games, a series that began an unforgiving attitude from Sixers fanatics that continued until Bryant's final NBA game in the city.Bryant, killed... [More]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jeered like a traitor just a few miles from the high school where he won a state title, Kobe Bryant stewed on the bench as the final minutes of the 2002 All-Star game ticked away. Nearly every fan in Philadelphia had booed the hometown guy whenever he touched the ball.Never one to forget a slight, Bryant was stung by the vitriol."I'm just out there trying to play and have a good time," Bryant said. "My feelings are hurt, being from Philadelphia."His local roots meant little to the rowdy crowd that would not forgive Bryant for comments from the previous season when the Los Angeles Lakers played the 76ers in the NBA Finals.Bryant had warned fans that he wasn't coming home to relive the glory years at Lower Merion High School. Bryant proclaimed he was "coming to Philly to cut their hearts out." The Lakers won the championship in five games, a series that began an unforgiving attitude from Sixers fanatics that continued until Bryant's final NBA game in the city.Bryant, killed... [More]

The NBA absolutely made the right call in postponing Tuesday night’s game in Los Angeles between the Lakers and the Clippers.The entire league is grieving Kobe Bryant. It’s hard for everyone. Impossibly hard. Now imagine what that anguish is like right now for the Lakers, the team that Bryant spent 20 years playing for and will forever be associated with.They’re not ready to play.Frankly, none of us are probably ready to start this series of farewells, either.“The Los Angeles Lakers would like to thank all of you for the tremendous outpouring of support and condolences,” the team said in a statement released Monday afternoon. “This is a very difficult time for all of us. We continue to support the Bryant family and will share more information as it is available.”Here’s the irony: Bryant probably would have hated the decision to postpone the game. LeBron James was in tears Sunday when he got off the Lakers’ plane that carried the team home from Philadelphia and a game where he passed Bryant... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The NBA has postponed the Los Angeles Lakers' next game against the Clippers on Tuesday night after the deaths of retired superstar Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash.The league announced the decision in a statement Monday, saying it “was made out of respect for the Lakers organization.”The Lakers learned about the crash while flying home from an East Coast road trip Sunday. LeBron James and several other players appeared to be visibly affected by the news when they got off the plane.James made his first public comments Monday night in an Instagram post including several photos of himself with Bryant. The four-time NBA MVP and 16-time All-Star said he was “heartbroken and devastated,” and had been crying repeatedly while trying to write about Bryant.James, who joined the Lakers last season, said the two spoke by phone Sunday morning after James passed Bryant for third place on the NBA's career scoring list Saturday night.“Didn’t think for... [More]

SAO PAULO (AP) — Kobe Bryant and Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho were working together on a children's book, but the author of “The Alchemist” said he deleted the draft after Bryant's death in a helicopter crash. The 72-year-old novelist told The Associated Press on Monday that the two men started discussing the project in 2016, when Bryant retired after a 20-year NBA career. They began writing a few months ago. Within hours of hearing of Bryant's death Sunday, Coelho announced that he would delete the draft, rather than finish the book without the 41-year-old five-time NBA champion. “I deleted the draft because it didn't make any sense to publish without him," Coelho said by phone on Monday from his home in Geneva. “It wouldn't add anything relevant to him or his family. “That doesn't stop me from writing someday about things I learned from Kobe and how much of a larger-than-life person he was,” Coelho said. "But the children's book did not make sense anymore."Coelho's decision disappointed... [More]

She had next.Her name was Gianna Maria Onore Bryant. The world, now and forever, knows her as Gigi. Her dad, Kobe Bryant, called her Mambacita. He was Mamba, of course, and she was going to be basketball’s female version of him. She was going to play at Connecticut and head to the WNBA. That was the plan.Over the years, the world watched her grow from a baby in her father's arms, to a small child trying to hold his Finals MVP trophy, to his companion at WNBA, college and NBA games around the country, listening to her father break down play and watching every detail on the court, just as he always did.“Gigi was really turning into a special player,” said Russ Davis, the women’s basketball coach at Vanguard University in Southern California and someone who became close with Bryant in recent years. “It’s hard to predict her future, but with the way she was improving and the way she understood the game, she was going to have a bright one.”Gigi was 13. She was one of the nine people, her father... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The NBA has postponed the Los Angeles Lakers' next game against the Clippers on Tuesday night after the deaths of retired superstar Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash.The league announced the decision in a statement Monday, saying it “was made out of respect for the Lakers organization.”Bryant's helicopter crashed Sunday, and the Lakers learned about it while flying home from an East Coast road trip. LeBron James and several other players appeared to be visibly affected by the news when they got off the plane.The Lakers organization hasn't made a public statement about Bryant's death, choosing to mourn in private. The 16-time NBA champion franchise made grief counselors available to employees Monday after the loss of Bryant, who spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Lakers.Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was quite close to Bryant, and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was Bryant's agent during his playing career.Dwight Howard is the only... [More]

Editors:To help you with planning for Kobe Bryant, here are some of our plans. This advisory is subject to change and will be routinely updated. Please contact Oscar Dixon (odixon@ap.org) with any questions. All times Eastern. Monday, Jan. 27US—HELICOPTER CRASH-KOBE BRYANT KILLEDCALABASAS, Calif. — Investigators are working on a rugged hillside outside Los Angeles where a helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and eight others crashed in foggy conditions considered dangerous enough that local police agencies grounded their choppers. About 20 investigators are on the scene Monday morning in Calabasas were Bryant's helicopter crashed Sunday with an impact that scattered debris over an area the size of a football field and killed everyone aboard. The accident unleashed an outpouring of grief from admirers around the country who mourned the sudden loss of the all-time basketball great who spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. By Stephanie Dazio. Sent: 850 words, photos. DEVELOPINGBKN—KOBE... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — NBA postpones Tuesday game between Lakers, Clippers after crash that killed Kobe Bryant 'out of respect for the Lakers'.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The NBA has postponed the Los Angeles Lakers' next game against the Clippers on Tuesday night after the deaths of retired superstar Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash.The league announced the decision Monday.Bryant's helicopter crashed Sunday, and the Lakers learned about it while flying home from an East Coast road trip. LeBron James and several other players appeared to be visibly affected by the news when they got off the plane.The Lakers organization hasn't made a public statement about Bryant's death, choosing to mourn in private. The 16-time NBA champion franchise made grief counselors available to employees Monday after the loss of Bryant, who spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Lakers.Dwight Howard is the only current Lakers player who played with Bryant, but the players all knew him. Bryant had attended a handful of Lakers games in recent years with his daughter, Gianna, who also died in the crash in Calabasas, California.The NBA says the game between the Los Angeles rivals will be rescheduled later.The next game on the Lakers' schedule is Friday night at home against Portland.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

She had next.Her name was Gianna Maria Onore Bryant. The world, now and forever, knows her as Gigi. Her dad, Kobe Bryant, called her Mambacita. He was Mamba, of course, and she was going to be basketball’s female version of him. She was going to play at Connecticut and head to the WNBA. That was the plan.Over the years, the world watched her grow from a babe in her father's arms, to a small child trying to hold his Finals MVP trophy to his companion at WNBA, college and NBA games around the country, listening to her father break down play and watching every detail on the court, just as he always did.“Gigi was really turning into a special player,” said Russ Davis, the women’s basketball coach at Vanguard University in Southern California and someone who became close with Bryant in recent years. “It’s hard to predict her future, but with the way she was improving and the way she understood the game, she was going to have a bright one.”Gigi was 13. She was one of the nine people, her father... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The chants rose in the plaza across from Staples Center. "Kobe!" and "MVP! MVP!" They came from hundreds of fans gathered to mourn the death of Kobe Bryant.Candles burned alongside hand-lettered messages scrawled on signs and the pavement. Bunches of flowers piled up, some with purple-and-gold balloons attached.Men, women and children of every ethnicity milled around, drawn to the heart of downtown Los Angeles where they had once celebrated five NBA championships won by Bryant and the Lakers.This time, they were united in shock and sadness hours after Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash northwest of the city on Sunday.Like many Angelenos, Bryant was a transplant. Born in Philadelphia, he spent some of his earliest years in Italy, where he learned the language while his father played pro basketball. He later returned to the Philadelphia area and starred at suburban Lower Merion High, becoming the top prep player in the country.... [More]

Editors:To help you with planning for Kobe Bryant, here are some of our plans. This advisory is subject to change and will be routinely updated. Please contact Oscar Dixon (odixon@ap.org) with any questions. All times Eastern. Monday, Jan. 27US—HELICOPTER CRASH-KOBE BRYANT KILLEDCALABASAS, Calif. — Investigators are working on a rugged hillside outside Los Angeles where a helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and eight others crashed in foggy conditions considered dangerous enough that local police agencies grounded their choppers. About 20 investigators are on the scene Monday morning in Calabasas were Bryant's helicopter crashed Sunday with an impact that scattered debris over an area the size of a football field and killed everyone aboard. The accident unleashed an outpouring of grief from admirers around the country who mourned the sudden loss of the all-time basketball great who spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. By Stephanie Dazio. Sent: 850 words, photos. DEVELOPINGBKN—KOBE... [More]

Kobe Bryant was barely a few years into his post-NBA life when it was suddenly cut short in a helicopter crash so unimaginable that we had to keep reminding ourselves it actually did happen.The greats just aren’t supposed to die like that. It’s so overwhelming that it’s difficult to process the thought that Kobe is really gone and that his 13-year-old daughter died alongside him.At the age of 41 he was awaiting certain induction into the Hall of Fame after a brilliant career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He had already won an Oscar in his post-basketball work as a film producer, written one book and started another, and was a mentor to a number of NBA players.What really put the sparkle in his eye, though, were a group of girls just entering their teenage years. They were the Mambas, and one of the greatest players in basketball history was one of the coaches.“The girls are making incredible progress,’’ he told an interviewer last year. ``Just wait until you see us in six years.”Those six... [More]

ROME (AP) — For a city already familiar with losing a basketball hero, Kobe Bryant’s death made a particularly strong impact in the Italian town of Rieti.Nicknamed “the center of Italy” for its geographic location amid the Apennine Mountains, Rieti was the first stop on Bryant’s seven-year childhood tour of the country.It’s where Joe Bryant, Kobe’s father, made his Italian basketball debut in 1984 when Kobe was 6.“He was just a little kid,” Giuseppe Cattani, the president of the Rieti team and a former teammate of the older Bryant, told The Associated Press in an interview Monday.“He had a unique vivaciousness. He followed his father around and would go out onto the court to shoot around at halftime and after his games,” Cattani added. “There were other kids, too, but you could already tell that he was going to be a great player.”As Joe Bryant jumped around from team to team in Italy — he also played in Reggio Calabria, Pistoia and Reggio Emilia — Kobe picked up the local language and spoke... [More]

ROME (AP) — For a city already familiar with losing a basketball hero, Kobe Bryant’s death made a particularly strong impact in the Italian town of Rieti.Nicknamed “the center of Italy” for its geographic location amid the Appenine Mountains, Rieti was the first stop on Bryant’s seven-year childhood tour of the country.It’s where Joe Bryant, Kobe’s father, made his Italian basketball debut in 1984 when Kobe was 6.“He was just a little kid,” Giuseppe Cattani, the president of the Rieti team and a former teammate of the older Bryant, told The Associated Press in an interview Monday.“He had a unique vivaciousness. He followed his father around and would go out onto the court to shoot around at halftime and after his games,” Cattani added. “There were other kids, too, but you could already tell that he was going to be a great player.”As Joe Bryant jumped around from team to team in Italy — he also played in Reggio Calabria, Pistoia and Reggio Emilia — Kobe picked up the local language and spoke... [More]

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Kobe Bryant was “an outstanding and true Olympic champion,” IOC President Thomas Bach said Monday.The basketball great, who was killed in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles on Sunday, helped the United States win Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2012 London Games.Bryant also worked with the Olympic hosting bid for Los Angeles, the city where he won five NBA titles with the Lakers. When Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Olympics, men’s basketball will be played at the Staples Center, where Bryant played with the Lakers.“He embraced the power of sport to change people’s lives,” Bach said in a statement published by the International Olympic Committee. “After retiring from the game he loved so much, he continued to support the Olympic Movement and was an inspiration for the Olympic Games LA 2028.”Bryant narrated the final filmed segment of the L.A. bid team’s presentation in July 2017. He was a member of the bid's board of directors.“There are so... [More]

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Kobe Bryant was as “an outstanding and true Olympic champion,” IOC President Thomas Bach said Monday.The basketball great, who was killed in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles on Sunday, helped the United States win Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2012 London Games.Bryant also worked with the Olympic hosting bid for Los Angeles, the city where he won five NBA titles with the Lakers. When Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Olympics, men’s basketball will be played at the Staples Center, where Bryant played with the Lakers.“He embraced the power of sport to change people’s lives,” Bach said in a statement published by the International Olympic Committee. “After retiring from the game he loved so much, he continued to support the Olympic Movement and was an inspiration for the Olympic Games LA 2028.”Bryant narrated the final filmed segment of the L.A. bid team’s presentation in July 2017. He was a member of the bid's board of directors.“There are... [More]

ROME (AP) — In the country where he grew up, Kobe Bryant will be mourned for an entire week.The Italian basketball federation said Monday it has ordered a minute's silence to be observed for all games “in every category for the entire week.”“It’s a small but heartfelt and deserved gesture to honor the life and memory of Kobe Bryant, an absolute champion who always had Italy in his heart,” the federation said. “Kobe was and will always be linked to our country.”Bryant lived in Italy between the ages of 6 and 13 while his father, Joe Bryant, played for several teams in the country. He returned to Pennsylvania for high school.Kobe Bryant spoke fluent Italian and often said it would be a “dream” to play in the country.That dream almost came true when Bryant nearly joined Virtus Bologna in 2011 during an NBA lockout, only for the deal to fall apart.“We’ve lost a friend,” read a front-page headline in the Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy’s leading sports newspaper.Bryant, an 18-time NBA All-Star who... [More]