Kobe Bryant is being remembered by Irish stars after he and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among those killed in a helicopter crash in California on January 26.
Kobe Bryant was a global superstar whose fame had no boundaries, so it’s not surprising that a number of Irish notables were stunned that the 41-year-old LA Lakers icon and his teenage daughter Gianna perished in a helicopter crash on Sunday, along with six other passengers and the pilot.
It’s really hard to find adequate words – or, in this day and age, tweets – when such sudden, shocking tragedies occur. Dublin rising star Barry Keoghan, currently filming The Eternals with Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek, simply tweeted three broken hearts on top of a photo of Kobe and Gigi; the comedian Aisling Bea wrote, “God this is the most heart breaking story” with a link to a report about the death.
💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/pjQYQPH2fO
— Barry Keoghan (@BarryKeoghan) January 27, 2020
Robbie Keane, the famous Irish soccer star who played for a few years with the LA Galaxy, knew Kobe and posted a touching message with a photo. “I still cannot comprehend this tragedy and I can’t effectively put into words my sadness and condolences to his wife Vanessa, his daughters and the other families who lost loved ones. On a personal note I got to know Kobe when I was playing for the @lagalaxy and him for the @lakers I loved to take my son Robert to the staples centre to watch him play he was so gifted and special and everybody around him loved him,” Robbie wrote.
“He was always gracious and kind, a very nice person on and off the court, he showed great support for other sports and often came to a galaxy game with his family, he was a family man. I was lucky to witness his last game for the lakers in the staple centre, it’s something I’ll always cherish the pure emotion of the fans how much he meant to them, a true inspiration ! I was asked before the game to say a few words on screen I mean how do you sum up Kobe Bryant and do him justice but I meant every word I said. Kobe you are a legend, the best there has ever been, thank you for the memories!”
Rory McIlroy, fresh off a third place finish in his opening 2020 PGA tournament, also expressed his thoughts via Twitter. “Devastated by the news of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and the others who perished in the crash. The outpouring of mourning in the wake of this tragedy shows just how big Kobe’s impact was on the world, not just the game of basketball. Mamba Forever,” he wrote.
Devastated by the news of Kobe Bryant, his daughter and the others who perished in the crash. The outpouring of mourning in the wake of this tragedy shows just how big Kobe’s impact was on the world, not just the game of basketball. Mamba Forever. pic.twitter.com/RVe7Xeq5V2
— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) January 27, 2020
Olympic and world boxing champ Katie Taylor tweeted “heartbreaking” and shared two Kobe stories. Conor McGregor, fresh off his UFC comeback win a couple of weekends ago, attended the Grammy Awards on Sunday and also offered condolences to Kobe’s family when interviewed.
“It’s very sad news,” McGregor told a local LA TV station. “I hope today, and I know today is going be a celebration. We’re going to pick up and begin to celebrate this great man and the legacy he left behind.”
“The things he's done even today, Sunday, rest day. We don’t do things on Sunday,” McGregor added. “But the passion and the drive like he is. He was on his way to his training facility, the Mamba training facility, to partake in a basketball tournament. These are things that he has done for the people and for his sport and…What a legacy he left behind. It’s very sad news. I just, don’t know what to say.”
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