After Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, 41, passed away on Sunday with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash outside of Los Angeles many tributes throughout the NBA were made. Tributes included messages by players on sneakers, clock violations, number retirements and more. The future Hall of Famer is expected to be enshrined posthumously in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in August.
On Monday afternoon the NBA announced that the Clippers-Lakers game on Tuesday night had been postponed:
Breaking: Tuesday's Lakers vs. Clippers game has been postponed out of respect for Lakers organization after the death of Kobe Bryant pic.twitter.com/Mn1p28aa3J
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 27, 2020
The Detroit Pistons wore custom jerseys with “Bryant” on the back and the numbers 8 and 24:
The Pistons wore No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys with "Bryant" on the back during 24 seconds of silence before tonight's game. pic.twitter.com/RLqWzqqm6t
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 28, 2020
Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks started the game wearing number 8 to honor Kobe:
Trae Young is wearing 8 in honor of Kobe. pic.twitter.com/pgBYR2jGts
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) January 26, 2020
Joel Embiid got special permission from Bobby Jones to wear the retired number 24:
Joel Embiid was approved to wear #24 tonight, in honor of Kobe Bryant. pic.twitter.com/OPcWsEBSU2
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) January 29, 2020
The Philadelphia 76ers put Kobe’s high school number on their court. Kobe went to Lower Merion High School in Philadelphia:
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 28, 2020
Multiple players are switching from numbers 8 and 24 to new numbers out of respect for Kobe:
Sources: Orlando’s Terrence Ross has changed his jersey number from No. 8 to No. 31 in honor of the late Kobe Bryant, who wore Nos. 8 and 24. League evaluating this case-by-case. https://t.co/go557WBieX
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 28, 2020
.@TerrenceRoss will be changing his jersey number from 8 back to 31, beginning with Orlando’s game on Saturday, February 1 against Miami at Amway Center. pic.twitter.com/YwP2MeYu20
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) January 28, 2020
Honor your people.
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 28, 2020
Number 26, Spencer Dinwiddie. pic.twitter.com/Y3oZREw602
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban decided to retire number 24 in Kobe’s honor:
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban: "Our organization has decided that the number 24 will never again be worn by a Dallas Maverick.”
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 27, 2020
Players across the NBA wrote messages on their sneakers in remembrance of the NBA legend:
Lonzo Ball honored both Kobe and his daughter Gianna on his 9 Lows:
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) January 27, 2020
“RIP Kobe
8 24 ❤️
RIP Gianna
2 ❤️” pic.twitter.com/XgRQbrmTqf
PJ Tucker honors Kobe Bryant 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ArszDkAXSp
— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) January 26, 2020
🙏 @TheTraeYoung 🐍 pic.twitter.com/9PVfPwvrXI
— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) January 27, 2020
The Pelicans beat the Celtics 123-108 tonight, but what happened on the court felt insignificant in light of the tragedy that happened earlier in the day. https://t.co/kMoVpzKbIQ pic.twitter.com/CeEQ4eBGYY
— PelicansNOW (@PelicansNOW) January 27, 2020
Knicks Marcus Morris and Julius Randle each had messages for Kobe Bryant on their shoes. Randle was a former Lakers teammate of Bryant's for two seasons. His shoes read: "GOAT 24 Rest Easy Bro" pic.twitter.com/AZDtTtU817
— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) January 26, 2020
Sneaker tributes to Kobe Bryant across the NBA tonight 💜 pic.twitter.com/T2661mU4Lh
— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) January 27, 2020
— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) January 27, 2020
"Like I'm Kobe" 🙏 @buddyhield pic.twitter.com/x26YxlQUkZ
— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) January 28, 2020
Goran Dragic. pic.twitter.com/P5fqIJfizk
— SLAM Kicks (@SLAMKicks) January 28, 2020
For Kobe. pic.twitter.com/Ui980YcfQD
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 28, 2020
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 28, 2020
Christian Wood. pic.twitter.com/8QLi5vSZG6
— SLAM Kicks (@SLAMKicks) January 28, 2020
For 8/24 & 2
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 27, 2020
For Mamba & Mambacita
For Kobe & Gigi
❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/rSjvzZnZRg
💔🙏 #RIPMamba pic.twitter.com/Ke2SwDlM8R
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 28, 2020
Luka has the victims of the tragedy written on his Kobe’s. 💔#RIPmamba 🐍 pic.twitter.com/RdjlyV6LUB
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 28, 2020
.@therealshammgod with a special message on his shoes for tonight 💙 pic.twitter.com/svpCvoeSlw
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 27, 2020
“Legends never die.”@T_HardJR | #RIPMamba https://t.co/s6MiTZIsgH
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 27, 2020
.@jalenbrunson1 warming up with a special message on his shoes tonight 💙 https://t.co/62Utyo5kL8
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 27, 2020
Bradley Beal's shoes tonight 🖤💜#BlackMamba | @RealDealBeal23 pic.twitter.com/sYAnwh65gb
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) January 29, 2020
Kobe kicks 💜 pic.twitter.com/rp6zAIWsPH
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 28, 2020
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 28, 2020
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) January 28, 2020
Still can’t, and don’t want to believe it, but I know you both are up above cherishing all the love. 🙏🏽💔🙏🏽 #Kobe #GiGi #RestInPeace pic.twitter.com/MhpZMwkykW
— τobias Harris (@tobias31) January 28, 2020
Multiple teams started their respective games on Sunday by taking 24-second and/or 8-second violations in Kobe’s honor:
https://twitter.com/NBCSWizards/status/1221572906813218817
The New Orleans Pelicans and the Boston Celtics started the game by each taking 24-second shot-clock violations in honor of Kobe Bryant. pic.twitter.com/AA3ntFpLtc
— NBA (@NBA) January 27, 2020
The New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden pay tribute to Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna. pic.twitter.com/KmNlTlDQXT
— NBA (@NBA) January 27, 2020
Toronto and San Antonio both run out the 24-second shot clock in remembering Kobe Bryant #RIPKobeBryant #NBA pic.twitter.com/TXY8S2LPhg
— Ty Jäger (@TheTyJager) January 26, 2020
𝟐𝟒 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐨. 𝟐𝟒
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) January 26, 2020
𝟖 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐨. 𝟖#RIPMAMBA pic.twitter.com/4gFefGCFei
https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/1221980264257085440
8 | 24
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 28, 2020
🙏🙏🙏#RIPMamba pic.twitter.com/GF6yjvZITk
UConn honors Kobe’s daughter before an exhibition game against Team USA on Monday evening:
UConn women's basketball team put out an honorary jersey for Gigi Bryant before an exhibition game against Team USA tonight
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 27, 2020
(via @ariivory) pic.twitter.com/b9ynCnlHvo
Players in the NFL were also paying tribute to Kobe during the Pro Bowl:
Za'Darius Smith just gathered up his teammates to put on a post-sack Kobe tribute pic.twitter.com/80p4ZjrfI1
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) January 26, 2020