ATLANTA — The sports community and people from all over the world are reacting to the news about basketball icon Kobe Bryant dying in a helicopter crash involving 8 other passengers.
Several members of the Atlanta basketball community are saddened by Bryant’s untimely death, including Hawks players Trae Young and Vince Carter.
Dikembe Mutombo, who was traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2001-2002 season, played against the Los Angeles Lakers during the Eastern Conference that year.
The 53-year-old retired baller tells 11Alive that he is heartbroken about Bryant’s death.
“The sports world lost a legend, teammate, mentor, coach and great father to his daughters who one of them died with him. RIP Kobe Bryant,” Mutombo said.
Bryant’s daughter Gianna was one of the 8 other passengers who perished on the aircraft.
Mutombo later went to Instagram posting a heartfelt tribute about the Bryant family.
"The NBA family and the basketball world have lost a big giant, a father, husband and a legend of the game," he wrote.
Orange Coast College coach John Altobelli, 56, along with his wife, Keri, and daughter, Alyssa, 13, were also killed in the crash. Alyssa played on the same basketball team as Bryant’s daughter, Gianna.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators said they were not sure how many people the aircraft was configured to carry.
Bryant was a mega-star in NBA history. He was a five time NBA Champion, 18-time NBA All-Star, and four-time NBA All-Star Game MVP. Bryant was also the fourth-highest scoring point leader in NBA history.
