Fans remember Kobe and Gigi Bryant as the NBA pays emotional tribute to the Lakers legend and his daughter four years after tragic death in helicopter crash: 'This is still heartbreaking'

Kobe Bryant played 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and won five titles Kobe, Gigi, and seven others died in the tragic accident in Calabasas, California DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news 

NBA fans flooded social media with tributes remembering Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi on the fourth anniversary of their passing.

The Lakers posted a photo of Kobe and Gigi sitting courtside at a Los Angeles game and wrote ‘Forever’ with a purple heart emoji. The post was also shared by the NBA’s account.

Several teams including the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, USC Football and the LA Galaxy dropped purple and gold hearts in the comments as fans expressed their grief and acknowledged Kobe’s legacy.

‘This is still heartbreaking even 4 years after the fact and will always be,’ one fan commented. ‘Rest in power to all the victims of of that helicopter crash.’

‘Four years on, and the legacy of Kobe Bryant and Gigi still inspires us daily,’ another  wrote. ‘Their passion and dedication to the game and to each other were unmatched. Remembering their smiles today.’

Fans flooded social media with comments remembering Kobe Bryant four years after his death

The Lakers legend, along with daughter Gigi and seven others, died in a helicopter crash

Fans remembered Bryant’s legacy four years after he passed away as some still grieve over it

‘Can’t believe it’s been four years,’ a third fan added. ‘This wound is still so fresh. Probably the only time I cried for a celebrity’s death.’

‘Legends are missed, but are never forgotten,’ a fourth said.

The Bryants died on January 26, 2020 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

Kobe and Gigi boarded the helicopter with six family friends and pilot Ara Zobayan. The group flew out of John Wayne Airport in Orange County to attend a basketball game at the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks.

The Helicopter reportedly departed at 9:06am PST and crashed on the side of a mountain at 9:45am after dealing with heavy fog. All eight passengers and the pilot were killed on impact.

Bryant will forever be remembered by fans for his 20-season NBA career with the Lakers.

The Black Mamba spearheaded the Purple and Gold’s legendary run in the 2000s, winning five titles and two Finals MVPs.

Bryant played 20 season with the Los Angeles Lakers where he won five NBA Championships

Bryant led the Lakers to titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010, winning finals MVP twice

Gigi was a player at the Mamba Sports Academy where she was closely mentored by her father

The Lakers retired Bryant’s jersey numbers after he retired from playing basketball in 2016

Bryant won the regular season MVP in 2008, made 18 All-Star appearances and had 11 All-NBA First Team selections among many accolades before retiring in 2016. The Lakers retired the numbers 8 and 24 in honor of Bryant in 2017.

Gigi was a player at the Mamba Sports Academy where she was closely mentored by her father.

After their death, Orange County supervisors voted unanimously to declare August 24 as ‘Kobe Bryant Day’ as the date holds Kobe’s legendary jersey numbers. The City of Los Angeles started the tradition earlier as they began honoring it after his retirement.

Bryant was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame along with contemporaries Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan on May 15, 2021.