Kobe Bryant's fan shares 'last picture' of the NBA legend before crash

As the whole world is mourning the death of the legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant, a picture of him is going viral on social media in what is being termed as his last photograph before the crash. Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Giana, and seven others died in a helicopter crash on January 26, while travelling to a girls' basketball tournament. According to media reports, the picture that is going viral was taken just a few hours before the fatal crash. 

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The 'last picture' of Kobe Bryant

Media reports suggest that a fan snapped Kobe's last picture at an academy, owned by the late basketball player. According to the international press, 13-year-old Brady Smigiel was playing in a tournament at the academy where Bryant was also present. According to Brady's mother, who posted the picture on Facebook, Bryant told her son that he will take a better picture tomorrow after her son requested a selfie. Bryant was there for his daughter's first match, which her team lost 46-29 to Cyfair Nikecoop 2024.

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Bryant's former team Los Angeles Lakers played their first game on Friday after the former legendary player died in the crash. Tens and thousands of fans lined up outside Staples Center, the home court of the Lakers, to pay tribute to the 18-time All-Star. Fans flooded the arena wearing Bryant's Lakers jersey and laid flowers along with messages on temporarily erected white walls. National Basketball Association (NBA) had previously cancelled a game between Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers that was scheduled for Tuesday, citing that the team needed more time to grieve.

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Team Lakers paid their tribute by wearing number 24 and number 8 jerseys and each player was announced as Kobe Bryant in the lineup. LeBron James gave an emotional speech before the match started and Wiz Khalifa along with Charlie Puth performed their chartbuster 'See You Again' at halftime. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said that the Oscars ceremony on February 9 would include a tribute to Bryant. 

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(Image credits: AP)