Kobe Bryant set to join Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2020 class after dying in helicopter crash aged 41
KOBE Bryant is expected to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame following his tragic death.
The 41-year-old, along with eight others — including his daughter Gianna — when the helicopter he was aboard crashed into a hillside in foggy .
The self-nicknamed “Black Mamba” finished his professional career with 33,643 points, all of which were scored as a .
He became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during his 20-year career with the Lakers.
Kobe won a record four NBA All-Star Game MVP awards, was the overall league MPV in 2008 and was a two-time NBA scoring champion. He also earned 12 selections to the NBA's All-Defensive teams and two Olympic gold medals.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to the Bryant Family and those affected by this tragedy.”
"Kobe will be honored the way he should be.”
Per the news outlet, Bryant will be part of the Hall of Fame’s standard screening process on Wednesday.
The petition, started by “Nick M,” reads: “With the untimely and unexpected passing of the great Kobe Bryant please sign this petition in an attempt to immortalize him forever as the new NBA logo.”
Once he retired, West coached the Lakers for three seasons before moving to the front office, where he signed such greats as Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal — and Bryant.
West was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979.
His silhouette is found all over the place in the NBA and serves as the basis of the NBA logo: a player dribbling a ball set against a red-and-blue background.
Fans on the Change.org petition were vocal about why they think the logo should feature Bryant.
“If there was ever a time for an update and to someone who deserves it and has given his entire life to basketball, is now,” one fan wrote.
Another said: “Kobe was loved world wide & helped the sport become popular all over the world.”
“There couldn’t be a better way of showing how big of a part he was in everybody’s life involved in the NBA whether officially or as a fan, than having him as the new logo on everything that’s NBA Official letting his memory live on forever.”
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