LeBron James is seen in tears on the tarmac at LAX as Kobe Bryant’s former teammates arrive back in LA following the legend’s death
- LeBron James can be seen crying over the death of his close friend, Kobe Bryant
- The NBA star, 35, was seen in tears at Los Angeles International Airport
- It came after learning that Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Sunday morning
- James can be seen crying into the arms of someone before he walks away
- He wipes his tears with a tissue before another person comes over to give him a hug whereupon James weeps once again, this time onto the man’s shoulder
The LA Lakers are in mourning after the death of their former teammate Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash on Sunday morning.
The Lakers NBA team were heading back to Los Angeles from Philadelphia when word of the tragic news reached them.
Upon landing at LAX, the players were seen to be visibly upset and in complete shock as they got off their plane.
LA Lakers teammates can be seen in tears after learning about the death of Kober Bryant. One person could be seen resting their head on a parked vehicle
LeBron James, pictured in the grey hoodie, far right, can be seen crying over the death of his close friend, Kobe Bryant, as he is comforted by other teammates who huddle around him
The players are caught hugging one another in their moment of grief on the tarmac at LAX
An emotional LeBron James could be seen hugging a woman before walking off on his own and pulling out a tissue to wipe away tears.
Bryant’s sudden death came just one day after LeBron passed him on the all-time scoring list.
‘Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames,’ the 41-year-old tweeted just hours before the fatal crash. ‘Much respect my brother #33644.’ Bryant tweeted in his final post on social media.
LeBron looked up to Bryant throughout his childhood and career.
LeBron James is caught hugging a man as he walks away from the plane after landing at LAX
James, pictured left, can be seen embracing another official as he got off the plane in LA
As the camera zoomed in, James could be clearly seen wiping away tears with a tissue
Le Bron James could be seen walking along the tarmac holding a tissue in his right hand
‘Seeing him come straight out of high school, he is someone that I used as inspiration,’ he told ESPN. ‘I used it as motivation. He helped me before he even knew of me because of what he was able to do.’
The crash occurred at around 10am on Sunday morning as the Lakers legend’s helicopter plowed into a hillside in Calabasas, California killing nine passengers on board including Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
According to TMZ, the paid were on their way to Mamba Academy for a basketball practice near the Thousand Oaks area of Los Angeles.
Emergency personnel responded, but none of the nine people on board the aircraft survived, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said during a press conference on Sunday.
Kobe’s last tweet: Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother #33644
Best in the business: The legendary basketball player took to social media hours before his death to celebrate Lebron James surpassing him to earn the No. 2 All-Time Top Scorer title