Los Angeles Lakers’ next game against Los Angeles Clippers postponed following death of Kobe Bryant

Los Angeles Lakers’ Tuesday night game against LA Clippers is postponed after the tragic death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant

  • NBA has postponed Los Angeles Lakers’ next game against Los Angeles Clippers
  • Decision came after the death of retired star Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash 
  • Bryant won five championships during his 20 years as a players for the Lakers 

The NBA has postponed the Los Angeles Lakers’ next game against the Clippers on Tuesday night after the deaths of retired superstar Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash.

The league announced the decision in a statement Monday, saying it ‘was made out of respect for the Lakers organization.’

Bryant’s helicopter crashed Sunday, and the Lakers learned about it while flying home from an East Coast road trip. LeBron James and several other players appeared to be visibly affected by the news when they got off the plane.

LA Lakers’ game with LA Clippers has been postponed after Kobe Bryant’s death

The Lakers organization hasn’t made a public statement about Bryant’s death, choosing to mourn in private. 

The 16-time NBA champion franchise made grief counselors available to employees on Monday after the loss of Bryant, who spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Lakers.

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was quite close to Bryant, and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was Bryant’s agent during his playing career.

A large number of tributes have been laid by supporters outside the Staples Center

A large number of tributes have been laid by supporters outside the Staples Center

Dwight Howard is the only current Lakers player who played with Bryant for the franchise for one season back in 2012-13, but the players all knew him. 

James and Bryant teamed up on the US Olympic teams in 2008 and 2012, and Anthony Davis played a backup role on that 2012 London Olympics team.

Bryant had attended a handful of Lakers games in recent years with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, who also died in the crash in Calabasas, California.

The NBA says the game between the Los Angeles rivals will be rescheduled later.

Following the postponement, the Lakers are next scheduled to play Portland on Friday

Following the postponement, the Lakers are next scheduled to play Portland on Friday

The next game on the Lakers’ schedule is Friday night at home against Portland.

The Lakers lead the Western Conference standings and have the NBA’s second-best record at 36-10. 

After trading for Davis and teaming him with James in the off-season, the Lakers are all but certain to end their franchise-record playoff drought at six seasons.

Bryant won five championships and reached seven NBA Finals during his two decades with the Lakers. He retired as the third-leading scorer in NBA history, and he held the mark until James passed him on Saturday night in Philadelphia.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk