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Kobe Paras pays tribute to namesake Kobe Bryant
UP Fighting Maroons forward Kobe Paras paid tribute to his namesake Kobe Bryant following the latter's death on a helicopter crash on Monday morning (PHL time).
Paras, who was named after the future Hall of Famer, changed his Instagram profile picture with a photo of Bryant when he was in high school.
The UAAP star also posted a series of Instagram stories with photos of Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, who was among the nine people killed in the tragic accident.
"You're the reason why I wore 24 in my freshman year," Paras wrote. He played for the Creighton Bluejays in his first year of college in the United States.
Bryant wore jersey number 24 for the Los Angeles Lakers on the second half of his professional career. He previously wore number 8. Both were retired by the Lakers shortly after his final NBA game.
Paras' teammate Ricci Rivero also mourned the death of Bryant on social media.
"First legit feeling of having a broken heart," he wrote.
First legit feeling of having a broken heart ???? kobe and gigi frfr
— Ricci Rivero (@_ricciiirivero) January 27, 2020
Tributes poured in for the five-time NBA champion and former Most Valuable Player, as NBA teams deliberately committed 24-second and 8-second violations in the first possession of games held on Monday.
Sen. Manny Pacquiao and PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial released statements paying tribute to the Black Mamba, while Filipino fans flocked to the newly inaugurated "The House of Kobe" in Valenzuela to pay their final respects.
Bryant and Gianna were on their way to Thousand Oaks to coach and play a basketball game when their helicopter crashed on the hills of Calabasas, California.
Authorities said there were visibility issues as the foggy weather forced the Los Angeles Police Department to ground their own helicopter fleet.
Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa and daughters Natalia, Bianka, and Capri, who is only seven months old. —MGP, GMA News
