Fans Share ‘Classic’ Kobe Bryant, Lionel Messi Commercial To Pay Tribute To NBA Legend [Video]

The several tributes to Kobe Bryant included a “classic” video of a commercial involving the National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar and soccer legend Lionel Messi.

The Los Angeles Lakers veteran died in a helicopter crash Sunday morning in California. There were eight more people in the helicopter including Bryant's 14-year-old daughter. All were pronounced dead after the chopper crashed into the hillside and burst into flames.

The crash reportedly occurred as dense fog blanketed the area of the incident. It is understood that the chopper went down in a remote field off Las Virgenes, but nobody on the ground was hurt.

Several sportspersons from various sports poured in tributes for the legendary basketball player. Novak Djokovic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Nadal, Sachin Tendulkar, Dwayne Johnson and Messi were among the many celebrities who expressed shock and disbelief soon after Bryant’s news broke.

Even sports teams like Liverpool FC paid their condolences. Bryant was a loyal Reds and was open about his love for the Anfield side. “RIP Kobe Bryant 1978-2020. Sports Icon,' the Premier League side tweeted.

Meanwhile, hundreds of fans on social media have been resharing an iconic video involving Bryant and Messi as a tribute to the late basketball star. The commercial of Turkish airlines, which was released a few years ago, pitted Bryant and Messi against each other as they competed for the idolization of a young fan abroad the flight. Both the G.O.A.Ts performed various tricks to lure the boy to get his autograph. The advertisement ended on a funny note. An air hostess then appeared with ice-cream and the young fan chose to eat it, forgetting the sports stars at that moment.

There were no surprises when the video within five days surpassed 20 million YouTube views and became viral, spreading far and wide on Facebook and Twitter.

Bryant, who is easily one of the greatest players to have played in the NBA, represented Los Angeles Lakers throughout his career, which spanned across two decades. Bryant, who retired in April 2016, was a gifted player as he jumped into the big world of NBA soon after he had completed his high school.

The five-time NBA champion’s achievements included being the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player and two-time NBA Finals MVP. He was also a two-time Olympic champion and was named the NBA scoring champion as many times.

Bryant also won an Oscar for the best short animated film in 2018 for "Dear Basketball", a five-minute film based on a love letter to the sport he had written in 2015. Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, have three other daughters, Natalia, Bianca and Capri.