Teenage American tennis player Coco Gauff paid her tributes to the basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who was killed in an helicopter crash. (Getty Images)
American teenage tennis sensation Coco Gauff paid tribute to former NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, who were killed following a helicopter crash in California.
The 15-year old Gauff, who recently exited the ongoing Australian Open after a fourth-round loss to fellow countrymate Sofia Kenin, was one of the many tennis stars to offer condolences following the basketball star’s sad demise.
Gauff shared a tribute to Bryant and his daughter by posting some stories on her Instagram handle.
The budding tennis whom many see as a big future prospect did not hold back as she posted photos of Bryant and his daughter alongside a story-video of a book sent to her by the American hoopster sometime back.
In the story, she shares a video depicting a book called Legacy and the Queen which Bryant had signed and given to her with the message, “Coco, dream it, then live to make the dream even greater.”
The video which was posted around nine hours ago by Gauff was headlined “I’m actually in shock,” clearly giving a fair idea on how much it meant to her.
She also mourned the loss of one of the greatest ever athletes in history and her fellow countryman in twitter calling Bryant as “the definition of intensity,” along with a photo of him playing for NBA side Los Angeles Lakers.
Bryant, 41, was among the nine people said to have been killed Sunday morning when the helicopter he was travelling in crashed amidst foggy conditions and burst into flames in the hills above Calabasas.
His daughter Gianna, 13, was also on board when the tragic event that shook the world happened. Bryant, a legend of his game spent 20 years with the Lakers and has won two Olympic medals for his country, first in Beijing in 2008 and the other in London in 2012 respectively.
Meanwhile, Gauff failed to continue her good form early in the Australian Open as she succumbed to Kenin, who came from behind to overcome the teenager 7-6, 3-6, 0-6.
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