Floyd – a 46-year-old unarmed black man – died in the US city of Minneapolis on May 25 after an arrest by a police officer, who pinned him to the ground for several minutes by kneeling on his neck. His death has sparked widespread protests across the US in recent days, CNN reported.

On Sunday, American basketball legend Michael Jordan released a statement through the Charlotte Hornets, the NBA franchise he owns.

“I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry,” said the 57-year-old Jordan. “I see and feel everyone’s pain, outrage, and frustration. I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country. We have had enough.”

The Basketball Hall of Famer also expressed his condolences to Floyd’s family as well as to the “countless others whose lives have been brutally and senselessly taken through acts of racism and injustice.”

Jordan, whose life and career was recently featured in the 10-part docuseries “The Last Dance,” added: “I don’t have the answers, but our collective voices show strength and the inability to be divided by others. We must listen to each other, show compassion and empathy, and never turn our backs on senseless brutality.”

Over the weekend there were a number of powerful images in tribute to the life of Floyd in Germany’s Bundesliga, with Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho among those adding his voice of support, as did Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram, who is the son of French World Cup winner Lilian Thuram.

The 22-year-old Thuram took a knee after scoring for Mönchengladbach in the 4-1 win over Union Berlin.

‘You stay silent in the midst of injustice’

In F1, six-time world champion Hamilton also spoke out.

“I see those of you who are staying silent, some of you the biggest of stars yet you stay silent in the midst of injustice,” said Hamilton. “Not a sign from anybody in my industry which of course is a white-dominated sport.

“I’m one of the only people of color there yet I stand alone. I would have thought by now you would see why this happens and say something about it but you can’t stand alongside us.”

In a separate post, Hamilton said: “I do not stand with those looting and burning buildings but those who are protesting peacefully.”

‘I’m with a heavy heart’

There was a reaction, too, from the world of tennis.

On Instagram, US great Serena Williams posted a video in which a young African-American child reveals how she feels she’s treated differently to others due to her skin color.

Williams wrote, “I can’t and still can’t find the words to say or express how sad I feel … but she found them for me. She found them for so many of us.”

The sport’s 23-time grand slam champion went on to say, “I’m with a heavy heart. I’m lost for words.”

Japanese superstar and former world number one Naomi Osaka also took to social media, tweeting, “Just because it isn’t happening to you doesn’t mean it isn’t happening at all.”

Osaka also appeared to call out others on their silence: “It’s funny to me that the people who wanna wear chains, blast hip-hop in the gym, attempt to get dapped up, and talk in slang are suddenly quiet right now.”

And 16-year-old American Coco Gauff also weighed in with a call to action in a video showing the faces of black Americans who’ve died in recent years at the hands of the authorities or civilians due to racism.

Via a caption, Gauff explains why “I am using my voice to fight against racism,” before asking, “Am I next? I am using my voice. Will you use yours?”

 

Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among the nine who perished when the helicopter crashed in rugged terrain west of Los Angeles on January 26, AFP reported.

“All significant components of the helicopter were located within the wreckage area,” according to the report.

“Examination of the main and tail rotor assemblies found damage consistent with powered rotation at the time of impact.

“Viewable sections of the engines showed no evidence of an uncontained or catastrophic internal failure.

“The No. 2 engine first-stage compressor blades exhibited tip curl in the direction opposite of rotation, consistent with powered rotation at the time of impact.”

Friday’s report was a summary of investigators’ findings so far. A final report identifying the cause of the crash is expected to take at least a year to complete.

Investigators from the NTSB and other bodies are considering what role heavy fog that Sunday morning might have played.

“Our investigators have already developed a substantial amount of evidence about the circumstances of this tragic crash,” NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said in a statement.

“And we are confident that we will be able to determine its cause as well as any factors that contributed to it so we can make safety recommendations to prevent accidents like this from occurring again.”

In addition to 41-year-old Bryant and Gianna, those killed in the crash were her basketball teammates Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, Alyssa’s parents John and Keri Altobelli, Payton’s mother Sarah Chester, basketball coach Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan.

They were heading to a girls’ basketball tournament at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in suburban Thousand Oaks having departed from John Wayne Airport in Orange County.

The deaths rocked the NBA and the wider sporting world as well as Los Angeles – where Bryant won five NBA titles playing for all of his 20-year careers with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Memorials sprang up around the city as fans left flowers, balloons, basketballs, stuffed animals, jerseys and other memorabilia in Bryant’s honor at the Lakers’ STAPLES Center arena, the team training facility in suburban El Segundo and as close to the crash site as they could get.

The Lakers honored Bryant with a pre-game ceremony less than a week after his death and a public memorial for Bryant and the other victims has reportedly been scheduled for February 24 at STAPLES Center.

The report includes photographs of the crash area in the Santa Monica Mountains, including one from a witness near the site and one from a security camera that shows the helicopter flying into clouds.

It also includes comments from a witness who was on a mountain bike trail and told investigators he heard the helicopter approaching.

He said he saw the blue and white helicopter emerge from the clouds, traveling forward and down, observing it for about two seconds before it crashed.

The 41-year-old died in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, BBC Sport reported.

Bryant, who retired in 2016 after a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, was a five-time NBA champion and was named an NBA All-Star 18 times.

He and his wife, Vanessa, have three other daughters – Natalia, Bianca, and Capri.

“The NBA family is devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

“For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with absolute devotion to winning. He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game with accomplishments that are legendary.

“But he will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability.”

Shaquille O’Neal, who won three NBA titles with Bryant for the Lakers, said, “There’s no words to express the pain I’m going through with this tragedy of losing my niece Gigi & my brother, my partner in winning championships, my dude and my homie.

“I love you and you will be missed. My condolences go out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board. I’m sick right now.”

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played for the Lakers from 1975-1989, said, “It’s very difficult for me to put in words how I feel. Kobe was an incredible family man, he loved his wife and daughters, he was an incredible athlete, he inspired a whole generation. This loss is hard to comprehend.”

Former US President Barack Obama wrote on Twitter, “Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.”

US President Donald Trump said, “Kobe Bryant, despite being one of the truly great basketball players of all time, was just getting started in life. He loved his family so much and had such a strong passion for the future. The loss of his beautiful daughter, Gianna, makes this moment even more devastating.”

Former Lakers president Magic Johnson, a five-time NBA champion in the 1980s, tweeted, “Kobe was a leader of our game, a mentor to both male and female players. Words can’t express the impact that he had on the game of basketball.”

Six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan added, “I loved Kobe – he was like a little brother to me. We used to talk often, and I will miss those conversations very much.

“He was a fierce competitor, one of the greats of the game and a creative force. Kobe was also an amazing dad who loved his family deeply – and took great pride in his daughter’s love for the game of basketball.”

American legendary actor and Longtime Lakers fan Jack Nicholson said, “My reaction is the same as almost all of LA… where everything was solid there’s a big hole in the wall,” adding that he will remember Bryant’s “totality” and “just how great a player he was.”

Bryant finished his playing career as the Lakers’ all-time leading points scorer and is fourth on the NBA’s all-time list with 33,643 points.

In his 1,566th and final game for the Lakers in April 2016 he scored 60 points for the sixth time.

Some in the 18,000 sellout crowd had paid upwards of $25,000 (£17,580) to be in the crowd to see the two-time Olympic gold medalist.

The Lakers retired both Bryant’s number eight and 24 jerseys in September 2017.

In 2018 he won an Oscar for his five-minute film Dear Basketball, based on a love letter to the sport he had written in 2015.

Ronaldo, Messi pay tribute

Iconic golfer Tiger Woods, a 15-time major winner, said he heard the news after completing his final round at the Farmers Insurance Open in California.

“He brought a desire to win every night on both ends of the floor, not too many guys can say that. Any time he was in the game, he’d take on their best player.”

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson wrote on Twitter, “I mourn with the world. Lost a legend. No words. I’m messed up. RIP Kobe Bryant, Gianna and the rest of the passengers.”

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi wrote on Instagram, “I have no words… All my love for Kobe’s family and friends. It was a pleasure to meet you and share good times together. You were a genius like few others.”

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo said the news was “heartbreaking”, adding Bryant was “a true legend and inspiration to so many”, while Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba added: “Heroes come and go, legends are forever.”

Britain’s six-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton said, “I’m so sad to hear that we lost one of our greats. Bryant was one of the greatest athletes and was such an inspiration to so many, including myself.”

World number one tennis player Rafael Nadal tweeted, “I woke up this morning with the horrible news of the tragic death of one of the greatest sportsmen in the world. Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and other passengers. My condolences to his wife and families. I am in shock.”