Iran national basketball team captain, Samad Nikkhah Bahrami appreciated Bryant for all the things he gave to basketball. “Thanks for everything that you gave to this game of basketball,” he wrote in an Instagram story while posting Bryant’s photo.
Key Iran national football team players Ashkan Dejagah, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, and Saman Ghoddos also honored Kobe and his daughter in separate posts.
Bryant's death sent shockwaves throughout the NBA and beyond, prompting not only his colleagues but a range of celebrities worldwide to pay tribute to the basketball icon.
A five-time NBA champion, who was also known by the nickname Mamba, and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Bryant died in a helicopter crash in suburban Los Angeles that also claimed the life of his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others. Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Knicks, was awash in the Los Angeles Lakers colours of purple and gold – the team Bryant played for when he won his championship titles – and so too were the pylons that mark the entrance to Los Angeles International Airport.
MAH