Basketball star, LeBron James broke down in tears at Los Angeles International Airport after the LA Lakers team arrived home to the sad news that their former teammate and legend, Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

The Lakers team were returning from Philadelphia after their game on Saturday, where LeBron James broke Kobe Bryant’s record to become the third-leading scorer in NBA history.

An emotional LeBron James was seen in a footage crying as he hugged a female official on the tarmac before walking off to wipe away his tears.

Kobe Bryant, 41, alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash on a remote, steep hillside in Southern California on Sunday.

The chopper went down in Calabasas, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, while it was heading to Bryant’s Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks for basketball practice.

Among others killed were John Altobelli, a baseball coach at Orange County College, his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa. Girls basketball coach Christina Mauser was also killed in crash.

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