TMZ Sports - Page 50

Kobe Bryant's most passionate fans are flocking to the Lakers team facility to say goodbye to the NBA legend ... with thousands of supporters signing a massive tribute to Mamba.

The video is incredible ... huge whiteboards featuring Kobe's face have been placed outside the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo so fans can share words for Bryant.

Along with the messages, photos of Kobe, ballons and flowers have added up outside the team building.

The tribute spans at least 100 feet ... and sits right outside the facility's entrance.

Fans have been honoring Bryant and his daughter, GiGi, in front of Staples Center as well ... with some even throwing paper balls into a trash can and yelling "Kobe," like most people did growing up.

Kobe, GiGi and 7 others were killed in a tragic helicopter crash on Sunday. As we reported, there have been talks that the future Hall of Famer's memorial service could be held at the L.A. Coliseum, as Staples could be too small.

Kobe Bryant's public memorial could be such a massive event, organizers are considering holding it at the famous L.A. Coliseum because the Staples Center simply isn't big enough.

Our sources tell us ... a meeting took place this week to discuss where Kobe's eventual memorial might go down in the coming weeks or even months. People who were in the room say a few venues were considered -- some made more sense than others.

Of course, the Staples Center is considered "The House That Kobe Built" -- but it only holds around 20,000 people ... and judging by the massive response to his death, organizers feel they should be ready for a MUCH larger crowd.

The Coliseum holds roughly 80,000 people -- and the surrounding parks are capable of holding many, many more. It seems the most logical option at this point.

The Rose Bowl was also brought up as a possible venue -- since it holds nearly 91,000 -- but we're told Pasadena is just too far away.

Our sources say no official decision has been made yet, but the conversation is underway. As for Kobe's funeral service, no decisions have been made about that either.

It could be some time before the memorial is booked because everyone in Kobe's immediate life is still shattered and reeling from the tragedy.

Kobe was just 41 when he died Sunday. His daughter, Gianna, who also passed away in the helicopter crash, was only 13.

NHL legend Ed Belfour -- who won a Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999 -- was arrested after allegedly trying to fight a hotel bar manager Tuesday morning.

54-year-old Belfour -- one of the best goalies of all time -- was at the Kentucky Grand Hotel when someone alerted cops about a drunk and disorderly person.

According to the arrest citation, obtained by the Bowling Green Daily News, Belfour allegedly tried fighting the manager of the hotel's bar, smashed a glass window and pulled a curtain rod off the wall.

When cops arrived at the scene, Belfour was lying on the floor holding the curtain rod ... and had slurred speech, blood-shot eyes, and trouble keeping his balance ... according to the citation.

Belfour was arrested on charges of criminal mischief and public intoxication ... and booked at Warren County Regional Jail, where he posed -- smiling from ear to ear -- for his mug shot.

Eddie The Eagle is a hockey legend who played 18 seasons in the NHL with teams like the Stars, Blackhawks and Maple Leafs. He has the 4th-most wins in the league's history for a goalie.

New images from the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash site prove what NTSB investigators are saying -- there was no chance for survival -- as the aircraft burst into a huge ball of flames.

These photos were taken by a mountain biker who was on a nearby trail when the helicopter slammed into the hillside around 9:45 AM Sunday. The biker says he took the pics at 9:49 AM ... which explains why the flames are so intense in these photos.

You can also see the debris field ... which L.A. County Sheriff's deputies are now patrolling, on horseback and ATVs, to protect the area from looters.

As we reported, the Sikorsky S-76 was at about 1,700 feet when it crashed. Flight tracker data also shows the chopper's speed was about 161 knots. Several experienced pilots tell us they're baffled the pilot, Ara Zoboyan, was going that fast in heavy fog.

In the seconds prior to crashing, Zobayan took the helicopter from 1200 feet to 2000 feet within a matter of seconds. It appears he cleared one hillside, only to strike the next.

All 8 passengers -- Kobe, his daughter, Gianna, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Christina Mauser -- and the pilot perished.

Friendliest Super Bowl ever?!?!?

The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs came face-to-face at Marlins Park in Miami on Monday night ... and THEY COULDN'T HAVE BEEN NICER!!

Patrick Mahomes, Jimmy Garoppolo, Richard Sherman, Tyrann Mathieu and more were shaking hands, cracking jokes and posing for pics together ... just days before they do battle!

It's actually really nice to see ... ferocious competitors being super respectful and enjoying the moment before Sunday's big game.

During the Opening Night festivities, players from both teams remembered Kobe Bryant and talked about the impact he's had on their lives.

In fact, 49ers superstar tight end George Kittle said Kobe was "the reason I played sports."

Allen Iverson reportedly had $500,000 worth of jewelry stolen from a Philadelphia hotel on Monday ... and now, cops say they're searching for the scumbag who took the bling.

Philly police say at around 10:30 AM, officers responded to the Sofitel Hotel in downtown Philadelphia after a man allegedly jacked a backpack with the ice in it from the lobby.

Police would NOT confirm the victim was Iverson ... but according to NBC10, the bag and the jewels DID belong to the NBA legend.

Cops say the suspect is a black male in his early 20s ... claiming he's 6 feet tall with a "thin build." They say he was last seen wearing a dark jacket, red shirt, dark pants and black and white sneakers.

44-year-old Iverson has been retired from the NBA since 2010 ... and reportedly made over $200 MILLION in his career.

He's been known to still frequent Philadelphia and 76ers games often ... and was last spotted at the Wells Fargo Center for the Sixers' game against the Lakers on Saturday.

Kobe Bryant spent his Saturday night playing with his 3-year-old daughter, Bianka ... just hours before his tragic death, TMZ Sports has learned.

We obtained footage of the 41-year-old spending some quality time with Bianka at the Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach the night before the tragedy ... playing at the center's koi pond and walking through the stores.

We're told they looked adorable together -- just enjoying each other's company. The Bryants were regulars at the mall and other local spots. In other words, it wasn't unusual to see Kobe around town with his kids.

The footage is devastating to watch ... knowing it's the last outing Bianka had with her dad.

Jamie Foxx, like the rest of the world, is still in shock over Kobe Bryant's death -- that's obvious in this video -- but he mustered the strength to honor the "legendary" baller.

The Grammy and Oscar winner was out Monday night leaving Tao in Hollywood when a photog asked if he had any words for Kobe's family. and friends. He got a bit choked up, but then spoke earnestly about how Kobe "made us think about love."

Jamie went on to get pretty deep -- talking about Kobe's transition from being a "legend" in life to what he can be now. He also talked about God's plan, and doubts people might have in the wake of such a tragedy.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Kobe, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others perished Sunday when the helicopter they were riding in crashed in Calabasas.

Several NBA stars paid tribute to Kobe Bryant on Monday by customizing their sneakers with messages about the Black Mamba ... and it's heartbreaking.

Sacramento Kings star Buddy Hield wore Nike Kobe 4s against the Timberwolves -- and used a black pen to write various messages about his friend.

"R.I.P. Kobe," Hield wrote ... "Mamba 4 Life. #24."

Miami Heat player Goran Dragic marked up his Adidas kicks with "#Mamba" and "#Mambacita" -- a tribute to Kobe and his daughter, Gianna, who also died in Sunday's helicopter crash.

Pitbull was so devastated over the tragic news of Kobe Bryant's death, he had to cancel as the headliner for a charity event ... but the show went on.

Steven Tyler held his 3rd annual private dinner and Grammys watch party in Hollywood Sunday night to benefit Janie's Fund, his mission to help girls who've suffered trauma from abuse and neglect.

Pitbull was scheduled as the event's musical guest, but sources close to the singer tell TMZ ... he was too heartbroken to take the stage.

LeBron James says he can't stop crying over the death of his great friend, Kobe Bryant ... saying in an emotional goodbye letter, "I’m heartbroken and devastated my brother!!"

James penned the words in a lengthy social media post Monday night ... addressing Bryant's death for the first time since Mamba, his daughter, Gianna and 7 other people were killed in a tragic helicopter crash Sunday.

"Man I sitting here trying to write something for this post but every time I try I begin crying again just thinking about you, niece Gigi and the friendship/bond/brotherhood we had!" James said.

"I literally just heard your voice Sunday morning before I left Philly to head back to LA. Didn’t think for one bit in a million years that would be the last conversation we’d have."

James and Bryant had a friendship that dated back more than a decade ... the two were competitors in the NBA for years and were teammates on Team USA at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

The two obviously grew closer when LeBron left Cleveland for Los Angeles in 2018 ... and, in fact, Kobe's last-ever post on social media was congratulating Bron for passing him on the NBA's all-time scoring list over the weekend.

"Man I love you big bro." Lebron said in his letter to Kobe. "My heart goes to Vanessa and the kids. I promise you I’ll continue your legacy man! You mean so much to us all here especially #LakerNation💜💛 and it’s my responsibility to put this sh*t on my back and keep it going!!"

Paul Pierce says the NBA should retire Kobe Bryant's jersey number across the league -- and he fully supports a movement to make Kobe's image the new NBA logo.

Paul and Kobe were not only fierce rivals on the court -- but great friends off of it and they had tremendous respect for each other.

When we spoke with Paul in L.A. on Monday it's obvious he's still reeling from the death of his friend and passionately wants the league to honor him in a BIG way.

"Retire his number in every arena," Pierce says.

"He had such an impact in our game [and] on this generation that you have to make his presence felt -- and continuously felt -- forever."

Both of the numbers Kobe wore with the Lakers -- #8 and #24 -- have already been retired. Plus, the Dallas Mavericks just announced they would retire Kobe's #24 from their organization as well.

Pierce says he also wants the league to create "Kobe Bryant Day" -- and he's VERY much on board with Jamal Crawford's suggestion to replace the current NBA logo with an image of KB.

"I'm with that too," Paul said ... "I'm with that too."

The pilot of the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his daughter and 6 other passengers got in big trouble with fog -- they seemed to abort the trip and tried returning home, barely clearing one mountain range, but never slowed down ... this according to the flight tracker and several experienced helicopter pilots in the L.A. area.

As we reported, the pilot had to circle near the Downtown L.A. area -- near the L.A. Zoo -- for 15 minutes because of bad weather ahead. As we reported ... the LAPD had grounded its helicopter fleet because of fog at around the same time Kobe's helicopter took off.

The pilot was following a visual flight plan and was cleared by the tower to proceed north, toward Thousand Oaks where Kobe was taking his daughter for a basketball game. When he got to the Calabasas area, the fog became blinding.

As we reported, the pilot was way too low --  at 1,250 feet. The pilots we spoke with say it's clear based on the abrupt change on the flight tracker ... the pilot panicked and quickly ascended to 2,000 feet. We're told he cleared a mountain range by 100 feet, and the pilots we spoke with say he was so low he almost certainly saw the tops of the mountain.

The NBA has officially postponed Tuesday night's Lakers vs. Clippers game at Staples Center in L.A. out of respect for the Lakers organization, which is reeling from the death of Kobe Bryant.

"The decision was made out of respect for the Lakers organization, which is deeply grieving the tragic loss of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other people in a helicopter crash on Sunday," the NBA said in a statement.

"The game will be rescheduled at a later date."

LeBron James was seen sobbing when he got off the Lakers' team plane at LAX on Sunday following a game in Philadelphia against the Sixers.

We've been told several players, staffers and other Lakers employees -- many of whom have known Kobe for years -- are simply inconsolable and not ready to go to work.

Kobe played for the Lakers for 20 years and built lasting relationships with so many people.

Kobe Bryant's fatal helicopter crash is hitting close to home for Kylie Jenner -- she was a frequent-flier on that particular chopper, and even rented it for one of Dream's birthdays.

Kylie just broke her silence on the tragic accident that killed Kobe, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and 7 others Sunday morning in Calabasas ... and says she knew the pilot, Ara Zobayan, especially well.

The billionaire cosmetics mogul says Zobayan was the pilot whenever she flew on Kobe's helicopter, and she's remembering him as "such a nice man."

Officials say they have recovered three bodies from the crash site -- but have not specified on the IDs of those bodies. Officials worked well into the night on Sunday but had to suspend the search due to darkness and safety concerns. The search resumed Monday morning. No word on if any other bodies have recovered in Monday's search.

1/27 -- All 9 people on the helicopter have been identified ...

Kobe Bryant (41), Gianna Bryant (13), John Altobelli (56), Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester (45), Payton Chester (13), Christina Mauser and the pilot, Ara Zobayan.

Mauser was an assistant coach of the Mamba girls’ basketball team.

TMZ Sports has obtained some of the last photos taken of Kobe Bryant with his daughter, Gianna, and it's clear they both had basketball on the brain in one of their final moments together.

The pics were shot Saturday at Kobe's Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, where Gigi's Mamba team played two 8th grade girls games that day. You can see KB watching carefully from the sideline as Gianna was on the court.

At one point, Kobe was seen giving his kid some tips. It's unclear if he's the head coach of her current squad or not, but he was definitely in coaching mode from what we can tell. We know he's coached other teams she was on in the past. Kobe said Gianna had aspirations to be in the WNBA, and by all accounts ... she was well on her way to getting there.

One thing that's pretty obvious from this snapshot moment is that they were both fierce competitors and loved the game they played.

The Mayor of Costa Mesa, Katrina Foley, just confirmed the identity of one of the other victims in the helicopter crash ... girls basketball coach Christina Mauser, who's married to Tijuana Dogs singer Matt Mauser. Matt also confirmed the news himself.

On Facebook, he wrote ... "My kids and I are devastated. We lost our beautiful wife and mom today in a helicopter crash. Please respect our privacy. Thank you for all the well wishes they mean so much."

L.A. weather was extremely foggy Sunday morning, and law enforcement sources tell us even LAPD air support was grounded because of it. Flight tracker data shows Kobe's chopper appeared to first encounter weather issues as it was above the L.A. Zoo. It circled that area at least 6 times at a very low altitude -- around 875 feet -- perhaps waiting for the fog to clear.

We know the pilot contacted the control tower at Burbank Airport around 9:30 AM PT, and the tower was aware the pilot had been circling for about 15 minutes.

The pilot eventually headed north along the 118 freeway before turning to the west, and started following above the 101 freeway around Woodland Hills, CA.

At around 9:40 AM they encounter more weather -- as in seriously heavy fog -- and the chopper turned south. This was critical, because they turned toward a mountainous area. The pilot suddenly and rapidly climbed from about 1200 feet up to 2000 feet.

However, moments later -- around 9:45 AM -- they flew into a mountain at 1700 feet. Flight tracker data shows they were flying at about 161 knots.

Michael Jordan has spoken on Kobe's death, saying ... "I am in shock over the tragic news of Kobe's and Gianna's passing. Words can't describe the pain I'm feeling. 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 adds, "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. Yvette joins me in sending my deepest condolences to Vanessa, the Lakers organization and basketball fans around the world."

The players, coaches and families at the Mamba Academy were obviously emotional when they heard the news about Kobe's death ... but came together for a moment of silence and prayer.

Some of the Academy leaders addressed everyone at the facility -- encouraging them to support each other, grieve together and honor Kobe by living good, quality lives.

Kids, parents and fans left a shrine to Kobe outside the Academy's doors.

Officials say they believe 9 people were on board -- 1 pilot and 8 passengers -- and there were no survivors. Still unclear why the chopper crashed but an investigation is underway.

Authorities say responders had to hike to get to the crash scene. When they finally got to the incident site, it was clear no one survived.