But even among them, Kobe Bryant holds a special place in the hearts of fans. While his 20-year stint with the organization, where he helped them win five NBA Championships played a role in it, his tragic passing in 2020 contributed a lot as well.

That epitomized the late NBA great’s relationship with the women’s game. After his 20-year playing career ended, Bryant turned his focus to the next generation, mentoring some of women’s basketball’s biggest stars, from WNBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi to former Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu.

Tom Brady vs Patrick Mahomes is the NFL’s MJ vs LeBron… Except the “LeBron” in this case just basically crushed the MJ’s numbers in every single way from day one. Mahomes GOATed and he isn’t 30 yet. First 8 seasons for both: pic.twitter.com/5dE7NqkgZy

Kobe Bryant may be gone, but his "Mamba Mentality" lives on. Five years after his death, Bryant's legacy continues to grow and inspire.

New York Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony was one of many in the basketball world who paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant on the five-year anniversary of the latt

Even with all of 2020's tragedies, the events of Jan. 26 still devastate. On the anniversary of that horrific crash, we remember Kobe Bryant, daughter Gianna and the other seven souls lost.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement on the 5-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s passing: “Kobe Bryant continues to serve as an inspiration to aspiring and current NBA and WNBA players, young athletes playing at all levels and those who are motivated solely by his relentless pursuit of excellence.

A Denver-based artist was commissioned by Nike to paint a Kobe Bryant mural in Venice Beach. An Instagram post featuring the piece has been viewed 2 million times.

The impact of Bryant’s career, and the ‘Mamba Mentality,’ carry on in the kind of way that almost makes you forget that he’s gone.

Here’s your latest NBA Rewind! There are a couple of Western Conference teams that the public, outside of understandably biased fan bases, just refuses to accept as a threat in the West. The Houston Rockets and LA Clippers have been proving themselves left and right lately.

Social media was filled with photographs, memories and stories of Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant as people looked back at his life and career.