Pepsi Center lit up for Kobe Bryant, Denver Nuggets hold moment of silence

The Denver Nuggets paused for a moment of silence ahead of their Sunday afternoon game against the Houston Rockets to honor Kobe Bryant.

The 41-year-old retired NBA star was among the nine killed earlier Sunday afternoon when the helicopter they were riding in crashed in Southern California.

The Nuggets game tipped off just hours after the crash.

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The Los Angeles County Fire Department said the crash occurred in Calabasas, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, around 9:47 a.m. Los Angeles County fire officials said there were no survivors when the helicopter crashed.  

Bryant's 13-year-old daughter was also killed in the crash. According to ESPN, the two were traveling to a basketball game with another player and parent when the crash happened. 

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Bryant was a megastar in the NBA. He was a five-time NBA Champion, 18-time NBA All-Star, and four-time NBA All-Star Game MVP. Bryant was also the fourth-highest scoring point leader in NBA history. 

The lights at the Pepsi Center were changed to honor Bryant:

Local reaction

Local sports organizations and athletes took to Twitter after news of Bryant's death.

Grammys

The 62nd annual Grammy Awards opened its show Sunday night with a tribute to Bryant. 

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Tegna and the Associated Press contributed to this report

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