Ranveer Singh, Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar mourn the passing of NBA legend, Kobe Bryant

Basketball fans across the world were plunged into sadness with the news of basketball and Los Angeles Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant's passing. The basketball star, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, were among the victims of a fatal helicopter crash early on Sunday morning. Bryant spent 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with Los Angeles Lakers, where he won five championships. 

The death certainly hit hard even in India, with Abhishek Bachchan, an avid basketball fan tweeting out his condolences. 

Actor Akshay Kumar was among those soon to follow, tweeting about the 'Legendary athlete' who served as an inspiration to a new generation of basketball players. 

Ranveer Singh, another fan of the game, simply shared a picture of Bryant in his prime as he rose to slam dunk a ball in his Lakers jersey. 

Sidharth Malhotra was among the many in the newer generation of actors who had grown up in the era after Michael Jordan idolising Kobe Bryant. 

The sorrow was not restricted to the young. Even Rishi Kapoor shared a picture of son Ranbir, with the late Bryant during a trip to Los Angeles.