In memoriam: Marico boss, Jindal tweet Kobe Bryant's 'leadership' quote; Priyanka Chopra's nail-art tribute at Grammys; Badal Jr mourns

NEW DELHI: NBA legend Kobe Bryant's tragic death on Monday morning in a chopper crash in Los Angeles cast a pall of grief globally. Leaders from the world of politics, cricket, tennis, soccer and entertainment mourned the demise of the legendary sports star.
After the news broke, Apple CEO, Tim Cook was one of the first few to pay tribute to the legend. Heartbroken by the passing of Bryant, Cook revealed that he had always admired the basketball player for being original, and his 'athletic prowess from afar and humanity close up'.


In India, too, the 41-year-old's demise had India Inc, Bollywood and Team India mourning his loss. Harsh Mariwala, Sajjan Jindal, Priyanka Chopra, Rishi Kapoor among others, offered their condolences.

Also read: Kohli 'devastated' by Bryant's death, says life is 'unpredictable'; a 'saddened' Tendulkar tweets condolences

Mariwala, the Chairman of Marico, posted a picture of the 41-year-old NBA star along with a quote in which the five-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist had said that "Leadership is a lonely journey... If you are going to be a leader, you are not going to please everybody."

Bryant's quote read: "I'm not going to be afraid of confrontation to get us to where we need to go. There's a big misconception where people thinking winning or success comes from everybody putting the their arms around each other and singing kumbaya and patting them on the back when they mess up, and that's just not reality. If you are going to be a leader, you are not going to please everybody. You have to hold people accountable. Even if you have that moment of being uncomfortable."



Sajjan Jindal, the Chairman and MD of JSW Group, also joined Mariwala in remembering Bryant. He quoted the legendary NBA player's 'golden words': "I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success."



Former Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, tweeting about Bryant's death, called it 'a major loss for the Basketball world'.


Meanwhile, actress Priyanka Chopra, who was in Los Angeles at the Grammys, paid her respect to the NBA legend on the photo-sharing app as well.

In her two Instagram Stories, 'The Sky Is Pink' star shared a picture of her decorated nail with the number '24' written on her index finger, and another picture of the Grammys tribute to the basketball player. During his nearly two-decade-long career, Bryant wore jersey No. 24 and No. 8.


Chopra also penned a heartfelt tribute for the NBA legend on Instagram. The 37-year-old wrote that Bryant was her first real introduction to the NBA and that his legacy is so much bigger than basketball. Chopra ended the post on an emotional note, writing, "Being at tonight’s Grammys ceremony in his home at the Staples Center is going to be surreal".

View this post on Instagram

Kobe Bryant was my first real introduction to the NBA. I was 13 living in Queens NYC, the same age as his sweet little girl, Gianna. He ignited my love for the sport, competition, and striving for excellence. He inspired an entire generation. His legacy is so much bigger than basketball. This heartbreaking accident also took the life of his young daughter, Gianna. I’m shook and so saddened. My heart goes out to Vanessa, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri Bryant. You are in my thoughts. Also sending my condolences to the loved ones of the other family and pilot in the accident. Being at tonight’s Grammys ceremony in his home at the Staples Center is going to be surreal. 💔 #RIP #KobeBryant #RIPMamba

A post shared by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (@priyankachopra) on Jan 26, 2020 at 2:21pm PST

Rishi Kapoor tweeted a picture of Bryant with his actor-son Ranbir Kapoor who is not present on any social media channels.


Tributes continued to pour in from B-town. While Akshay Kumar wrote that the world has 'lost a legendary athlete', Anupam Kher wrote that "Heroes come and go. But legends are forever."





Former US President Barack Obama and US President Donald Trump offered condolences to Bryant family.



Bryant was a five-time NBA champion in a career that began in 1996 straight out of a high school and lasted until his retirement in 2016. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, he helped spark the US squad of NBA stars to titles in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London. Bryant bowed out of the NBA in 2016, scoring 60 points in his final appearance before his adoring fans at the Staples Center..

The son of former NBA player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, the Lakers legend was born in Philadelphia in 1978 while his father played for the 76ers. The elder Bryant played from 1984 to 1991 in Italy, giving young Kobe a global worldview as he grew up dreaming of following his dad into the NBA.


He would eventually join the ranks of professionals at the age of 17, jumping directly into the NBA, only the sixth player and first guard to make such a leap. At 18, Bryant became, at the time, the youngest player or starter in an NBA game and the youngest winner of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. With Bryant paired alongside Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers captured three NBA crowns in a row from 2000-2002, returning the team to glory days unseen since 1988.

Bryant's career was almost derailed in 2003 when he was arrested in Colorado over a sexual assault complaint filed by a 19-year-old hotel employee where Bryant was staying ahead of knee surgery. Bryant was accused of rape. He admitted to adultery but said he did not commit rape. The case was dropped in 2004 after the accuser refused to testify in a trial. A separate civil suit was settled under terms kept private.

Bryant saw out his career with the Lakers, successfully branching out into the entertainment industry following his retirement. In 2018, he won an Oscar for his animated short film "Dear Basketball", a love letter to the sport which brought him fame and fortune.