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.

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

Five years after NBA great Kobe Bryant, 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in California, several women’s basketball players reflected on what he meant to t