Lakers Say Kobe, Gianna's 'Love and Light Will Remain in Our Hearts Forever'

The Los Angeles Lakers issued a statement on social media Wednesday evening regarding the deaths of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter crash Sunday:

"We are devastated and have been forever changed by the sudden loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna. We send our love to Vanessa, the Bryant family, and to the families of the other passengers. Words cannot express what Kobe means to the Los Angeles Lakers, our fans, and our city. More than a basketball player, he was a beloved father, husband, and teammate. Their love and light will remain in our hearts forever."

Nine people in total died in the crash, including Sarah and Payton Chester; John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli; Christina Mauser; and Ara Zobayan.

The statement from the Lakers came on the same day that Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's wife and Gianna's mother, made a public statement on Instagram. She wrote in part:

"There aren't enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon.

"I'm not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it's impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless — and that's to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever."

The deaths of Bryant and his daughter have rocked the NBA world, with teams taking eight- and 24-second violations to start games, representing the two numbers Bryant wore during his career. A number of players who previously wore those numbers have also changed numbers to honor Bryant.

The NBA is reviewing those requests on a "case-by-case basis," according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.

The league also postponed Tuesday's scheduled game between the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.

And outside of Staples Center, fans have gathered and paid tribute to the career Laker by creating a memorial, leaving flowers, jerseys and pictures. They've also signed billboards put up outside of the venue and written messages about Bryant.

"We want to represent what Kobe was about, more than anything," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Wednesday, per the Associated Press. "We've always wanted to make him proud, and that's not going to be any different now."