Lakers legend Kobe Bryant may have tragically died five years ago, but his impact on the entire sport of basketball continues to live on.

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant passed away on January 26, 2020 at the age of 41, in a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

The impact of Bryant’s career, and the ‘Mamba Mentality,’ carry on in the kind of way that almost makes you forget that he’s gone.

Although Sunday marked a difficult anniversary, the basketball world has been contemplating Bryant's legacy throughout the past five years. Multiple NBA stars spoke with Yahoo Sports last year about the Black Mamba's impact, ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Lakers star's passing.

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.

Here’s your latest NBA Rewind! There are a couple of Western Conference teams that the public, outside of understandably biased fan bases, just refuses to accept as a threat in the West. The Houston Rockets and LA Clippers have been proving themselves left and right lately.

The tragedy was met with countless tributes, mourning, and remembrance from the sports community. Five years later, their legends live on. The NBA world reacted to the anniversary of the Bryants' death across social media on Sunday. Here's a look:

Five years after Bryant, 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, several women's basketball players reflected on what he meant to their