Bryant

Sports fans around the world are struggling to find words to describe how they feel about the sudden death of retired U.S. basketball legend Kobe Bryant.

Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine killed Sunday in a helicopter crash in the hills outside Los Angeles.

Bryant was known to use a helicopter from his home to games in Los Angeles to avoid the city's notoriously bad traffic.

Bryant has gone down in history as one of the greatest professional basketball players ever to step onto the court.

Bryant spent his entire pro career with the Los Angeles Lakers -- winning five NBA championships and the league's Most Valuable Player award in 2008.

Bryant is the fourth all-time leading scorer.

A native of Philadelphia, Bryant spent much of his youth in Italy where his father played pro basketball after his own career in the NBA.

Kobe Bryant was a legend.

Kobe Bryant became an NBA veteran due to his never-give-up spirit, tough competition and accuracy.

The brightening of the night also worries biologists, who say artificial lighting disrupts bird migration and the development and behavior of several other animals. At a recent [21-22 Feb.] Washington meeting of experts from several fields to discuss the night, evolutionary biologist Bryant Buchanan of Utica College in New York State cited studies showing that fewer frogs and salamanders metamorphose when the night sky is lighter, and pond snails do not grow as large as normal.