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Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin wore a No. 24 jersey during warmups Wednesday to honor Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who died Sunday in a helicopter crash.

Ovechkin, who usually wears No. 8, has long admired the basketball star, the Capitals .

24 from No. 8. 💜💛

📺:

— NHL (@NHL)

The No. 24 jersey Ovechkin wore before the contest against the Nashville Predators will be signed and auctioned off. The proceeds will be donated to the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation.

💜💛

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals)

Ovechkin, whose mother played professional basketball in the Soviet Union, met Bryant several times.

 

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A post shared by (@aleksandrovechkinofficial) on Jan 26, 2020 at 2:56pm PST

Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, were among the nine passengers on a helicopter that crashed in Calabasas, California.

Bryant’s wife commented on the incident for the first time Wednesday, revealing she is “completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband.”