Kobe Bryant death: Luis Figo appears to copy Cristiano Ronaldo’s emotional tribute to NBA legend

Portuguese footballers posted exactly the same tribute on Twitter five hours apart following the NBA legend’s fatal helicopter crash on Sunday

Former Portugal international Luis Figo has been accused of plagiarising Cristiano Ronaldo’s tribute to the late Kobe Bryant after the two footballers posted exactly the same Twitter message following Sunday’s tragic accident.

Five-time NBA champion Bryant was killed along with eight other people that included his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed in the Calabasas area of west Los Angeles.

The basketball legend’s death at the age of 41 triggered widespread tributes from sporting greats who they not only looked up to but who for many they had met during his lifetime, with Bryant a keen football and tennis fan and friendly face among other A-listers.

Among them were the likes of David Beckham and Novak Djokovic, both of whom issued emotional statements with the former describing Bryant as “one special athlete, husband, father and friend” and the latter in tears as he spoke following his quarter-final at the Australian Open.

Cristiano Ronaldo was another who paid tribute to the NBA superstar and his daughter, with the current Portugal captain describing Bryant as “a true legend and inspiration to so many”.

He wrote: “So sad to hear the heartbreaking news of the deaths of Kobe and his daughter Gianna. Kobe was a true legend and inspiration to so many. Sending my condolences to his family and friends and the families of all who lost their lives in the crash. RIP Legend.”

But confusion arose when former Portugal great Figo posted exactly the same message on his own Twitter profile, accompanied instead with a picture of himself with Bryant compared to Ronaldo’s image of Bryant alone.

Not only did the pair use exactly the same tributes word-for-word, but they also ended with the same heartbreaking emoji, which raised suspicions that Figo had simply copied Ronaldo’s message given it came nearly five hours afterwards.

It’s very possible that both Ronaldo and Figo utilise the same person or agency to run their social media accounts, but the Portuguese pair do not share an agent or media brand, which would make such a relationship rather unusual.

The tragedy has left the sporting world shocked following the loss of an iconic player, with the Lakers’ match against the LA Clippers cancelled on Monday night as players mourned the loss of one of the all-time NBA greats.