'We lost a genius like no other': Messi pays emotional tribute to Kobe Bryant

Leo Messi has paid his tribute to one of the basketball kings, Kobe Bryant.

The Argentine uploaded a message via his social media accounts.

"I have no words. All my love for Kobe's family and friends. It was a pleasure to meet you and share good times together. We lost a genius like no other."

41-year-old Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash earlier on Sunday. He was travelling in California with several more people on board, one of them supposedly being his daughter Gianna Maria Bryant.

Bryant was a well-documented Barcelona fan. He often paid visits to the club's training base and posed in Barca shirts since the 2000s.

In 2012, Bryant and Messi appeared together in Turkish Airlines advertisement.