Alex Ovechkin wears No. 24 jersey in tribute to Kobe Bryant

Alex Ovechkin paid tribute to Kobe Bryant on Wednesday night. (Courtesy Washington Capitals)

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 said in a statement.

24 from No. 8. 💜💛

📺: https://t.co/yGSzcHFU1G @NHLonNBCSports pic.twitter.com/5qiwJR1hQZ — NHL (@NHL) January 30, 2020

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.

💜💛 pic.twitter.com/03svZ9vAap

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 30, 2020

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

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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.”