LOS ANGELES: Grief-stricken NBA legends from Jerry West and Shaquille O’Neal to Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley were in tears on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) as they mourned Kobe Bryant at an empty Staples Center arena.

Superstars wept while sitting around center court, their raw emotions on display in an hour-long televised tribute to Los Angeles Lakers legend Bryant, who died Sunday at age 41 in a helicopter crash in a haunting moment for all.