Ovechkin pays tribute to Bryant during warmups

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin honored the late Kobe Bryant by wearing No. 24 during pregame warmups Wednesday night. Ovechkin plans to sign and auction off the jersey to benefit the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation. The Capitals said they would make details available soon regarding the auction.

Bryant, 41, was killed Sunday morning along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles. The tragedy stunned the sports world, including Ovechkin, a lifelong basketball fan who met Bryant on several occasions. "I was hoping that it was not true," Ovechkin said to reporters. "He always treated me well."

Ovechkin's mother, Tatyana, was a professional basketball player in the Soviet Union and won gold medals in 1976 and 1980 for the nation.