Kobe's 2008 MVP Jersey to Be Displayed at Smithsonian Museum

Kobe Bryant’s MVP jersey from the 2008 season will be displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington. (Reuters)
Kobe Bryant’s MVP jersey from the 2008 season will be displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington. (Reuters)
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Kobe's 2008 MVP Jersey to Be Displayed at Smithsonian Museum

Kobe Bryant’s MVP jersey from the 2008 season will be displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington. (Reuters)
Kobe Bryant’s MVP jersey from the 2008 season will be displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington. (Reuters)

NBA great Kobe Bryant’s jersey from the 2008 season when he won his sole regular season Most Valuable Player award will be displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington.

Bryant, a Los Angeles Lakers icon and five-times NBA champion, was killed in a helicopter crash at the age of 41 in January along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.

Bryant wore the jersey in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, a series the Lakers lost before he led them to consecutive titles in 2009 and 2010. He donated the jersey to the museum in 2017.

“Kobe’s contributions on and off the court are remarkable,” the museum’s interim director Spencer Crew said in a statement. “As a founding donor, he understood the significance of this museum to the nation and the world.

“After postponing the March installation due to COVID-19, we believe now is the perfect moment in history to honor his memory by placing his jersey on view.”

The museum said the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation contributed at least $1 million to the NMAAHC, which showcases the impact of African Americans on history.



'World's Oldest Marathon Runner' Dies Aged 114 in Road Accident

 (FILES) Indian-born British national Fauja Singh (C) waves a Hong Kong flag after crossing the finish line in the 10-km event as part of the Hong Kong Marathon on February 24, 2013. (Photo by Dale DE LA REY / AFP)
(FILES) Indian-born British national Fauja Singh (C) waves a Hong Kong flag after crossing the finish line in the 10-km event as part of the Hong Kong Marathon on February 24, 2013. (Photo by Dale DE LA REY / AFP)
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'World's Oldest Marathon Runner' Dies Aged 114 in Road Accident

 (FILES) Indian-born British national Fauja Singh (C) waves a Hong Kong flag after crossing the finish line in the 10-km event as part of the Hong Kong Marathon on February 24, 2013. (Photo by Dale DE LA REY / AFP)
(FILES) Indian-born British national Fauja Singh (C) waves a Hong Kong flag after crossing the finish line in the 10-km event as part of the Hong Kong Marathon on February 24, 2013. (Photo by Dale DE LA REY / AFP)

India's Fauja Singh, believed to be the world's oldest distance runner, has died in a road accident aged 114, his biographer said Tuesday.

Singh, an Indian-born British national, nicknamed the "Turbaned Tornado", died after being hit by a vehicle in Punjab state's Jalandhar district on Monday, AFP reported.

"My Turbaned Tornado is no more," Fauja's biographer Khushwant Singh wrote on X.

"He was struck by an unidentified vehicle... in his village, Bias, while crossing the road. Rest in peace, my dear Fauja."

Singh did not have a birth certificate but his family said he was born on April 1, 1911.

He ran full marathons (42 kilometer) till the age of 100.

His last race was a 10-kilometer (six-mile) event at the 2013 Hong Kong Marathon when 101, where he finished in one hour, 32 minutes and 28 seconds.

He became an international sensation after taking up distance running at the ripe old age of 89, after the death of his wife and one of his sons, inspired by seeing marathons on television.

Although widely regarded as the world's oldest marathon runner, he was not certified by Guinness World Records as he could not prove his age, saying that birth certificates did not exist when he was born under British colonial rule in 2011.

Singh was a torchbearer for the Olympics at Athens 2004 and London 2012, and appeared in advertisements with sports stars such as David Beckham and Muhammad Ali.

His strength and vitality were credited to a routine of farm walks and a diet including Indian sweet "laddu" packed with dry fruits and home-churned curd.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute on social media.

"Fauja Singh was extraordinary because of his unique persona and the manner in which he inspired the youth of India on a very important topic of fitness," said Modi on X.

"He was an exceptional athlete with incredible determination. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and countless admirers around the world."