Our accessibility to the likes of the NBA and NFL has improved, no doubt, thanks to social media and its wide-reaching powers, while a number of streaming services are now dedicated to sport and that makes watching virtually any form of competition ridiculously easy - or, euphoria for anyone with a decent internet connection, comfy lounge and a big TV.

But before all of that, before sport was basically at the tip of your finger, only a handful of sporting figures transcended their own markets.

Soccer stars Pele and Maradona are two of the biggest. Michael Jordon another. A trio of global sporting stars.

Tiger Woods was probably sport's most recognisable face at the peak of his powers. Roger Federer another whose stretch went far beyond anything he did with a tennis racquet.

All of them are iconic. Well-known faces. Faces that mean something to lots of people. Beyond sport.

Kobe Bryant was another of those. In fact, he may well be at the top of the list.

Bryant is the most marketable sporting face in China. He'd cracked the largest market in the world and was taking basketball to it. And they loved it.

The mamba mentality made Bryant's time on court absorbing.

He destroyed his opponents. All of them. And when he wasn't playing, he was destroying his teammates at practice.

There's squillions of brilliant stories about Kobe Bryant and why he was as good as he was.

One of the best is how he learned how to speak different languages so he could throw his own trash talk and understand what his opponents were saying on the court.

He was relentless. Would do anything to win. Do anything to be better than not just his opposition, but everyone. His take no prisoners approach to playing basketball made him immensely successful, but that success didn't stop with five championship rings.

The LA Lakers superstar became a seriously savvy businessman, so much so he's now worth near the $1 billion mark thanks to his brand, and a few clever boardroom decisions along the way.

On Monday morning the world was stunned when news broke of Bryant's death in a tragic helicopter accident in California, the legendary NBA star one of nine - including his 13-year-old daughter Gigi - to die in the crash.

The out-pouring of grief, world wise, was like few others we've ever seen.

Bryant's always been a popular figure - his 18 NBA All Star appearances indicative of that - but few probably knew just how popular until after Monday's devastating news.

His stature in sport is iconic. His impact is incredibly wide-reaching. And that impact has stretched to here.

So much so, Eagles sharpshooter Kobe Mansell said his namesake meant the world to him.

"From the age of 10 I got a framed signed photo of him in the number 24. From that point on, he as a person, athlete and mentor has made me the athlete and player I am today," he said.

"From the way he plays,acts,reads the sport is not a gift it's an art. An art that has inspired many to be who they are today."

He said watching Bryant helped him style the way he was brought up in the basketball arena, striving the echo his greatness.

"From watching his games, his attitude being calm and showing his opponent's by not anger, but by playing how he played, is better than anything I've ever seen."

Eagles junior rep coach Brendan Longley says basketball was his world because of Bryant.

Kobe was a way of life. A no-excuses attitude. Work hard, earn the rewards.

"I play, I coach and I watch basketball. I watch with my young son, I coach my niece and I get to coach some amazing kids I would have never have gotten to meet if it wasn't for Kobe introducing me to the game of basketball," Longley said.

"I heard a story about Kobe inviting a defensive minded player, Tony Gaffney, to training early. Upon arriving at the training facility Kobe said to Tony, 'I've heard you're a defensive lockdown player? So, lock me down.' Kobe invented different rules, he could only dribble and score with his left hand, he could only score inside. That was Kobe, he always wanted to get better and trained hard to become the best. He didn't rest on being gifted, he worked hard for everything he got."

Jamahl Zegzula is the same. The Eagles junior mentor described Bryant as an amazing ambassador and said some of his feats won't ever be replicated.

But as is the case with so many, for Zagzula, it was Bryant's attitude that stood out, and the following grab sums that up best.

"When people watch me play, I want them to leave the gym saying that they just saw a kid who gave everything he had, but he played as if was the 12th guy on the roster. If I can be remembered as a person who squeezed every ounce of juice out of this orange that he could, I'll be happy with that," Bryant said.

Eagles women's captain Sophie Heta said despite being one of the all time greatest basketball players, Bryant was a loving dad and husband first and foremost.

"And as a parent myself, I cannot fathom how his family are dealing with this right now," she added.

"If this doesn't rock you to your core, I am not sure what else will. Life is a precious gift, and this was a senseless tragedy.

"A true legend was lost (on Monday) but his legacy will live on forever."

It has been Australia's lost summer. Drought, hail, floods and, worst of all, bushfires have ravaged communities all over the nation. But the selfless actions of friends, family, neighbours, strangers, local groups and volunteer organisations have inspired us and strengthened the bonds of community. Please join us in saying thanks to the heroes of the home front by sharing your stories of gratitude. To salute a person or a group, please use the form below.