Kobe Bryant soaks in the admiration during his Mamba Mentality Tour at Araneta Coliseum in June 2016. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file

Kobe Bryant soaks in the admiration during his Mamba Mentality Tour at Araneta Coliseum in June 2016. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file

Kobe Bryant chats with school children during his visit at suburban Taguig city to interact with them and conduct basketball clinic as part of a popular sports apparel's promotional tour on Sept. 5, 2007. AP Photo, Bullit Marquez/file

Kobe Bryant conducts a basketball clinic to children during a visit to a mass housing project to inaugurate a basketball court on July 13, 2011 at suburban Taguig city. Bullit Marquez, AP/file

Kobe Bryant, in a Far Eastern University uniform, plays with Ateneo's Japeth Aguilar and Doug Kramer during an exhibition at Araneta Coliseum on July 13, 2011. The event was part of Bryant's five-city tour that includes Seoul and various cities in China. Aaron Favila, AP/file

The Philippines considers Kobe Bryant one of its most beloved sports superstars, and it showed every time the Los Angeles Lakers legend visited this basketball-mad country.

Bryant was a frequent Manila visitor, and Filipinos showered him with love every time.

Bryant died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, along with daughter Gianna and several others. He was 41.

The future basketball Hall of Famer first traveled to Manila in August 1998, days before his 20th birthday, and famously had a photo taken with President Joseph Estrada.

Manila waited for 9 more years before Bryant returned in September 2007.

He was also in the country in July 2009, July 2011, August 2013 and June 2016, his last.

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