More than one million people have backed a petition to use Kobe Bryant's image as a new official NBA logo, Eurasia Diary reports citing BBC.

Bryant, considered to be one of the greatest basketball players in the game's history, died in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday.

He was flying with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, who also died.

The current logo was designed by Alan Siegel, and features the silhouette of another great LA Lakers player Jerry West, who is 81 years old.

Writing on Change.org, the petition's founder Nick M said: "With the untimely and unexpected passing of the great Kobe Bryant please sign this petition in an attempt to immortalise him forever as the new NBA logo."

Supporters have also tweeted their own versions of the logo, mocked up with Bryant's silhouette.

"This loss of Kobe, Gianna, and everyone on board, is beyond tragic and incomprehensible," he later said in a statement. "I will love Kobe forever and always cherish the time that I spent with him.

"I watched him grow from an energetic kid into the man he became, making a difference in so many people's life. He has left the world a better place."