"My prayers goes out to his loved ones during this time!" - LeBron James reacts to Liverpool star Diogo Jota's death after car accident

Basketball superstar LeBron James paid tribute to Diogo Jota after the Liverpool star tragically passed away in a car accident. The Portuguese forward, and his brother Andre Silva, met with the accident in Spain, with a tyre burst forcing them off the road.

LeBron, who has been a part-owner of Liverpool since 2011, took to social media to pay his tribute. He posted:

"My prayers goes out to his loved ones during this time! May you all be guided and protected! YNWA JOTA!!"

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LeBron also shared the official statement from the Reds following the death of their star player. They called for privacy for his family and added that they would not be making any further comments for the time being. The statement read:

"Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota. The club have been informed the 28-year-old has passed away following a road traffic accident in Spain along with his brother, Andre. Liverpool FC will be making no further comment at this time and request the privacy of Diogo and Andre’s family, friends, teammates and club staff is respected as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss. We will continue to provide them with our full support."

Diogo Jota played a key role in Liverpool's Premier League win last season. He also helped Portugal win the UEFA Nations League in June.

Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp posts message after Diogo Jota's death

Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp took to Instagram to post an emotional message following the tragic death of Diogo Jota. The German tactician admitted that he was struggling for words, adding that he was heartbroken at the news.

He went on to praise the Portuguese star and claimed that he was a great friend off the pitch. He posted:

"This is a moment where I struggle! There must be a bigger purpose! But I can’t see it! I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Diogo and his brother André. Diogo was not only a fantastic player, but also a great friend, a loving and caring husband and father! We will miss you so much! All my prayers, thoughts and power to Rute, the kids, the family, the friends and everyone who loved them! Rest in peace - Love J."

Diogo Jota played 145 matches under Jurgen Klopp for the Anfield side. The Portuguese star scored 56 goals and assisted 22 times in those games.

About the author

Sripad is a veteran Sportskeeda football journalist who has been with the company for around 10 years. His tryst with writing happened in class XI when he started penning blogs, and his foray into football was during the early 2000s, watching matches with his cousins.

Sripad has been a Chelsea fan through and through since the age of 9 and can watch their 2012 Champions League triumph on repeat. The undisputed ‘GOAT’ according to him is Lionel Messi and his favorite managers are Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. Apart from popular European leagues, he also likes to follow other leagues like the MLS, Saudi Pro League, Eredivisie, and Liga MX.

Sripad believes in only using the right sources for his articles, and is an expert in understanding how to get the right quotes for each news to provide proper background information. His exploits have led him to become a popular figure in European Football and interviewing Premier League legends such as Alan Shearer, Shay Given, Paul Dickov, and John Barnes. His articles have been much revered amongst the football fraternity and have been shared by the likes of John Terry, Gary Lineker, and Declan Rice.

If given a chance to change a football rule, Sripad wants VAR to be fully automated and offside rules to be less stringent. When not working, he likes to watch past Formula 1 races and play FIFA.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava