Beyoncè pays tribute to Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna on Instagram

Basketball player and his 13-year-old daughter were among nine victims who died Sunday in helicopter crash

Beyoncè has paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant and his teenage daughter on Instagram.

The basketball star and 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine people who died when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed over the city of Calabasas in California on Sunday.

Tributes have poured in for the LA Lakers star in the days since the tragedy and now singer Beyoncè has broken her silence with a moving tribute on Instagram.

On Thursday, the "Halo" singer posted a trio of images to her account including individual childhood photos of Bryant and Gianna.

In a separate post, the star shared a photo of Bryant kissing his daughter on the head alongside a caption in which she promised to pray for the athlete's wife and three daughters.

“I will continue to diligently pray for your Queens,” Beyoncè wrote.

“You are deeply missed beloved Kobe.”

The singer’s tribute comes just hours after the retired NBA star's wife spoke publicly for the first time since losing her husband and daughter.

Vanessa Bryant, who would have celebrated her 19th wedding anniversary in April, had four daughters with Bryant.

In a touching post on Instagram, she thanked fans for the global outpouring of support and announced the launch of a fund to help support the other families affected by the crash.

"Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them," Bryant said.

"We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe - the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna - a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.

“We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately.”

Funeral or memorial plans for Kobe and Gianna are yet to be announced.

Mrs Bryant asked for a continued respect of her family's privacy as they begin to “navigate this new reality”.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner has identified all nine victims of Sunday's crash.

The pilot and six more passengers were also killed including two 13-year-old girls, three of their parents and another coach. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.