As he started to address the media before Sunday’s Hawks-Wizards game, a visibly shaken Lloyd Pierce apologized for being emotional.
The Hawks coach explained that his cousin was a pilot in the Navy and died in a helicopter crash in 1998, and his cousin’s widow lives in Atlanta and attends Hawks games. It added another layer of emotion to Pierce on a grief-stricken day as NBA players, coaches and fans mourned the loss of former Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others Sunday.
“It’s hard,” Pierce said.