LOS ANGELES – Nuggets veteran Will Barton confirmed the news of Kobe Bryant’s death before most major news outlets had.
As news began trickling out, beginning with the initial report from TMZ, Barton phoned an associate of Bryant and found out that he was indeed on the helicopter that had crashed on Sunday morning, Jan. 26. It was hours later, after the Nuggets had beaten the Rockets in a dazed, emotional victory, that the players learned of Gigi Bryant’s death, along with seven others.
Back in Los Angeles for the first time since the tragedy, Barton reflected Friday on the moment he found out his favorite player had died and how he’s dealt with the news over the past month.