As news of Koby Bryant’s death at 41 following a helicopter crash near Los Angeles sent shockwaves around the world Sunday afternoon, Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars were on the court for a 68-49 win over the South Florida Bulls in Houston.
After the win, Houston’s 16th overall and fourth-straight in the American Athletic Conference, Sampson and his players took time to remember Bryant, an NBA legend whose loss has devastated many in the basketball world.
“An icon to me is someone who influences a generation in their given sport or profession,” a somber Sampson said. “When I was growing up, the icons in basketball were Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Jerry West.