The basketball world was rattled by the news of Kobe Bryant’s death in a helicopter accident Sunday morning. The Lakers legend was on his way to the Mamba Sports Academy with his daughter Gianna Maria Bryant, better known as GiGi, for an afternoon basketball tournament with six other passengers, and the pilot of the helicopter.
It’s hard to put into words just how devastating this news has been, but it has been incredibly inspiring seeing how the basketball world at large has responded to this tragic event. Teams that took the court in the days following took either a 24-second, or 8-second violation at the opening tip, allowing both the players on the court, and the fans in attendance to pay their respects to the Bryant.