RH: “Kobe meant almost everything to me."

By Paul Suellentrop

Wichita State freshman Grant Sherfield heard the news and needed to go to the most fitting place – the gym.

Former NBA star Kobe Bryant died on Sunday morning and the news hit basketball fans hard. For the Shockers – men and women – it hit especially hard. Bryant – his Mamba swagger, his jump shot, his Nike shoes – is the superstar of their generation.

Sherfield, out with his family for breakfast, came to Koch Arena to work on his game and his emotions. That, in keeping with Bryant's famous work ethic, made sense.

"I went to the gym and just tried to shoot it off," he said. "Being one of my favorite players of all-time, it hurt. It hurt everybody in my family, being die-hard…