Since the tragic death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant in a fatal helicopter crash that included his daughter, Gianna, and seven others, the basketball world has been spilling with emotion.
Teams around the league have paid tribute to the “Mamba” with eight and 24-second violations to start games, while Byrant’s signature Nike shoes have been spotted across NBA arenas.
Since his passing, members from the Warriors like Draymond Green, D’Angelo Russell and Stephen Curry have all weighed in on social media on Bryant’s legacy.
On the court, for the Golden State Warriors, their first games since the loss of Bryant’s was scheduled in his hometown of Philadelphia. Both the Warriors and 76ers communicated before the game tipped off on how they would honor the Lower Merion High School product.
On gameday, members of the 76ers trotted onto the court during warmups wearing special Bryant editions of Philadelphia’s home jersey. Before the game, Philadelphia’s in house scoreboard played a video honoring Bryant.
When the game tipped off, the 76ers started with an 8-second violation, not advancing the ball across halfcourt. When the Warriors took possession, Green placed the ball outside the three-point line and waited until the shot clock hit 24-seconds, triggering another violation.
Players from each team looked clearly emotional as “Kobe” chants took over the Wells Fargo Center during the violations.
Philadelphia is the start of Golden State’s five-game east coast road trip. When the team returns to San Francisco, they will host Bryant’s former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, at the Chase Center on February 8.
