The news of the tragic death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna Maria, devastated those in the NBA community and beyond on Sunday.
Bryant and his daughter, along with three others, were killed when their helicopter crashed in Calabasas, Calif. around 10 a.m. local time on Sunday morning.
Bryant was a superstar during his 20-year career, and his influence was still felt throughout the league even after his retirement following the 2015-16 season.
Many of the younger players in the league grew up watching Kobe and the Lakers, attributing their dreams of playing in the NBA to Bryant.
Reaction from fans, friends, and players has been rampant on social media.
Second-year Oklahoma City guard, Deonte Burton took to Twitter to express his condolences and shock, tweeting “@kobebryant I love you forever! You will always be apart of me and the basketball culture #rip my idol 😢😢😢I’m in total disbelief.”
The Thunder are off on Sunday, they return to action on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks.
OKC Thunder Wire will continue to update this story as it develops.
