DALLAS _ It has been five days since the deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi and seven others in a helicopter accident, but for Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki, the anguish and sorrow have not diminished.
"I can honestly say there hasn't been a single minute of any day that I haven't thought about it," Nowitzki told The Dallas Morning News on Friday. "It's so sad. It's something I don't think I'll ever get over."
Nowitzki spoke to The News in advance of next Friday's UNICEF Dallas Gala, where UNICEF Ambassador Nowitzki and his wife Jessica will be honored for their tireless championing of children's rights and the Nowitzki Foundation's partnership with UNICEF.
Nowitzki took time Friday to share reflections about Bryant and the accident's aftermath.
Nowitzki said he was watching television on Sunday when he saw on Twitter the first bulletin about the helicopter crash and Bryant's reported death.
"At first I was in denial," he said. "Then someone said TMZ might have been hacked, so I got my hopes up that it wasn't true."
As the day unfolded and it became clear that Bryant and Gigi were in fact on the helicopter, father-of-three Nowitzki said he was overcome with profound sadness about all nine of the lives lost and families affected.
Nowitzki, 41, was born two months before Bryant. Though Nowitzki was born in Germany and Bryant in Philadelphia, they took very different paths to the NBA. Their careers will be forever linked.
Bryant is the No. 4 scorer in NBA history. Nowitzki is No. 6. Bryant, in 2015-16, set the record for most seasons played, 20, with only one franchise, the Lakers. Nowitzki broke the record by playing in his 21st Mavericks season, then retired last April.
Bryant's Lakers teams won five championships, the last being in 2009 and 2010. Nowitzki's 2010-11 Mavericks dethroned Bryant and the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs en route to that season's NBA title.
"I wouldn't say we were close, but I think there was mutual respect," Nowtizki said. "After games, he was a guy I always went home to watch on TV."
On Tuesday, Nowitzki made it a point to come to American Airlines Center to see the Mavericks' pregame tribute to Bryant. Nowitzki sat next to Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, then remained until after the game, joining Maxi Kleber in a question and answer session with fans.
In the past few days, Nowitzki thought his anguish about the deaths of Kobe and Gigi in particular might somewhat fade, but he said Friday, "I can't stop thinking about it.
"He was the Michael Jordan of our generation," Nowitzki said of Bryant. "He was our best player."
