ORLANDO, Fla. _ Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford called the death of former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant "shocking" as he, along with everyone else across the league and the sports world, began dealing with the tragic story coming out of California on Sunday.
Clifford spent a year as an assistant coach with the Lakers and felt honored to have coached Bryant. In what were clearly difficult circumstances, Clifford addressed the media before Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Amway Center.
"It's obviously, it's shocking. It's tragic," he said.
Bryant, arguably one of the NBA's greatest players, was among five people reportedly killed in a helicopter crash Sunday morning near Los Angeles.
Bryant's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, also reportedly was among those who died when the helicopter went down in Calabasas, Calif. Reports indicate the helicopter was en route to a travel basketball tournament.
Other passengers included another player and parent, according to reports. There were no survivors, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Clifford said he recently had spoken with Bryant and while he didn't reveal the nature of the conversation, he appeared to relish the moment as he reflected on it, like he had all of his other interactions with Bryant.
"Just an incredibly brilliant man and incredibly passionate about our game. Driven," Clifford said. "I mean it was, really, I would say an honor even to have had the chance to be around him for one season."
When asked to share some of the lessons he learned from coaching Bryant, Clifford declined.
"To be honest with you, and I think you'd all agree with this, to me it's a very personal thing for all of us and I'd rather just leave it at that," he said.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers also had a long-standing relationship with Bryant. Rivers coached the Boston Celtics past Bryant and the Lakers to win the 2008 NBA title _ the first of two Finals meetings between the storied franchises during Bryant's tenure in Los Angeles.
"I just don't have a lot to say. The news is just devastating to everyone who knew for him for a long time," Rivers said in speaking to the media before Sunday's game.
Rivers was visibly shaken and choked back his emotions several times as he tried to talk about what Bryant meant to him, to the league and to the sports world.
"He means a lot to me, obviously. He was such a great opponent. That's what you want in sports," Rivers said. "He had that DNA that very few athletes can ever have. You know, the Tiger Woodses, the Michael Jordans.
"This is a tough one. We have to go play ... .There were just so many people he touched. Looking at my younger players and seeing how emotional they are and they didn't even know him, it just shows how far his reach was. It's just shocking news for all of us."
Locker room access to players was closed out of respect for their privacy.
A prolonged moment of silence was held before the start of Sunday's game in Denver between the Nuggets and Rockets, the first NBA game of the day. Houston coach Mike D'Antoni spent two years coaching Bryant in Los Angeles.
Bryant, 41, was a 17-time All-Star selection during his 20-year NBA career, and helped the Lakers win five league titles, including three straight titles from 2000-2002 and back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. That year, Bryant and the Lakers beat Rivers and the Celtics.
Bryant, who never played for another franchise besides the Lakers, was known largely for his fiercely competitive nature and his irrefutable drive to win.
From the 1999-2000 season through the 2012-13 season, Bryant averaged at least 20 points a game. He led the NBA in scoring average twice and earned his only league MVP award in 2007.
Bryant finished his career with 33,643 points, which left him third on the league's career scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Karl Malone (36,928).
LeBron James scored 29 points to pass Bryant during Saturday's 108-91 loss in Philadelphia, where Bryant grew up.
Away from the NBA, Bryant was a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Former Orlando Magic coach and current NBA TV analyst Stan Van Gundy said he didn't know Bryant personally but like many others held him in high regard as a player and competitor. Bryant and the Lakers beat Van Gundy's Magic team in five games to win the 2009 NBA title.
Van Gundy, appearing with Matt Winer and Brian Shaw, who won two titles with Bryant in Los Angeles, on NBA TV's pregame show on Sunday, said he had brief conversations with Bryant on the court when he would walk by the bench.
When asked to discuss the connections built among NBA players and how Bryant fits into that, Van Gundy said Bryant represents somewhat of a unique example because he played his entire career was with one team.
"...The level of respect that everybody has for him and what he did for our game and everything else, I think will unite even those of us who didn't know him well," Van Gundy said. "And then people like Brian, obviously, who had the opportunity to play with him or coach him or even compete against him on the floor, I'm talking about players, a little closer connection.
"This day's about as bad as it can get."
The NBA Players Association also released a statement.
"We are stunned and saddened by the news of the sudden passing of Kobe Bryant," the statement said. "Words cannot express his impact on our Players, the NBA and the game of basketball. This is a monumental loss for the entire basketball community and our hearts are quite simply broken. We send love and prayers out to his wife Vanessa and the entire family."
