News of the tragic death of Kobe Bryant has swept across not only the NBA but the entire globe. Bryant, 41, his daughter, Gianna Maria, 13, and seven others were killed when their helicopter crashed in Calabasas, California, on Sunday morning.
The magnitude of the five-time NBA champion’s death has sent ripples through the Association. In one of the darkest days in league history, NBA games started with 24-second violations to honor Bryant, whose No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys were retired by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017.
Those not in action on Sunday poured their emotions and shared their memories of Bryant onto social media, including members of the Golden State Warriors.
Three-time NBA champion Draymond Green, like many, was “stunned” by the news of Bryant’s death.
Warriors rookie Eric Paschall, reacted with a trio of tweets. The New York native tweeted “Prayers up,” attaching a picture of Bryant and his family. Paschall later responded when reports surfaced that Bryant’s daughter, Gianna Maria, also perished in the crash.
Golden State center Marquese Chriss didn’t tweet anything directly, but retweeted Utah Jazz guard Donavon Mitchell’s social media post.
To honor the fallen legend, Mitchell called upon the NBA to retire Bryant’s No. 24 across the league.
Another Golden State rookie, Jordan Poole, went to Instagram to post a photo in respect of Bryant and his daughter.
The Golden State Warriors’ next game isn’t until Tuesday in Philadelphia when they start a five-game East coast road trip. Golden State returns to San Francisco on Feb. 8 to play Bryant’s former team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
