Many members of the sports community and world shared their sadness, shock and memories of former NBA legend Kobe Bryant on Sunday after the five-time champion died in a tragic helicopter accident in California.
Members of the UNC sports community were among them. Many former UNC men’s basketball players tweeted out their shock when the news broke Sunday that Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and others did not survive the crash.
This is heartbreaking….can’t even put it into words….anyone that knows me knows how much Kobe means to me….blessed to have been able to call you a brother 🙏🏾 Rest in Power Mamba and Gigi. Praying for Vanessa, the kids and your whole family. pic.twitter.com/tEH3ZDUjjo
— Harrison Barnes (@hbarnes) January 26, 2020
This is painful!!!
I’ve known this man since he was 15 & I was 16. AAU teammates to competing against him for 18 seasons in the NBA. We were literally talking in these pics how I will enjoy retirement and that we would have a convo soon on how to go through it. Also how happy… pic.twitter.com/5P1Egv0EMh— Vince Carter (@mrvincecarter15) January 27, 2020
Kobe and Gianna may your souls and the souls of the others who were with you Rest In Peace. My condolences and prayers go out to Kobe’s wife Vanessa, his daughters and the Bryant Family. I Love You Kobe and will miss you dearly.
— Rick Fox (@RickFox) January 27, 2020
My deepest sympathy and prayers to the families including the Bryant family! You all will be missed ! We are all heartbroken
— Kenny Smith (@TheJetOnTNT) January 26, 2020
This hurts man. Bad💔
— whitecoby2 (@CobyWhite) January 26, 2020
The guy who made me want to play this game.. RIP Mamba
— Kenny Williams III (@KWill_24) January 26, 2020
North Carolina and NBA legend Michael Jordan released a statement remembering Bryant’s competitive drive and their relationship.
Michael Jordan on Kobe: “he was like a little brother to me.” pic.twitter.com/FwZHX5oOPR
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) January 27, 2020
The official UNC Men’s Basketball account also honored Bryant, sharing a video posted by ESPN that featured NBA players describing the impact Bryant had on their own journeys to the NBA.
Heartbroken.
Kobe Bryant's impact on the game we love is immeasurable. Our thoughts are with his family and the other families impacted in today's tragedy. https://t.co/fEqGSWoAlB
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) January 27, 2020
The official account for UNC Women’s Basketball also shared a statement made by head coach Courtney Banghart after the team’s game Sunday evening.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bryant family, and the other families impacted by today’s tragedy.
Your legacy will live on… #MambaMentality pic.twitter.com/DxcWntyc1g
— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) January 27, 2020
UNC football head coach Mack Brown also tweeted out a picture of Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, sharing his condolences.
Hard to believe we lost Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the other people killed in the helicopter crash. Kobe was one of the greatest and most competitive athletes to ever play sports. My heart goes out to his wife, his three other daughters and the other families. So sad. pic.twitter.com/OmpqhBE3Me
— Mack Brown (@CoachMackBrown) January 26, 2020
Bryant is survived by his wife, Vanessa, as well as three daughters: Natalia, Bianka and Capri.
I was at home when I heard the news, around 8pm GMT. I’d just sat down on the sofa for a rest and opened the Instagram app to see a photo of Kobe Bryant and something like ‘RIP to the greatest’ from another NBA player. I was a bit confused, but didn’t want to make any assumptions to opened BBC News where the headline was ‘NBA Legend Kobe Bryant dies in helicopter crash’.
It’s the first time in my life that I’ve been saddened to the brink of tears on hearing of the death of somebody I never met.
When I was younger a family friend got me into basketball. It’s not that big in the UK. At the time Michael Jordan was at his prime and I loved watching Michael play. Then I remember seeing a young kid – who probably looked the same age as me at the time, ~13 – playing for the LA Lakers and that was it, from that moment on I was a Lakers and Kobe fan.
Since my mid-teens he’s been my idol. He was the greatest player ever to me, and really seems to be a good guy away from the game too.