Cassius Stanley: Kobe's Advice Steered Me Toward Duke

Like most current players, Cassius Stanley grew up watching Kobe Bryant. A Los Angeles native, Stanley had a closer relationship with the NBA legend than most, and Bryant’s death last weekend hit him hard.

“Being from L.A., it was really tough,” Stanley said of hearing the news that Bryan was one of nine people killed in a helicopter crash. “It was devastating. It was one of the worst days of my life, for sure.”

On Instagram, Stanley posted, “Growing up in Los Angeles and playing basketball Kobe was everything, we as kids wanted to be just like him. There were just so many iconic moments that defined my childhood.”

He also included a photo of Bryant giving him advice, something that helped steer Stanley to become a member of the Blue Devils.

“Before I made my decision, he gave me some good advice,” Stanley said Tuesday, after Duke’s first game following the news, “because I actually was really fortunate to be around him on multiple occasions in a two-week time span. This was like a week or two before my decision. Honestly, it was tough, because he gave me some advice that really steered me toward Duke. So hearing the news, it was tough. It hurt me a lot.”

Stanley was still wearing the commemorative warm-up jersey featuring Bryant’s two NBA numbers in Laker colors.

“None of us knew,” he said of the plan to wear the warm-ups. “We all were going to wear something, whether it was going to be Kobe shoes, or we were going to write something. I got in here after doing my pregame routine, and I saw the shirts. It looked cool, but then when I put it on and got out there, I got a little emotional just thinking there’s no way I’m sitting here wearing a Kobe shirt—the eigtht and the 24, because he’s not here. We’re doing this for Kobe Bryant. That’s like Superman. That’s a guy you just don’t ever expect that to happen (to), especially in that nature. It was devastating.”