Several 76ers Discussed Kobe Bryant's Impact on Monday

CAMDEN, NJ -- It was a gloomy afternoon around Philadelphia on Monday. It has been less than a day since the world received some of the most shockingly unfortunate news to date. Former Los Angeles Lakers star, Kobe Bryant, has passed away.

Two days ago, Kobe was practically the talk of the town around Philly as his former team was around getting ready to face the Philadelphia 76ers. On Saturday night, Lakers' star LeBron James had the opportunity to surpass Kobe on the NBA's All-Time scoring list.

Ironically, LeBron made it happen in Kobe Bryant's hometown of Philadelphia while wearing sneakers that read "Mamba 4 Life." To nobodies surprise, the legend was supportive of James' accomplishment. And Kobe showed it by tweeting out the following, "Continuing to move the game forward [LeBron James]. Much respect my brother." Little did anybody know that would be Kobe Bryant's final tweet.

The NBA world was shocked and understandably hurt by the news on Sunday. While many called for the cancellation of yesterday's slate of games, the show went on. And on Monday, the Sixers had to return to practice after having the day off.

Monday wasn't a typical day around the Sixers' practice facility in Camden, New Jersey. It was apparent that many were deeply affected by the tragedy that took away an NBA legend far too soon. The post-practice vibe is normally upbeat, fun, and filled with additional shooting around for thirty to forty minutes after practice.

On Monday, that feeling wasn't there. Though some players continued to get a light workout in after practice, the courts cleared out a lot quicker than usual. There was minimal joking. There was hardly any music blasting. And while nobody truly wanted to talk about the tragedy so soon, some around the complex felt obligated to do so.

A Statement from Elton Brand. . .

The last time 76ers' General Manager Elton Brand addressed the media was on Christmas Day. At the time, Brand was glowing as the Sixers were getting ready to take on the Milwaukee Bucks for a marquee matchup.

While he didn't plan to make himself available until after the NBA trade deadline, Brand felt it wouldn't be right if he remained silent on the topic. His demeanor on Monday was reasonably much different in comparison to the last time he publicly spoke.

As Brand has had his fair share of bouts and interactions with Kobe as a player, the former Los Angeles Clipper fought back tears as he talked about the situation. "Kobe meant a lot to us all," Brand said during his opening statement.

"It wasn't just what he accomplished, but how he accomplished it. His hard work, tenacity, and passion. . . Getting the most out of his talent. His Philadelphia roots, we all lost someone who is special to us, special to this area, and special to the league. It's a tough time for the area and a tough time for the organization."

The Impact on Today's NBA. . .

There weren't too many current Sixers who were around to compete against Kobe like Elton Brand was. Al Horford and Tobias Harris, however, did get the chance to meet and play against the Lakers' legend at some point in their careers.

Sixers' big man Al Horford has been in the NBA since 2007. So he has had quite a few interactions with Kobe Bryant and has seen first-hand just how fierce the late legend was on the court. "Something that stood out to me was his competitiveness on the floor," said the 13-year veteran.

"That fear he used to put into his opponent's eyes. The only way you would know about that was if you got to play going against him. Very few players have that -- and he had it. He was such a competitor, and it was always something I admired and respected."

76ers forward Tobias Harris hasn't been around as long as Horford, but he has been in the league since 2011. Therefore, he has been fortunate to have the opportunity to go against somebody who considered to be a hero of his.

"I think about the hours he put into his craft," Harris said when discussing Bryant's legacy. "I think about a true hero -- he was my hero, as a kid. Hearing he got up at six in the morning to go work out and be the first one in the gym, those things inspired me as a player coming up. I try to model my work ethic off of a guy like Kobe. When I heard the news, I didn't wanna believe it. It was really hard."

Tobias Harris mentioned that the moment he heard about Kobe's passing was a blur. His head coach, however, can't get it out of his head. "There are always moments in our lives where you can remember exactly where you were, exactly who told you, and exactly the initial reaction that we all experience," Brown stated. "[Finding out about Kobe Bryant] was one of them for me. You know, it's a tragic loss."

Now in his 20th year as an NBA coach, Brett Brown discussed the fact that he had to gameplan against Kobe for 15 of those 20 seasons. "Gameplanning for him was as difficult as any of the great players that I've had to do it for," Brown explained. "It points back to that amazing mental toughness. Amazing, laser, assassin-like. . . 'I'm going to win this game' mentality. He wasn't there to make friends -- he was there to win games."

While it's going to be tough for the 76ers to take the court on Tuesday to face the Golden State Warriors after such an unfortunate tragedy, the team does plan to do something special for somebody who is considered to be a legend around Philly. The exact plans haven't been revealed yet -- but there will be a tribute at the Wells Fargo Center.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_