The Clippers Mourn the Passing of Kobe Bryant

The Clippers defeated the Orlando Magic 112-97 on a day when basketball was the furthest thing from anyone's minds.

The NBA and the basketball community at large dealt with an unimaginable tragedy as they learned that Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others passed away in a helicopter crash Sunday morning. The Clippers felt the pain of the loss on a human level and also deeper through their individual connections with Kobe.

Jerry West was general manager of the Lakers when Bryant was drafted and is widely credited with identifying his talent when others were wary of drafting a gangly teenager out of high school. West was in disbelief upon learning the news of a man who he considered a surrogate son.

Jerry West on Kobe's death: "I want to go to bed and hope it’s a bad dream. It’s going to take a while for me to get over this one. I’m pretty good at getting over things because I understand how fragile life is. But Oh my God!. His daughter with him. My God!” This is not easy.”
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) January 27, 2020

Lakers legend Jerry West on Kobe Bryant: "This was a man for all seasons. He was more than an iconic basketball player." https://t.co/MBzcc3pHmF pic.twitter.com/v0AXfoJ3jU
— ABC News (@ABC) January 27, 2020

Paul George grew up in Southern California as a Clipper fan, but also an enormous fan of Bryant. Even if he had been healthy to play against Orlando, it didn't seem like George was in the mindset to lace it up.

Kawhi Leonard did have to play, and he carried the memory of his friend and a man he admired by fighting for a win.

Kawhi Leonard holds back tears addressing the passing of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant - “Knowing him personally, I know he’d want me to come out here & ball & still just be great… Everybody’s sad. No words can explain the impact he had on the sport… It’s just sad.”#Clippers pic.twitter.com/Q1JLPMaYuT
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) January 27, 2020

Lou Williams was Bryant's teammate during his final NBA season and remembered Bryant's generosity with the fans the most.

Assistant coach Ty Lue played with Bryant during his first three seasons in the league. The Lakers won two titles during Lue's time in Los Angeles, and Lue was instrumental in the second championship run.

"Ty Lue was really struggling," Doc Rivers said of Bryant's former Lakers teammate, now an LAC coach. "I look over at Ty during the game and he’s bawling. A lot of emotion tonight, it really was a tough night. Just a tough night."
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) January 27, 2020

Doc Rivers summed the team's feelings up best pregame when he said, "Sometimes things don't make sense."

Doc Rivers: “We’re all Lakers today.” pic.twitter.com/TwJvblNrWI
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) January 26, 2020