SAN ANTONIO – Fans are mourning the loss of NBA legend, Kobe Bryant after he and eight others died in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday.
“It’s surreal. I can’t even believe Kobe is dead at 41,” said basketball fan, Kahill Warfield.
Bryant’s 13 year-old daughter, Gianna, was also reported to have died in the crash. Their deaths sent shock waves across the country. Warfield said he grew up watching the sports icon.
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“I love Kobe, so it’s very sad,” he said.
Outside the AT&T Center, fans continued to share their thoughts over Bryant’s sudden death.
Rachel Huggins, a basketball coach at Lockhart Junior High School, was traveling with her students to watch the San Antonio Spurs play against the Toronto Raptors when she learned the news.
“It’s just crazy that this happened to a basketball player as we’re heading to a basketball game,” said Huggins.
She described him as an icon who left his mark on the basketball court.
“He’s one of the best. He might be the best ever,” Huggins said.
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Long-time Spurs fan, Ian Gonzalez agreed.
“Just the way he played. Everything about him. I loved Kobe Bryant,” Gonzalez said.
He said despite the Spurs rivalry with the former LA Laker, Bryant was one of the most respected players in the game.
“It’s tragic man. He changed the game of basketball as we know it,” Gonzalez said.