The world was hit with the unimaginable tragic news regarding the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant on Sunday afternoon and the Duke basketball community expressed an outpouring of love for the fallen star.
It is like a nightmare that no one can wake up from.
On Sunday afternoon, East Coast time, TMZ first reported the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant after a helicopter carrying eight other people crashed.
No one survived the tragic event and Bryant’s oldest daughter, Gianna, was on board along with two other players on her youth basketball team as well as their families, including John Altobelli, the head coach of the Orange Coast College baseball team in Costa Mesa, California.
The outpouring of love and support reached the social media world minutes after the reported crash but several hours later, the Duke Basketball team released a statement from head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) January 26, 2020
Krzyzewski coached Bryant in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics in which Team USA won the Gold Medal and Bryant mentioned in a Q&A with his fans back in 2017 that if he attended a college, he would have selected to attend Duke University.
Duke players past and present posted their tributes to Bryant via social media, but perhaps none were as strong as Jay Williams on SportsCenter moments after Bryant’s death was confirmed.
Jay Williams gets emotional when talking about Kobe pic.twitter.com/2gomVXYSfd
— ContentNBA (@ContentNBA) January 26, 2020
Jayson Tatum also posted a heartfelt message on Instagram regarding his idol, Kobe Bryant.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7zEzS-gWX1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets were in Madison Square Garden to play the New York Knicks on Sunday evening, but Irving left The Garden after heading the news of Bryant and did not return as Kobe served as a mentor for Irving.
Several other former Duke Blue Devils posted about Kobe Bryant:
https://twitter.com/NUMensBball/status/1221627340217819136?s=20
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7zD8CTgkPe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7zNYLvnT_p/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7zEO6cJlCa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7y9g4Jl2-s/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
.@Zionwilliamson speaks on the impact Kobe Bryant had on him growing up & the legacy he leaves behind pic.twitter.com/262dy3tsNg
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) January 27, 2020
ALSO READ: Zion Williamson seals Pelicans win, sends prayers to Bryant family
There are several other posts throughout the social media world regarding Bryant’s legacy, and several current members of the Blue Devils posted on the loss of Kobe, but perhaps none stronger than Los Angeles native, Cassius Stanley.
https://twitter.com/Joey_bvker/status/1221521732596461568?s=20
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7zAEwGgXrD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The loss of Kobe Bryant extends more than just the basketball court as he was a transcendent figure throughout the world and his lasting impact will not be forgotten soon.
R.I.P. Kobe Bryant.