NBA Postpones First Lakers Game After Kobe Bryant’s Death
The NBA is taking time to grieve amid the shocking loss of legendary player Kobe Bryant.
A game scheduled for Jan. 28 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center has been postponed following Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash. Eight others, including Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna, also lost their lives in the accident.
The following has been released by the NBA pic.twitter.com/NgrEP2qpDi
— NBA (@NBA) January 27, 2020
WATCH: Who Are The 9 Victims That Died In Kobe Bryant’s Helicopter Crash
The NBA announced the decision on Monday, explaining that the delay is “out of respect for the Lakers organization, which is deeply grieving” Bryant’s passing. The game would have been the Lakers’ first since the tragedy and will be rescheduled for a later date, the statement confirmed.
The Lakers soon followed up with their first announcement on Bryant, thanking fans on Twitter for “the tremendous outpouring of support and condolences.”
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 27, 2020
“This is a very difficult time for us,” the message read. “We continue to support the Bryant family and will share more information as it is available.”
Bryant won five NBA Championships with the Lakers over 20 seasons before his 2016 retirement. His former teammate Shaquille O’Neal was among the athletes who expressed sorrow on social media amid news of Bryant’s tragic passing. He and the 41-year-old played together for eight years and took home three consecutive Championship titles in that time, but O’Neal tweeted that he and Bryant’s bond went far deeper than their mutual prowess on the court.
Kobe was so much more than an athlete, he was a family man. That was what we had most in common. I would hug his children like they were my own and he would embrace my kids like they were his. His baby girl Gigi was born on the same day as my youngest daughter Me’Arah. pic.twitter.com/BHBPN5Wq8V
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) January 26, 2020
WATCH: Remembering Kobe Bryant: The Late NBA Legend’s Interviews Over The Last 20 Years
“Kobe was so much more than an athlete, he was a family man. That was what we had most in common. I would hug his children like they were my own and he would embrace my kids like they were his,” O’Neal wrote, adding that Gianna and his daughter Me’Arah shared a birthday.