P.J. Tucker: ‘It meant everything’ to be at Kobe Bryant memorial

Though the memorial service in Los Angeles and a basketball game in Houston made for a long day of travel, P.J. Tucker has no regrets.

It was a whirlwind day for Houston Rockets veterans Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and P.J. Tucker, who arrived at Toyota Center only an hour before tip-off of Monday night’s home game versus New York.

The unusual travel schedule is because they all attended the memorial service at Staples Center in Los Angeles for Kobe Bryant.

Both Kobe and his daughter Gianna passed away in late January, along with seven others, as part of a tragic helicopter crash.

From there, the players immediately hopped on a flight back to Houston and made it back just in time to play. In a recap of his day, Tucker said:

It meant everything. For me, it was a no-brainer. We had a chance to actually be there. One of the best memorials I’ve ever been to.

It was amazing all the love, and the outpouring from the fans. Everything around the whole event was amazing.

It was super emotional for everybody in there. To see how strong his family was, to see literally everybody from all walks of his life being there, it was amazing.

Speaking after a Jan. 26 game just hours after Bryant’s shocking death, Tucker had called it one of the toughest days of his life.

During his legendary 20-year career with the Lakers, Bryant was a five-time NBA champion; an 18-time All-Star; a two-time Olympic gold medalist; and an MVP, among his numerous accolades.

Bryant is survived by his wife, Vanessa, and three other daughters. He was 41 years old at the time of his death.

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