New York Jets safety Jamal Adams held back tears as he played in his second carer Pro Bowl following the tragic death of Kobe Bryant.
Jamal Adams woke up on Sunday morning ready to embark on the second Pro Bowl of his career.
Before the game could start though, the Jets safety — like the rest of the world — found himself in a state of shock. Prior to the exhibition, Adams, along with his teammates, found out that basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, were among several people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Sunday morning.
None of it felt real to anybody, a legend lost at the age of 41, along with his 13-year-old daughter. Any games on the docket — whether it be the Pro Bowl or the NBA’s full slate — felt pointless in playing.
Before the Pro Bowl, there was a moment of silence held for Bryant. The crowd then erupted in chants of “Kobe.” Like the rest of the athletes in America playing today, the task in front of them was the last thing on their minds. Adams, who idolized Bryant, hardly had time to grieve.
“None of this feels real,” Adams tweeted following the Pro Bowl. “It was so hard to walk out on the field & play football today. Had a lot of tears. A man I watched every single day growing up is gone. I don’t even know how to deal with this. I’m praying for everyone, especially the Bryant family. This is devastating.”
Hurt and emotional, Adams played in the AFC’s 38-33 win over the NFC in Orlando, Fla. During the game, he symbolized Bryant’s No. 24 with his fingers. Adams held up two fingers on his right hand and four fingers on his left, a somber and blank stare on his face.
Bryant is the reason for Adams’ intense win at all costs mentality, the safety said on Twitter. That is a reference to Bryant’s famous Mamba Mentality, which made the Lakers legend one of the fiercest competitors in sports history.
“To sum up what Mamba Mentality is, it means to be able to constantly try to be the best version of yourself,” Bryant said in a 2016 interview.
“That is what the Mentality is,” he added. “It’s a constant quest to try to be better today than you were yesterday.”
Adams has always played with a similar chip, which could be seen in flashes on Sunday. While most players would take it easy in the Pro Bowl, Adams delivered a blow to New Orleans Saints TE Jared Cook.
Treating every game like it means everything is the exact same approach that Bryant took when he was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP on four separate occasions. Adams finished Sunday’s game with three tackles, not quite following up his 2018 Pro Bowl performance that earned him the Defensive MVP award.
Adams has gotten better each and every season that he’s been in New York, though. He was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl this season and was named a first-team All-Pro selection for his transcendent play in 2019.
Still processing the loss of an icon, Adams posted an image of Bryant with a quote from the future Hall of Famer.
“I can’t relate to lazy people,” the graphic read. “We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you.”
It was a perfect summary of Bryant, as well as Adams.
