The NBA decided to play its Sunday games as scheduled following the death of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash.
The news understandably hit the entire NBA community hard. Players were visibly upset during shootaround, offered shocked reactions on social media and Tyson Chandler was tearful on the bench.
The Raptors and Spurs were the second NBA game to get underway on Sunday, and the two teams opted to pay tribute to Kobe with a wonderful in-game gesture. Following the opening tip, both teams let the shot clock expire for 24-second violations on each of their first possessions. Kobe’s number, of course, was 24.
Raptors & Spurs each let the shot clock run out to honor Kobe Bryant pic.twitter.com/dyrEddjMPH
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) January 26, 2020
The crowd immediately caught on to the tribute as it was unfolding, offering both teams a standing ovation. The gesture for Kobe was beautifully coordinated.
Before the game, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich (along with Raptors players) was seen consoling DeMar DeRozan — a Los Angeles native — who idolized Kobe growing up. He wasn’t alone in that regard among the NBA community.
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