WATCH: Jayson Tatum relates what Kobe Bryant meant to him

Idol, mentor, friend: this is what Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum lost on Sunday with the unexpected passing of Los Angeles Lakers luminary Kobe Bryant.

The loss of Kobe Bryant on Sunday was a devastating blow for the wider NBA community, but for those who called him a friend, it was especially difficult.

Such was the case for Boston Celtics swingman Jayson Tatum, who grew up idolizing Kobe, but later became his friend and mentee.

In a recent interview with several local sports outlets, the Duke product opened up on the loss of his friend and how it has affected him and those around him.

Even a few days removed from the tragic events that took the life of the Los Angeles Lakers legend, it’s still clearly tough for Tatum to speak on the topic, and for good reason.

It’s never easy to lose friends and loved ones, and harder still to lose them in an accident. To lose one’s idol at the same time is simply incomprehensible.

[lawrence-related id=28146,28138,28130,28049]