Kobe Bryant provided Knicks fans and visitors to Madison Square Garden many instances of entertainment and awe over his 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, including his historic 61-point performance on February 2, 2009. So sadness, adoration, appreciation and disbelief were just some of the emotions permeating the entire Knicks community—fans, players, coaches and executives—when it was confirmed that Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others died in a horrific helicopter accident in Southern California this past Sunday.
The exterior of the Garden on Sunday where the Knicks hosted the Nets was lit purple and gold in honor of Bryant. The organization issued a statement which in part read, “We are heartbroken at this incomprehensible loss of life, and send our thoughts and prayers to Kobe’s wife, Vanessa, the Bryant family, and the Lakers during this difficult time.
“Our locker room had some heavy hearts in there,” said Knicks interim head coach Mike Miller after his team defeated the Nets 110-97, led by Julius Randle’s 22 points and 15 rebounds. “They went out and played. I would say that it was a tribute to Kobe, to go out and play the game as he would play the game.”
It was fitting Randle spearheaded the win. He is a former teammate of Bryant’s, drafted by the Lakers in the first round in 2014 and playing for the franchise through the 2017-18 season. Bryant retired from the NBA as a Laker in April of 2016.
“A lot of guys, if you knew Kobe, the time he was here, he showed you love,” said Knicks center Taj Gibson. “He talked your head off. He encouraged you and he just loved competing. It was a tough pill to swallow, man. It’s going to be a tough one for a couple of days, for a while. We feel like we lost a superhero, man.”
“Superman isn’t supposed to die,” somberly expressed Knicks forward Marcus Morris, like Bryant, a native of Philadelphia. “And to us, he was Superman.”