Former Los Angeles Lakers executive Jerry West released a statement following the tragic death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna as result of a plane crash on Sunday morning in Calabasas.

West, who is currently an exec with the Los Angeles Clippers, also  said: “I watched him grow from an energetic kid into the man he became, making a difference in so many people's life.”

West was the instrumental figure in bringing Bryant to the Lakers.

Kobe was actually drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the No. 13 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but West orchestrated a trade to send center Vlade Divac to Charlotte in exchange for Bryant.

West loved Kobe so much he attempted to limit his exposure to opposing organizations (via CBS Sports):

For starters, 12 teams had to pass on him. That's where West and Tellem came in. Together, they began orchestrating a series of skipped workouts and floating rumors in an all-out effort to deter any and all suitors. There was also something else working in their favor. Back then, Kevin Garnett had only rebroken the seal of high school players going straight to the NBA one year earlier, and there was still plenty of skepticism about an 18-year-old making that jump. Bryant was a risk. Guys like eventual top pick Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby and Ray Allen were seen as much safer, if not altogether better picks than Kobe.

“The Logo” also used Bryant as a selling point in his quest to sign star center Shaquille O'Neal, and that tandem would eventually help the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships at the start of the 2000s.

Indeed, Jerry West was a crucial figure in bringing Kobe Bryant to Hollywood and helping nurture Bryant especially early on in his career. He mourns his passing on Sunday.