Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams lost a friend and mentor on Sunday when retired Los Angeles Lakers legendary shooting guard Kobe Bryant was killed, alongside his teenage daughter Gianna and seven other passengers, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
In the last 24-plus hours since the news of Bryant's death reached the world and sports community, athletes, fans, and all stripes of people have poured in messages of condolences and memories of the future Hall of Famer's career. Former teammates Nick Young and Williams took to social media to share memories of the Lakers icon, who had the utmost competitive edge in 20 years of playing ball professionally.
After Young shared his incredulity that he had just spoken to Bryant recently, his ex-teammate Williams — a three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner now competing for the rival Clippers — responded on Twitter and shared a fond memory of Kobe.
“We got blew out in Portland,” Williams recalled Monday. “He took everybody Kobe’s and said they couldn’t wear it cause we was soft.”
Bryant's impact on the game of basketball and sports worldwide has been shared by memories and experiences of athletes today and yesterday — from NBA teams and players honoring him during games to tennis star Nick Kyrgios donning a No. 8 Lakers jersey at the Australian Open. Even Brazilian soccer star Neymar held up two fingers on one hand and four on the other after scoring a goal.
Kobe Bryant was beloved by athletes for his ruthless pursuit of excellence. And in Lou Williams' case, when the team did not perform to expectations, that meant taking back his signature sneakers.
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