Denver Nuggets shooting guard Will Barton says the death of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is still hard to process.

Barton and the Nuggets are in Los Angeles preparing for their game against the Los Angeles Clippers, but being in The City of Angels makes Barton think about the late Lakers icon.

“It’s hard to process,” Barton said at Friday’s shootaround at Staples Center, hours before the Nuggets faced the Clippers, via Mike Singer of the Denver Post. “It’s still a little fresh. Anytime you lose somebody like that, so sudden, you just try to remember him. I try to watch highlights of him and play hard in his honor every night.

Barton also reminisced about the times he was able to play against Kobe before he retired in 2016.

“Every time he guarded me, it was always something I looked forward to and was special,” Barton shared.

As you can see from reading Barton's words, the passing of Kobe Bryant is going to take a long time for him to get over.

Lakers players were also very emotional against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center during their tribute to Kobe. Seeing Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis in tears was hard to watch.

Los Angeles currently has the best record in the West. However, nothing would make this season more special than to see LeBron and Davis lead the Lakers to the Larry O’Brien Trophy come June.