Like many others have chosen to do, Metta World Peace came up with a creative way to honor the passing of his friend and former teammate, Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

While eating dinner at an undisclosed restaurant on Wednesday night, Metta decided to stand up for a toast to Bryant at exactly 8:24 p.m., a fitting homage to both of his playing numbers:

ā€œKobe would say thank you,ā€ Metta World Peace said during his toast to Kobe Bryant. ā€œHe would also say to celebrate his life.

ā€œI was his teammate,ā€ World Peace added. ā€œI decided to drink at 8:24. I thought it would be great to share this moment. His death has hurt a lot of people, so cheers to Kobe.ā€

As Metta lifted his glass to salute, patrons in the restaurant joined in, letting out a cheer as a sign of support:

Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash just outside Los Angeles on Sunday morning. Sadly, all nine passengers, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, perished in the tragic accident. The group was on their way to the Mamba Sports Academy, where Kobe was to serve as a coach for Gianna's basketball team.

Metta World Peace isn't the only member of the Lakers family who's taking Kobe's death hard. Shaquille O'Neal, Bryant's championship teammate, shared his condolences in a special segment that TNT aired on Tuesday night:

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ā€œI didn't want to believe it. I havenā€™t felt a pain that sharp in a while,ā€ Shaq said, referring to Kobe's death. ā€œIt definitely changes me.ā€

A five-time champion and 18-time All-Star, Kobe Bryant will be remembered as one of the greatest athletes the NBA has ever known. He may be gone, but the ā€œMamba Mentalityā€ that he instilled in so many will live on as others carry on his legacy.