Indiana Pacers All-Star shooting guard Victor Oladipo admits he's sad he was never able to meet Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant in person.

Bryant and Oladipo only had a few chats over the phone:

“I talked to him a few times on the phone, texted with him a few times, but I never got to meet him in person,” Victor Oladipo said of Kobe Bryant, via The Athletic. “I never got to play against him, I never got to play with him. I never got to work out with him, and I felt like that was in the near future. It was kind of tough for me because I wanted that moment.”

Bryant tragically passed away on Sunday in a terrible helicopter crash. Eight other people died in the crash, including Kobe’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna.

Everyone needs to keep Vanessa and Kobe’s surviving daughters in their prayers right now. It’s impossible to understand what the Bryant family is going through.

In 1,346 career games for the Lakers, Bryant cemented himself as an all-time great. Coming straight to the NBA from high school is no easy move, but Bryant finished his illustrious NBA career with averages of 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.

The 6-foot-6 shooting guard was an 18-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion, 15-time All-NBA team member, two-time Finals MVP and five-time champion.

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