Maddie Lee: Per a Thunder spokesperson: Andre Roberson will be handling his rehab away from the team, for a change of scenery. He does not have a return date.
Storyline: Andre Roberson Injury
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Erik Horne: Steven Adams (left knee contusion) and Andre Roberson (injury recovery, left knee) are both listed as out for tonight’s game against Milwaukee.
Paul Garcia: Andre Roberson is OUT for OKC today. He’s out for “return to play management.” When I saw those words, I thought it said the infamous “return from injury management” words I saw almost daily during the 2017-18 season.
Erik Horne: Non-contact practice for the Thunder today before headed to San Antonio. Mike Muscala (hand soreness) did not participate in practice, and Andre Roberson is out for Thursday’s game, per Billy Donovan.
Maddie Lee: Andre Roberson is out for tomorrow’s game against Golden State, Billy Donovan said.
Erik Horne: Billy Donovan says Andre Roberson is out tonight against the Wizards. “He looks good physically. He’s moving well. We just want to see how he responds every day.”
Eric Walden: Jazz’s Dante Exum and Thunder’s Andre Roberson have been ruled out for Wednesday’s season opener. They are the only two players on the jury report.
Erik Horne: Billy Donovan said Andre Roberson went through contact practice today. No determination on if he’ll be available for the regular-season opener at Utah.
Maddie Lee: Andre Roberson update: He was able to participate in more of practice, per Billy Donovan. He still wasn’t involved in a lot of contact drills.
Royce Young: Andre Roberson is out again tonight, meaning no preseason action for him. Asked if he will be ready to go for opening night, Billy Donovan said, “I don’t know that.”
Maddie Lee: Andre Roberson isn’t “day-to-day” per se, Donovan said, because he’s still practicing and is expected to practice tomorrow. But his status for Thursday is TBD. The Thunder will keep evaluating him every day.
Erik Horne: Billy Donovan on Andre Roberson not playing in the scrimmage: “We’ve had three or four really good days. I think they felt like this was an opportunity to give him a little bit of rest. We’re not going to push him into situations where we’re going to set him back.”
Maddie Lee: Andre Roberson is not going to play in the Blue & White Scrimmage today, per the Thunder. He participated in parts of practice beforehand. Thunder is taking a conservative approach to bringing him back post-injury.
Thunder guard Andre Roberson is expected to play in Sunday’s Blue & White scrimmage. The question is how much. “Because he’s just got back to training camp, back to doing things, obviously we’re taking inventory of how he’s feeling, how he feels the next day, all those kinds of things,” Donovan said. “Obviously we want him to go out there and play. I think the medical staff with Andre will probably give me some direction on what the minutes would look like.”
Roberson was asked what he missed most since rupturing the patellar tendon in his left knee and battling through almost two years of rehab. “Locking people up,” Roberson said without hesitation about his defense. Then the 27-year-old sounded like a man who was sick of seeing the likes of Damian Lillard, Andrew Wiggins and even his new teammate Danilo Gallinari torch the Thunder. “Let’s just put it this way,” Roberson said. “… some of these guys have been too happy, too free.”
Roberson’s goal is to play in the Thunder’s first preseason game, Oct. 8 against the Dallas Mavericks in Tulsa. The Thunder is hopeful he’ll play in preseason, too, but there’s no rush to return. Whenever Roberson does, he’ll carry an unwavering self-belief. “It feels good to be back out there and going hard,” Roberson said Tuesday. “I won a couple games today with both teams, so it’s great.”
Last season, Andre Roberson targeted a return to action in preseason but instead ended up missing the entire season after two setbacks in the fall during rehab. John Roberson thinks Andre is in a better spot compared to last preseason. “He feels really good,” John said. “When you get injured, it takes a toll on you mentally because you’re constantly doubting yourself and that things are going to hold up mentally. I think that’s the biggest hurdle he’s had to get over. I think he’s at that point where training camp will tell a whole lot.”
It’s no surprise that when Andre Roberson ruptured his left patellar tendon in January of 2018, he attacked his rehab with a vigor that led to great progress but ultimately setbacks. “I know that was disappointing for him, not being able to go out there and help the way he wanted to help,” John told The Oklahoman. “For me, it’s more important for him to be 100 percent as opposed to going out there and messing himself up further, or being a detriment to the team as opposed to being someone that’s going to actually help the team.”
“He’s very selfless,” John said. “He doesn’t care about the limelight. He doesn’t care about star status or nothing like that. Whatever the team needs is what Andre’s gonna do. That’s just who he is as a person. He was trying to deal with it and play through the pain. He’d done that for a while. It’s time to heal 100 percent and start the grinding process all over again.”
Randy Renner: #Thunder guard Andre Roberson on track to fully participate in training camp this fall. Hear what he has to say about that and the frustration of not playing in the playoffs the last 2 seasons on today’s Thunder Game Report at 1340thegame.com pic.twitter.com/J43fKIV6zm
Erik Horne: Andre Roberson said he’s on a good track to return for training camp. Roberson said he was at about 85-90 percent when he had his last setback in November, went up for a dunk and heard a crack. “Everything happens for a reason. You continue to grow and learn from it.”
Erik Horne: Sort of a foregone conclusion with the playoffs starting next week, but Billy Donovan essentially said Andre Roberson will not return this season (2018/19). Donovan said Roberson is running but not doing anything in practice.
Brett Dawson: Billy Donovan says Andre Roberson still isn’t doing any on-court work, but says the Thunder still hope he can play this season. Want to remain optimistic rather than give up on the idea.
Royce Young: Billy Donovan on if Andre Roberson is getting any closer to returning: “I don’t have any timetable at all.” Says there’s no specific target date for Roberson to be back.
Tom Orsborn: Abrines (personal reasons), Nerlens Noel (concussion protocol), Andre Roberson (patellar tendon) are out for OKC. Adams is good to go.
Erik Horne: Billy Donovan on Andre Roberson’s setback: “I’m disappointed because of how hard he’s worked to get to this point, but I still believe he’ll have the impact he’s had while he’s been out with some of our younger players.”
Erik Horne: Donovan cont. on Roberson: “Obviously you want Andre back, but I still believe we can be a good defensive team. I’d love to have him back, but it’s not like he’s going down now and he played the first 20 games.”
Thunder guard Andre Roberson has had another setback while rehabbing his left knee injury and he will miss at least another six weeks. The team said Roberson had a basketball workout on Thursday and felt discomfort when he came down from jumping. An MRI showed a small avulsion fracture in his left knee. The Thunder said Friday he will be re-evaluated after the six weeks.
The Thunder likes to operate with caution in regard to any injury and any timetable for return. What’s clear, however, is the progress being made by Andre Roberson.
The 26-year-old is still rehabbing his surgically repaired left knee, but nearly two months since experiencing a setback in his recovery, Roberson is showing positive signs. “I’m sure for him there are some days he’s sorer than others,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “But overall, he just continues to progress and get better. You guys have seen him out here. He’s cutting, he’s moving. He’s been on a really good track.”
Monte Poole: Russell Westbrook (R knee), Andre Roberson (L knee) out for @Oklahoma City Thunder vs. @Warriors. Steven Adams (back) questionable. This is not exactly what the NBA had in mind for a marquee game on opening night in Oakland.
It’s been more than eight months since Roberson ruptured the patellar tendon in his left knee. His rehabilitation process was going well until the Thunder announced Thursday he’d be re-evaluated in two months following a procedure to remove a suture that was irritating the knee and causing discomfort. “I think he’s worked really hard to get to this point, but he’s battled to this point and I think he’ll battle to get himself back as soon as he can and he’s able to,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said after Friday’s shootaround.
Erik Horne: Paul George on Andre Roberson’s setback, says it’s on the Thunder to keep Roberson’s spirits up. “I ain’t re-sign here for Dre to be back immediately. With all injuries, it‘s gonna take time.” pic.twitter.com/etskjzhnpx
Roberson was on track to return sometime in November, but is now looking at a December return date at the earliest. That would be optimistic considering Dec. 4 would be the earliest re-evaluation for Roberson based on two months from his procedure, not to mention the Thunder has been adamant about not rushing him back in the process. “It’s unfortunate, but at the same point we’ve got to do what’s best for his safety,” Donovan said.
As former Thunder forward Taj Gibson walked down the hall of the Target Center on Friday afternoon, he was informed of Andre Roberson’s latest setback. Gibson then said what’s become clear to everyone monitoring Roberson’s fight to get back on the court. “That’s a tough injury to come back from,” Gibson said.
While Donovan didn’t say Ferguson was the guy going forward as the starting shooting guard, he all but assured he’d be the starter Friday night. “He’s been kind of the one constant in terms of who’s been out there and being healthy and being able to go through everything,” Donovan said. “… so he’s earned the right to go out there and play and start in these games just based on what he’s done so far in training camp.”
Brett Dawson: Roberson will be evaluated in two months. That’s not necessarily when he will return.
Royce Young: Roberson was on track to be back sometime in November from his original injury. With this setback, he’ll be re-evaluated in two months, but his return to play will likely be longer than that.
Erik Horne: Important to note: The Thunder doesn’t necessarily expect Roberson back in two months, but that’s when he’ll be re-evaluated, which would Dec. 4 if two months from today. The procedure to remove the suture was not a scope/arthroscopic.
Brett Dawson: Per Billy Donovan, Paul George will play tomorrow at Minnesota. Abdel Nader still out. Russell Westbrook and Andre Roberson remain out.
Andre Roberson has been seen shooting after practice, but because of the physical sessions in the first week of preseason, his involvement in actual practice has been limited. The Thunder had its sixth practice this week on Friday and Roberson has not been cleared for contact. The Thunder won’t rush Roberson back in his rehabilitation from a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee.
“He just can’t do those things,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “Someone asked me if he’s jumping in there. Really, it’s been hard for him to jump into anything with the way practice has been. There will be a time as we start to go forward where he’ll be able to do that.”
Erik Horne: Billy Donovan said Thunder had contact and running up and down the floor, so it was expectedly hard for Andre Roberson to participate in all aspects of practice. Roberson is still non-contact. “There’s things he can do as it relates to shooting and some movement.”
Randy Renner: #Thunder guard Andre Roberson with more about when he will be back. pic.twitter.com/sgk9YHFN4D
Randy Renner: Presti says Roberson will participate in parts of training camp. Hopeful that he will be back early in season. #Thunder
Thunder guard Andre Roberson’s 2017-18 season was derailed by a ruptured left patellar tendon. He hopes to be back to himself, however, by December. “My No. 1 goal right now is to come back 100-percent healthy and feeling comfortable like my self in the past with my movements and my overall feel for the game,” Roberson told KABB in San Antonio.
Andre Roberson: “Sitting out a whole year away from a high level of basketball is going to be tough in terms of coming back. I’m not really putting a particular time on it but I want to come back to myself somewhere in like December. So, it’d be great if it happened before. Christmas, that’d be great. But like I said, not putting a time on it. Just taking it a day at a time.”
Erik Horne: Andre Roberson on the Thunder’s summer league broadcast, if he’ll be ready for training camp: “That’s the plan. The plan is to come back for training camp and start the first game of the season. So far, so good.”
Brett Dawson: Andre Roberson went full third-person in talking about the Thunder’s offseason: “It’s a great summer, man. Dre getting healthy, Paul coming back, some great pickups. I’m excited.”
Brett Dawson: Andre Roberson was in the gym shooting free throws tonight, Presti says. His recovery is “a long process,” but he’s starting to get to the point where he can “ramp it up a little bit.”
Royce Young: Andre Roberson had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee today to address some swelling that’s come on as a result of his rehab from the ruptured patella. The recovery of the patella itself though is said to be going great.
Royce Young: Roberson and the Thunder made a collective decision to have the scope now rather than wait and see if the swelling reduced on its own in order to continue to aggressively rehab to be ready for the start of the 2018-19 season.
Fred Katz: Presti on the amount of time it took to adjust to the loss of Roberson: “We didn’t do a good enough job with that.”
Steven Adams, who Andre Roberson described Wednesday as “my buddy since day one,” has discussed wanting to keep Roberson a part of the team [during his rehab from injury], too. “I’m doing everything I can to stay involved,” Roberson said. “Being around the guys just makes me feel not alone, because a lot of time, I’m alone, four walls, by myself, doing rehab with someone one-on-one.”
Andre Roberson’s rehab process remains nowhere near aggressive yet. “It’s kind of like the foundation stage, just letting everything kind of heal right away,” he said. “I do slow bends, little quad contractions, kind of keep it alive. Keep the muscle going.”
Connor Letourneau: Kevin Durant called Andre Roberson, who is out for the season with a ruptured patella tendon, “probably the best” defensive player in the league. Said he reached out to Roberson after the injury.
Erik Horne: Thunder announces Andre Roberson underwent “a successful procedure” today to repair his ruptured left patellar tendon. Surgery was performed by Dr. Carlan Yates of the McBride Orthopedic Hospital in Oklahoma City.
Andre Roberson done for the season
The Oklahoma City Thunder announced today that guard/forward Andre Roberson suffered a ruptured left patellar tendon during the third quarter of Saturday’s win over the Detroit Pistons. Roberson will undergo surgery to repair the injury and he is expected to miss the remainder of the 2017-18 season. Additional updates will be provided as appropriate.
Russell Westbrook: Constant praying for my brother @flydre21 ????????
Fred Katz: Adams and Dre are close. Same draft class. Rose through the Thunder together. Both have very good senses of humor. Have become good friends in the process.
Like Roberson, George has been on that stretcher and had teammates surrounding him, supporting him at the peak of his career. The same support will be shifted to Roberson as he returns to Oklahoma City for a potentially season-changing diagnosis.
“I’ll be there for him along the way,” George said. “… to try to help as much as possible and putting him in a good place with the injury. Because I know how it is. I’ve been down that road before. One thing about Dre, man, he’s tough. He’s a strong person. He’ll definitely preserve through.”
Enes Kanter: Prayers up to my brother @Andre Roberson Andre Roberson 🙏🙏
Adrian Wojnarowski: Sources: Andre Roberson will be examined upon return to OKC, but expectation is that he will need to undergo season-ending surgery for a ruptured patellar tendon in his left leg.
Royce Young: Billy Donovan confirms that it’s a patellar tendon injury for Andre Roberson, but said they’d know more once they get back to OKC for more evaluation.
Fred Katz: Donovan on Roberson: “Dre’s situation probably took a lot out of us, out of the team…We lost a little bit there, and rightfully so.”
Erik Horne: Steven Adams on Andre Roberson’s injury: “It’s s***. It’s real s***. He’s a huge part of our team and why we win. It’s a huge blow to us but we’re just gonna have to rely on some other players to step up.“
Fred Katz: Carmelo Anthony tells @nickgallo22 re: Roberson: “That’s a tough moment to see that, to be out there with that, to see what happens, it’s like it’s happening in slow motion. To come back and have to play a game after that, there’s a lot of emotions. Our prayers are with Dre.”
Terrance Ferguson: Prayers up to my brother @Andre Roberson Keep God first 🙏🏽
Adrian Wojnarowski: Source: Preliminary report on OKC’s Andre Roberson: ruptured patellar tendon.
Adrian Wojnarowski: There is still testing to do on Roberson to confirm full severity of leg injury.
Erik Horne: Saw Andre Roberson with his left leg immobilized in an air cast, but do not know the specificity or extent of the injury. Was placed on a cart, then assisted to locker room by Thunder staff.
Stephen Curry: Stay strong @DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Roberson! Prayers your way for a strong recovery 🙏🏽
January 27, 2020 | 2:27 pm UTC Update
Lamar Odom: These picture are just the tip of the iceberg of our relationship. He taught me so many things in life that were necessary on and off the court. On the court he taught me how to carve out defenses and how to take my time. How to make winning my ultimate goal. Off the court he taught me to sign my own checks lol. Of course anyone who knows my story knows I’ve suffered a lot of loss but the only loss I can compare this to is when I lost my son. Even though our relationship wasn’t father/son, it was more like him being a teacher and me being his brother.
Lamar Odom: I’m glad I got to be the ying to your yang as far as the locker room was concerned. It was my pleasure. I couldn’t even catch my breath today when I heard this news. I just knew if he was in a helicopter crash he would have been the one to survive. Somehow he would have jumped out and landed on his feet. I’m sitting here thinking about when we would be in practice scrimmaging and you would start the jump ball off with elbowing Sasha in the chest. Like dude it’s 10:30 in the morning lol. You think watching him play was crazy, you gotta think in practice if you scored like 8-9 buckets throughout the practice you had a great practice. I’ve seen him knock off 13-14 in a row in practice!!!! I’m still waiting for the media to come out and say wrong report. No way God took my brother this early. I know I been through my own stuff in life with using drugs and not being good to myself. When I went through that Coma situation if God would have came to me and said we would take me and spare Kobe I would have rather that happened. In honor of my brother I’m up at 4am tomorrow to get to the gym! Gigi gone give you buckets!!!! I love you brother 💔🙏🏿😥 @kobebryant
Tobias Harris: Woke up this morning wishing yesterday was just a bad dream. Still can’t wrap my head around all that has transpired. Praying, thinking, questioning, trusting. Kobe, Gigi, everyone else on board you will be forever missed. 🙏🏽🙏🏽
David Robinson: I’m still numb from the loss of one of our NBA family in Kobe Bryant. He was everything we loved as an athlete with impeccable work ethic, fiery competitiveness, a flair for the dramatic, and an amazing balance of family and business. Please pray for all the families.#RIPKobe
Mario Chalmers: Man this hurts….still can’t get over this. Remember the conversations we had like it was yesterday…..I remember the phone call from u when I first tore my Achilles….I remember the conversation we had after I hit 10 threes in a game sayin now u gotta hit 12…..I remember the different energy game day had when it was heat vs lakers….RIP KOBE AND GIGI 😢😢😢😢
Daryl Macon: Damn…… just doesn’t seem real at all 8/24💜💛😣
January 27, 2020 | 12:54 pm UTC Update
Lamb was among the players visibly shaken by the news because he became a father to a baby girl just months ago. When Lamb read where both Bryant and one of his daughters had tragically passed away, he immediately thought of his own. “It hit me harder just seeing how much she loved him and how much their relationship had grown since he retired and he was spending a lot of time with her and putting his all into being a father,” he said. “Just like he did the game. He put his all into the game and his craft. You see a whole bunch of videos on Instagram of how he’s helping players now. He put his all into everything.
Me, I’ll remember his humanity. (And I know, that part of Kobe’s story is as complicated as the rest of him.) NBA stars live their lives in a swirling fishbowl, their every triumph and misstep filmed, framed and cataloged. For a Lakers star, that goes 100-fold. Fame warps everything. I saw Kobe struggle with it all at times. Saw him alienate teammates, push away relatives, turn surly and insulated. That was the Kobe Bryant who emerged in the mid-2000s—jaws clenched, chin out, domineering, merciless, the Mamba.
Those stories about Kobe being in the gym at all hours? All true. The offseason? Never off. He once spent a summer working out alone, on an empty court, with a bunch of folding chairs serving as defenders as he practiced a variety of moves to get to the basket. It’s the kind of story you might take with a grain of skepticism from anyone else. From Kobe? You know it was true. Absolutely.
Mario Hezonja: Won’t be able to sleep for a long time
Mike Fratello: As shock turns to deep sadness the world mourns the sudden loss of an NBA legend and celebrates Kobe’s incredible legacy. Grateful to have known him. My sincere condolences to all the families who lost loved ones in Sunday’s tragic accident.
January 27, 2020 | 10:19 am UTC Update
Kobe Bryant often took a helicopter to practices and games both to minimize traffic time and maximize his energy. But with the Los Angeles Lakers legend and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, among the nine people that were killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday morning, should that have been the correct mode of transportation?
That is among the tough and unsettling questions law enforcement and aviation officials are hoping to answer. “We do know there was an issue with visibility and a low ceiling,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva on Sunday evening. “The actual conditions at the time of impact, that is still yet to be determined.”
L.A. weather was extremely foggy Sunday morning, and law enforcement sources tell us even LAPD air support was grounded because of it. Flight tracker data shows Kobe’s chopper appeared to first encounter weather issues as it was above the L.A. Zoo. It circled that area at least 6 times at a very low altitude — around 875 feet — perhaps waiting for the fog to clear.
Eyal Smener was on the phone in his living room when he heard a loud whirring sound. He thought it might be a helicopter flying much lower than usual up in the hills behind his home in Calabasas, but he did not hang up the phone to investigate. The noise he heard next is one he will not soon forget. “It was this weird, loud grinding sound,” he said. “And then nothing. Just nothing.” He didn’t think much about it until his wife told him an hour later there had been a terrible helicopter crash involving Kobe Bryant. Then he knew he had heard the final seconds of Bryant and the other souls lost aboard a helicopter that Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters had claimed the lives of nine people on Sunday morning.
Trae Young fought back tears as he spoke about the last conversation he had with Kobe. He said Kobe told him he was proud of how much he’s seen his game progress, and to continue to be a role model for kids growing up and for Gigi.
Wilson Chandler: Death is certain. But some people you just think they’ll be here forever.
While the basketball world lost one of its legends Sunday when Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash, Anthony lost a friend. “Our friendship and relationship was deeper than basketball. It was family. It was friendship,” Anthony said. “Basketball was the last piece of connective tissue between us two.”
Orlando Sanchez: “My very first game of my career was against Kobe…I don’t really get nervous, butterflies…but I walked on the court and was like, that’s Kobe over there” @Dame_Lillard on his Kobe Bryant memories #kobe #mamba
Danny Green: This is so crazy, We just seen you! Been sitting here thinking of what to say…and there are absolutely no words that can truly describe what you meant to me, my friends and family, and the basketball world/culture that we live in today. We’ve had many so many battles on the court and so many brief interactions off the court but extremely meaningful to me and I’ll never forget them. You were an icon and an idol to us all! You were a God! and your legacy will forever live on. This season will be dedicated to you and the others we’ve lost today. prayers and condolences go out to the Bryant family and the other families that were on board.
Mario Hezonja: My HERO, idol, teacher, mentor, basketball father, coach.. Shaped my mentality that carried me through everything, from Croatia to Barcelona to your NBA and our home MAMBA Sports Academy. Your work ethic, skills, leadership, competitive drive, mindset, intelligence pic.twitter.com/VqcF6al8qb
That, more or less, was the extent of the conversation. For a reporter, Bryant could be either a great jousting partner or an intimidating foe. Tee him up on the right topic — in a variety of languages — and there was no better interview in the NBA. But he did not suffer fools. He would bat down questions as lazy or ill-considered, even if it was just a thin veneer as he diverted from a topic he wanted to avoid. I last saw him employ the tactic 11 days before he died while announcing a partnership between Major League Soccer and BodyArmor, the sports drink company in which he was an early investor. A reporter asked him whether he supported LAFC or the L.A. Galaxy. “Ask a better question,” he said.
In our short conversations that day, we talked about Gianna and her love of basketball. We joked about how much more hectic our lives had gotten with the addition of more kids. His youngest daughter, Capri, was born last June, one month after my second son. When I chastised him for not coming around Lakers games more often, he said, “I’ve been busy chasing these four kids around.”
When I was 17 years old, I had the opportunity to interview Bryant in Orlando during an After-School All-Stars charity event (after emailing his publicist more times than I’m proud to admit). He accepted a key to the city of Orlando and spoke with hundreds of children about the importance of academic success and chasing their dreams. I’d only ever seen Bryant on television, so the thought of meeting him and talking to him one-on-one was incredibly nerve-wracking. However, when Bryant arrived, he was extraordinarily friendly and gracious. He gave thoughtful answers and was so kind, even though I was just a teenager and there were a million more important things he could’ve done with his time. Whoever said “never meet your heroes” clearly wasn’t talking about Kobe. It was sweet watching this on-court assassin interact with young children too. They went nuts when he emerged from the Amway Arena tunnel and after joking with them for a bit, he spoke about the importance of education and chasing your dreams. The kids were captivated, hanging on his every word. After the event, he told me that he felt blessed to be in a position where he could have such a significant impact on the youth.
During Kobe’s playing days, I loved to ask rookies about their first match-up against Bryant. They often talked about how intimidating he was, and how he was just as unstoppable as they’d imagined. For many players, sharing the court with Kobe was their welcome-to-the-NBA moment and something they’ll never forget. Many players would talk about how he could beat you in so many different ways. “His counter-moves have counter-moves,” Courtney Lee once told me. That’s because he spent countless hours in the gym, perfecting his craft. Kobe’s insane work ethic, tenacity and desire to be great are a huge part of his legacy.
Novak Djokovic: My heart truly mourns over the news today. Kobe was a great mentor and friend to me. You and your daughter will live forever in our hearts. There are not enough words to express my deepest sympathies to the Bryants and every family suffering from this tragedy. RIP my friend
January 27, 2020 | 6:53 am UTC Update
Nine people died in the helicopter crash on Sunday that claimed the lives of Kobe and Gianna Bryant. Though the Bryants lead the headlines due to their fame, we want to make sure we also recognize the other victims who died. In addition to Kobe and Gianna, junior college baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, and daughter Alyssa died in the crash. We have since learned that another victim was Christina Mauser, who was a girls’ basketball coach. Mauser’s husband Matt shared the sad news of Christina’s death on Facebook Sunday.
Saturday was the final time Young spoke to Kobe and Gianna. A source told The Athletic prior to the Hawks’ game against the Washington Wizards on Sunday night that Kobe and Gianna FaceTimed with Young on Saturday to congratulate him for being named a starter in the All-Star Game. Young didn’t want to divulge all of the details of their conversation but did confirm that he spoke with the father-daughter duo the day before they tragically died, alongside seven others, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“One of the last conversations we had, man, he was just telling me how he’s seen my game progress,” Young said before he paused for eight seconds as he choked up. “He was just happy for me. He was saying how proud he was of me and how he wants to continue seeing me be a role model for kids growing up and just for Gigi and all of the kids looking up to me and continue to inspire these kids and continue to play my heart out. That was one of the last things he said to me.”
Gianna told Young how much she loved watching him play and how big of a fan she was of the Hawks’ point guard. Young told her he made it a point to watch her highlights on YouTube and Twitter. She admired Young so much that she wanted to train how he trains. It didn’t matter that her father was one of the best basketball players of all time; she wanted to be like Young. So, Gianna started training with Alex Bazzell, Young’s trainer during the offseason, in addition to her lessons from dad. Young went to one of Bryant’s camps while he was in high school. But Young’s relationship with Kobe only started blossoming in the past two years as Gianna started idolizing Young.
January 27, 2020 | 6:27 am UTC Update
Harrison Faigen: Others hinted at this earlier, but the Lakers just officially cancelled practice for tomorrow. That would seem to be the right call, I can’t imagine what many in that building are going through.
Duane Rankin: Q: Do you think the league should consider maybe taking the games off tomorrow and possibly cancelling them? A: Yes. It should’ve happened today.” Monty Williams after #Suns played at #GrindCity following death of #NBA legend, future 1st ballot HOFer Kobe Bryant. #BlackMamba pic.twitter.com/Xdd7xDnStg
Jay Allen: Carmelo Anthony just told us that’s the hardest game he’s ever had to play. Very emotional after the passing of his friend, Kobe.
Vince Carter: This is painful!!! I’ve known this man since he was 15 & I was 16. AAU teammates to competing against him for 18 seasons in the NBA. We were literally talking in these pics how I will enjoy retirement and that we would have a convo soon on how to go through it. Also how happy…
Gordon also spent time with Bryant. In late August, Gordon was among a group of rising young players and superstars whom Bryant invited to a two-day minicamp. “This past summer, it really felt like he was starting to develop a mentorship with me,” Gordon said. “It was a beautiful thing just to get to experience some of the things that he was teaching us about the game of basketball and about the game of life. He’s a very unique individual, a very fierce competitor.”
Bruno Fernando: Momma, Kobe, Mambacita I know y’all were watching and cheering us on tonight with a big smile on yalls faces🕊🕊🕊❤️❤️❤️. Continue to look down on us and lift us up with all the love strength and Passion you have🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🕊❤️. #LifeDoesntBelongToUS😪
Fred Katz: What an amazing story from Troy Brown about advice he once got from Kobe. A high-school teacher told Kobe not to put all his eggs in one basket, and he responded “I’m gonna put all my eggs in one basket, because if I put all my eggs in one basket, there’s no way I can’t succeed.” pic.twitter.com/Ahz3W6FPnV
Jamal Crawford: Kobe has to be the new NBA logo…..
Derek Jeter: ll I ever needed to know about Kobe Bryant was this: that throughout our friendship, the most meaningful conversations we had — they were always about family. Put aside one of the all-time great basketball careers for a second. Put aside his famous work ethic, the Mamba mentality, that incredible will to win. I’ll let everyone else tackle that. But when I think of Kobe, I really just end up thinking about those special few personal conversations that we were lucky enough to share together, each time one of us had a new baby daughter. I end up thinking about how, here was this guy who was beyond gifted as an athlete, who was obsessed with being a champion, who was known as an absolute assassin with a ball in his hands. And in the moments I got to spend with him? He didn’t really talk about any of that. He cared much more about being a husband to Vanessa and a dad to his girls. He loved his family — he was his family. That’s what was important.
As Gigi grew into a young teenager, her love for basketball transcended watching her dad. She began playing competitive ball year-round, with her father helping to coach her team. During an interview on Jimmy Kimmel’s television show recently, Kobe said of Gigi that she “for sure” wanted to play in the WNBA someday. “The best thing that happens is when we go out and she’ll be standing next to me and fans will come up to me like ‘Hey, you gotta have a boy, you and (Vanessa) gotta have a boy — somebody to carry on the legacy and the tradition’ and (Gigi) will be like ‘Oy, I got this. We don’t need a boy for that. I got this!’”
January 27, 2020 | 5:40 am UTC Update
John Altobelli, 56, who guided the Pirates to four California community college state championships and racked up more than 700 victories in 27 seasons at Orange Coast, was among the nine victims in the helicopter crash that killed former Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Tony Altobelli, John’s younger brother and the school’s sports information director, confirmed that John Altobelli’s wife, Keri , and daughter, Alyssa, who played on the Newport Beach-based club basketball team with Bryant’s daughter, Gianna, were also killed in the crash.
When I heard the news, I thought immediately of Michael Jordan, who Bryant told me on several occasions was the player he aspired to be. Certainly, Bryant came closer than anyone else to matching the talent, the intensity — and the aura — of His Airness. I reached out to Jordan via text, knowing the news would be overwhelming and deeply personal. “I’m devastated!!!!” Jordan wrote me. “Too emotional to respond. I can’t find the words to make sentences!!!!
Kyle Kuzma: Damn I’ve been messed up all day…….I grew up trying to be like you. I would watch YouTube highlights as a kid trying to mimic you (and I still do) I would go to the gym as a kid and shoot fade-aways for hours acting as if every shot I took was at the buzzer just like you. Then 3 years ago I became a laker. You became family & a mentor to me. As a young kid I would of done anything in the world to meet you and as a rookie I had my opportunity. A dinner. A dinner with my idol Kobe Bryant. Talking about basketball, life and business with you at that moment changed my life forever man. I’m teared up just trying to write this but Kobe thank you for being a brother to me. Anything I ever needed from you, was just a call away. Thank you for all the knowledge. Thank you for just being a friend. Your inner drive is something that will never be match. Heroes come and go but you my guy will truly last forever. OUT.
Rick Fox: Kobe and Gianna may your souls and the souls of the others who were with you Rest In Peace. My condolences and prayers go out to Kobe’s wife Vanessa, his daughters and the Bryant Family. I Love You Kobe and will miss you dearly.
