Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade and More Mourn The Loss Of Kobe Bryant

Jan 29, 2020 by apost team

Over the weekend, the 18-time All-Star and five-time N.B.A. champion, Kobe Bryant, passed away in a devastating helicopter crash. Tragically, the basketball legend’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, was also among the nine people on board who all lost their lives.  A flood of tributes has poured in for Kobe and the other victims of the crash. More recently, Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade have mourned the late star.

During an hour-long tribute to Kobe Bryant on Tuesday Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley -- all NBA icons-- came together to recall Bryant's incredible life, according to Entertainment Tonight. O’Neal began the special with some heartbreaking words about losing Bryant. He said when he first heard what happened he didn’t believe it.

"I haven't felt a pain that sharp in a while. I'm 47 years old. Lost two grandmothers, a [father], I lost a sister, and now I lost a little brother," O'Neal said.

O’Neal and Bryant’s families called each other Uncle Shaq or Uncle Kobe, the sportscaster said he wished he “could just say something to him again."

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Dwayne Wade also had trouble speaking about his friendship with Bryant as he began to get emotional. Wade played against Bryant many times in the NBA and he said it was difficult to not see Bryant as an idol. "Every time we played against each other I had to act like I didn't care that I was playing against one of my idols," Wade said.

"I grew up wanting to be like him. Getting this news the other day, I think I've been in shock for two days and this is the first moment where it feels real," Wade added.

Charles Barkley said he turned down every single interview because he didn’t know what to say about Bryant’s death. "I didn't even have that kind of relationship with Kobe, but he was part of the fabric [of the sport and Los Angeles]…. He was like one of my kids," Barkley said. "But I feel so bad for everybody who lost somebody."

Following the tragic recent event, the late Kobe Bryant will now be an inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame alongside fellow stars Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, due to his legendary status. The event will be held in Springfield, Massachusetts, August 2020. 

Bryant retired from the NBA back in 2016 after two decades with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a five-time NBA champion, 11-time All-NBA first-team selection, 2008 MVP, two-time Finals MVP, 18-time All-Star and four-time All-Star MVP. Aside from these accolades, he also won gold medals with USA Basketball at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics. 

At only 41, Bryant leaves behind his wife Vanessa, and their daughters Natalia, 17, Bianka, three and Capri who is just seven months old. His second eldest daughter, Gianna, 13, was also on board the chopper and sadly also perished in the crash, as reported at USA Today.

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