Kareem Abdul-Jabbaris putting his grief into words following the untimely death ofKobe Bryant.
Shortly after news broke of Bryant’sdeathat age 41 on Sunday, the 72-year-old fellow Los Angeles Lakers alum shared athoughtful clipon social media, telling fans about the man he knew firsthand, struggling to initially process the tragedy.
“It’s very difficult for me to put in words how I feel about the loss of Kobe Bryant,” Abdul-Jabbar said in the video while wearing Lakers gear. “… I met him when he was 11- or 12-year-old, I was friends withhis dad Joe— we were former adversaries, Joe played for the 76ers, but he was a good friend and someone that I shared a friendship.”
“[He was] and a leader in a lot of ways,” said Abdul-Jabbar. “He inspired a whole generation of young athletes.”
Leon Bennett/WireImage; Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic
Later, concluding the message, he said: “Kobe, my thoughts are with you absolutely. Rest in peace, young man. This loss is just hard to comprehend. Go with God.”
“Most people will remember Kobe as the magnificent athlete who inspired a whole generation of basketball players,”wroteAbdul-Jabbar along with the video on Twitter. “But I will always remember him as a man who was much more than an athlete.”
Abdul-Jabbar joins other major athletes to speak out while mourning Bryant’s passing, includingDerek Jeter,Shaquille O’NealandMichael Jordan.
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In hisstatement(issued on his behalf via a spokesperson onTwitter), Jordan, 56, said he was “in shock.”
“I am in shock over the tragic news of Kobe’s and Gianna’s passing,” began the statement. “Words can’t describe the pain I’m feeling. I loved Kobe — he was like a little brother to me. We used to talk often and I will miss those conversations very much.”
“He was a fierce competitor, one of the greats of the game and a creative force,” the statement continued. “Kobe was also an amazing dad who loved his family deeply — and took great pride in his daughter’s love for the game of basketball.”
Jordan’s statement concluded, “Yvette joins me in sending my deepest condolences to Vanessa, the Lakers organization, andbasketball fans around the world.”
source: people.com
