Tributes in wake of Bryant’s death cement his legacy as one of the greatest on and off the court

Tributes in wake of Bryant’s death cement his legacy as one of the greatest on and off the court

Disbelief and shock gripped the country Sunday afternoon when a helicopter, carrying Kobe Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, known affectionately as Gigi, crashed on the way to an AAU basketball practice, killing all nine people on board, according to ABC News.  Kobe Bryant was already in the news on Sunday morning as Lebron James had passed him on the all-time scoring list Saturday, but the records and the points became irrelevant when the news broke. As tributes to his legacy, not only as a player but as a father, husband, mentor, and man of integrity poured in, everyone was reminded of what an incredible light was lost. Players across the NBA each found their ways to pay homage to the future hall of fame member. Trae Young,  Atlanta Hawks’ All-Star point guard, wore a No. 8 jersey — one of the two numbers Bryant wore for the Lakers — instead of his customary No. 11.  He also held the ball and purposely got an 8-second violation, one of the common quiet salutes around National Basketball Association during Sunday’s game. For example, the Washington Wizards were one of many teams holding the ball for the full 24-second shot clock, an intentional rules violation to honor Bryant’s other jersey number. The self-dubbed “Black Mamba” inspired a generation of rising stars, including players and coaches for Lipscomb’s basketball teams. Senior guard Michael Buckland chimed in on Twitter, “I’m shook. Love always. You never know when you won’t be able to love someone again. RIP Mamba” I’m shook. Love always. You never know when you won’t be able to love...

Heat, Spurs to battle in NBA Finals rematch

After one of the greatest playoffs in recent memory, the NBA Finals are finally here. This year’s matchup is one almost every basketball fan wanted: a rematch of last year’s outstanding Finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs. The Heat won last year’s series in seven games, thanks to one of the greatest shots in NBA history (taken by Ray Allen, the greatest 3-point shooter of all time no less) in the waning moments of the now-legendary Game Six. That game also featured a superhuman performance from 4-time league MVP LeBron James and an unheralded collapse from the ever-steady, machine-like Spurs. The series had everything: last second shots, thunderous dunks, role players stepping up and future Hall-of-Famers playing brilliantly. Former Miami Heat player Mike Miller, now a Grizzly, even drained a shot while wearing one shoe. This year’s series provides the veteran Spurs a chance at revenge. They were as close as you can get to winning an NBA championship last year without actually winning it. It could be the last hurrah for the quartet of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and coach Gregg Popovich, but people have been saying that about them for almost a decade now. For the Heat, they have a chance to join the elite of the elite when it comes to great NBA teams. Only Bill Russell’s Celtics, Magic Johnson’s Lakers and Larry Bird’s Celtics had made four straight Finals appearances before the Heat joined them this year. Only Russell’s Celtics, Michael Jordan’s Bulls and the Shaquille O’Neal/Kobe Bryant Lakers have ever won three championships in a row. A win...