Wisconsin athletes remember Kobe Bryant

January 27, 2020
|In Bucks
|By tonycartagena

Ryan Braun had already completed his obligatory media availability during the Milwaukee Brewers annual ‘On Deck’ fan fest on Sunday afternoon.

Braun discussed his off-season, the possibility of retirement and how often he’d play first base this season.

A few hours later, Braun stepped in front of the cameras again. This time, the conversation was somber. Emotional. And nothing that anyone there wanted to be talking about.

“Incredibly inspiring,” Braun said when describing the character of NBA legend Kobe Bryant. “For all of us as athletes, we all aspire to have the impact off-the-court that he’s been able to have. Just to see how many lives he’s positively impacted. To see some of the different business endeavors he has taken on and the success he has had with those things, it’s inspiring in itself as well.”

News surfaced that Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna and other passengers, passed away in a tragic helicopter accident in California.

Braun grew up as a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and called the loss “devastating” and “heart-breaking.”

Brewers second-baseman Keston Hiura is also a California native. Visibly shook by the news, he spoke on his personal fandom of the Black Mamba, calling Kobe Bryant his biggest idol.

News spread quickly, and athletes across the state publicly displayed their condolences for the Bryant family and the loved ones of everyone else involved in the tragedy.

Aaron Rodgers took to Instagram to pay his respects.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams displayed a “two” and “four” after scoring a touchdown in the Pro-Bowl.

Meanwhile, Za’Darius Smith planned for the NFC’s defense to recreate Bryant’s patented double-jab-step fade-away.

The Milwaukee Bucks released the following statement, citing Kobe’s impact on the game as “legendary.”

Bryant entered the league in 1996, and played 20 seasons with the Lakers. A majority of the players on current NBA rosters, if not all of them, watched, and idolized, Bryant’s game.

George Hill posted pictures defending Bryant during his time with the San Antonio Spurs.

DJ Wilson was in denial, hoping the initial reports on Twitter would come out as a hoax.

This was one of numerous tributes Pat Connaughton posted.

The Bucks don’t play again until Tuesday when they host the Washington Wizards.