NBA: Orlando Magic coach Clifford, LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers reflect on the tragedy.
Death in helicopter crash leaves Clifford, Rivers shocked, shaken
Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford called the death of former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant “shocking” as he, along with everyone else across the league and the sports world, began dealing with the tragic story coming out of California on Sunday.
Clifford spent the 2012-13 season as an assistant coach with the Lakers and felt honored to have coached Bryant. In what were clearly difficult circumstances, Clifford addressed the media before Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Amway Center.
“It’s obviously shocking. It’s tragic,” he said. Bryant, arguably one of the NBA’s greatest players, was among nine people killed in a helicopter crash Sunday morning near Los Angeles.
Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, also was among those who died when the helicopter went down in Calabasas, Calif. Reports indicate the helicopter was en route to a travel basketball tournament.
Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his daughter Alyssa Altobelli and wife Keri Altobelli were on the
helicopter with Bryant and his daughter when it crashed, the school confirmed. Alyssa Altobelli and Gianna Bryant were on the same basketball team and the families often traveled together, according to CNN.
There were no survivors and government officials have yet to officially identify those who died, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department.
Prior to tipoff Sunday, the Magic held a moment of silence for Bryant and those killed in the accident. The tributes continued once the game started. After the Clippers won the tip, they held the ball and took a 24-second shot-clock violation. When the Magic got the ball, they took an “eight-second violation” in the backcourt.
Bryant wore No. 8 and No. 24 during his time with the Lakers.
The spire at Amway Center was turned purple and gold to honor Bryant.
ICON Park on International Drive changed the color of The Wheel from red, white and blue to purple and gold to honor Bryant. The color change was to remain throughout the night.
Clifford said he recently had spoken with Bryant and while he didn’t reveal the nature of the conversation, he appeared to relish the moment as he reflected on it, as he had all of his other interactions with Bryant.
“Just an incredibly brilliant man and incredibly passionate about our game. Driven,” Clifford said. “I mean it was, really, I would say an honor even to have had the chance to be around him for one season.”
When asked to share some of the lessons he learned from coaching Bryant, Clifford declined.
“To be honest with you, and I think you’d all agree with this, to me it’s a very personal thing for all of us and I’d rather just leave it at that,” he said.
The Magic wound up absorbing a 112-97 loss to coach Doc Rivers’ Clippers in a game that was difficult for both teams to play.
After the contest, Clifford was asked what it was like playing under such unusual circumstances.
“Definitely different. Just a different feeling, for sure,” he said. “You could sense it in the locker room. Doc said his guys were the same way. It’s a tough day. It’s a tough day for our league and just for sports fans, and obviously his family and the people that knew him. There’s not many guys like him. It’s a difficult day, for sure.”
It was clearly difficult for players, many of whom grew up watching and idolizing Bryant.
Magic shooting guard Evan Fournier, who wore Bryant’s black-and-gold-colored shoes from Nike during the game, answered with a “no comment” when asked to talk about his thoughts on Bryant. But Fournier did reply when asked what Bryant meant to the NBA.
“I’m not sure you can put into words what he meant to all of us. There’s not much to say. I’m sorry. It’s tough, for sure,” Fournier said.
Magic forward Aaron Gordon grew up in California wanting to emulate Bryant. Gordon would go to Golden State Warriors games and watch Bryant “put on a show.” He said Bryant’s influence was farreaching.
“Everybody wanted to be like Kobe,” Gordon said.
The sixth-year forward, who spent time at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy during the offseason, did his best to articulate his feelings after losing a person he said was becoming a mentor to him.
“It’s just tragic. It’s just tragic, not only in the basketball community but around the whole world. He was a global icon,” Gordon said. “When something like that happens, it makes me just want to quit and not do anything. But the fierce competitor that he is, I know he would want us to go out and play and give our heart to the game, [and] not take it for granted. So we had to conjure up our own energy.”
The Clippers’ Rivers also had a long-standing relationship with Bryant. Rivers coached the Boston Celtics past Bryant and the Lakers to win the 2008 NBA title — the first of two Finals meetings between the storied franchises during Bryant’s tenure in Los Angeles.
“I just don’t have a lot to say. The news is just devastating to everyone who knew for him for a long time,” Rivers said in speaking to the media before the game.
Rivers was visibly shaken and choked back his emotions several times as he tried to talk about what Bryant meant to him, to the league and to the sports world.
“He means a lot to me, obviously. He was such a great opponent. That’s what you want in sports,” Rivers said. “He had that DNA that very few athletes can ever have. You know, the Tiger Woodses, the Michael Jordans.
“This is a tough one. … There were just so many people he touched. Looking at my younger players and seeing how emotional they are and they didn’t even know him, it just shows how far his reach was. It’s just shocking news for all of us.”
Bryant, 41, was an 18-time allstar selection during his 20-year NBA career, and helped the Lakers win five league titles, including three straight titles from 2000-2002 and back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. That last year, Bryant and the Lakers beat Rivers and the Celtics.
Bryant, who never played for another franchise besides the Lakers, was known largely for his fiercely competitive nature and his irrefutable drive to win.
From the 1999-2000 season through the 2012-13 season, Bryant averaged at least 20 points a game. He led the NBA in scoring average twice and earned his only league MVP award in 2008.
Bryant finished his career with 33,643 points, which left him third on the league’s career scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Karl Malone (36,928).
L.A.’s LeBron James scored 29 points to pass Bryant during Saturday’s 108-91 loss in Philadelphia, where Bryant grew up.
Away from the NBA, Bryant was a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
Former Magic coach and current NBA TV analyst Stan Van Gundy said he didn’t know Bryant personally, but like many others held him in high regard as a player and competitor. Bryant and the Lakers beat Van Gundy’s Magic team in five games to win the 2009 NBA title.
Van Gundy, appearing with Matt Winer and Brian Shaw, who won two titles with Bryant in Los Angeles, on NBA TV’s pregame show on Sunday, said he had brief conversations with Bryant on the court when he would walk by the bench.
When asked to discuss the connections built among NBA players and how Bryant fits into that, Van Gundy said Bryant represents somewhat of a unique example because he played his entire career with one team.
“… The level of respect that everybody has for him and what he did for our game and everything else, I think, will unite even those of us who didn’t know him well,” Van Gundy said. “And then people like Brian, obviously, who had the opportunity to play with him or coach him or even compete against him on the floor, I’m talking about players, a little closer connection.
“This day’s about as bad as it can get.”