Kobe Bryant wasn't just a great basketball player, as his persona stretched well-beyond the court; he has touched many, many lives. Even other famous celebrities were enamored with his presence and were fans of the Laker great. When news of Bryant's tragic death was announced, across the world many celebs were shocked at the news, and many were left speechless. They were even some stars that broke down on live TV when they heard about the death of the basketball star. We've listed the celebrities that burst into tears when commenting on the passing of the sports legend. R.I.P. Kobe Bryant.
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00:00The news of Kobe Bryant's death shook the world, leaving basketball fans, former teammates,
00:05and fellow celebrities reeling from the sudden shock.
00:08The 41-year-old Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine people who
00:13died Sunday, January 26, when the helicopter they were traveling in crashed in the mountainous
00:18terrain in Calabasas, California.
00:21Bryant leaves behind his wife, Vanessa, and three other daughters.
00:24After news of Bryant's death was made public, celebrities took to social media to share
00:28their sentiments about the retired Los Angeles Lakers star.
00:32Other celebrities reflected on Bryant's life as they attended the Grammy Awards, which
00:35were held the same day as the crash in the Staples Center, aka the house that Kobe built.
00:41"'God bless his soul and his daughter and everyone who was on that helicopter, man.
00:45It just makes you think about people in the world, man.
00:48We love him.'"
00:49Details are still emerging, but it's clear that countless fans were impacted by this
00:53sudden loss of life.
00:55In fact, some notable figures broke down on live television when they spoke about Bryant's
00:59untimely passing.
01:02Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon kicked off his show the night after Kobe Bryant's death
01:06by sharing a personal story about meeting the pro-baller at a party in Los Angeles when
01:10he was just 21 and Bryant was 17.
01:13They were both rookies in their respective fields, Fallon in stand-up comedy, Bryant
01:17in the NBA.
01:18"'I said, like, hey, what do you do, and he goes, I play basketball.
01:21I go, where?
01:22And he goes, for the Lakers.
01:24I go, wow.'"
01:26Fallon revealed that he and Bryant went on a memorable beer run during the party, and
01:30it was Bryant's basketball credentials that convinced a salesperson to hook them up with
01:34the booze and save the party.
01:36Of course, both Fallon and Bryant went on to wildly successful careers, and Fallon paid
01:41tribute to his friend's legendary record — five NBA titles, two Olympic gold medals, 18 all-star
01:47appearances, and the undying respect of his athletic peers.
01:51Fighting back tears, Fallon talked about how he and Bryant would reflect on that party
01:55whenever they ran into each other.
01:57"'We'd laugh at all the good things that had happened since, and we'd laugh about how much
02:02fun it was to raise kids.'"
02:04Fallon also expressed his shock at Kobe's unexpected death, saying,
02:08"'Kobe was such a life force, so strong and creative and inspired that in my head I thought
02:13that he was going to live forever.'
02:15He closed his monologue with a challenge to honor Bryant by following the athlete's example.
02:19"'Let's honor Kobe, Gianna, and the other lives that were lost yesterday by following
02:23his example.
02:25Love your family, love your teammates, and outwork everyone else in the gym.'"
02:30Sports analyst and former Chicago Bulls player Jay Williams looked back on his relationship
02:34with Kobe Bryant on an episode of SportsCenter.
02:37Williams was visibly shaken as he spoke about Bryant's legacy, noting that it's easy to
02:42lose sight of who people really are in the fast-paced landscape of press and sports.
02:47"'His innate character, his being, his spirit, was incredible.'"
02:53The former point guard went on to talk about his experience meeting Kobe during his own
02:57rookie season in the NBA.
02:59Williams said he was in a slump and had arrived at the Staples Center early to practice before
03:03the game.
03:04Kobe was already there working hard, and he was still there practicing hard as Williams
03:08got ready to leave.
03:10According to Williams, Bryant said,
03:11"'I wanted you to know that no matter how hard you worked, you weren't going to outwork
03:15me.'"
03:16Williams urged listeners to treasure every second of their lives.
03:19"'There's something so damn uplifting about him.
03:22It just made you want to be better in every aspect of your life because that's who he
03:27was.'"
03:29Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers had an especially emotional reaction when he was
03:33asked about the death of Kobe Bryant.
03:35Rivers, who led the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship victory against Bryant's LA Lakers
03:40in 2008, was getting ready to coach a game when asked to share his thoughts.
03:44Tears streamed down Rivers' face as he struggled for words.
03:48"'I just don't have a lot to say.
03:52The news is just devastating to everybody who knew him.'"
03:57Rivers did find the words to discuss Bryant's basketball legacy, calling him a great opponent
04:01— the kind of opponent you want in sports.
04:04"'He had that DNA that very few athletes can ever have, you know, the Tiger Woods and the
04:12Michael Jordans.'"
04:13Rivers said he and Bryant had talked at length just weeks before his death, reminiscing about
04:18past games, but Williams said Bryant was the happiest he'd ever seen him as a retired player,
04:23doing big things for others.
04:25The coach closed by discussing Bryant's lasting impact on his life.
04:28"'We're all Lakers today,' he said."
04:30"'Sometimes the more you compete, the more respect you have for the opponent, you know.
04:38I would say that's the way I felt with Kobe.'"