The death of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant on Sunday has deeply affected many NBA players, with Cleveland Cavaliers rookie guard Dylan Windler unable to sleep in the wake of the news.
Man I haven’t been able to sleep the past two nights and I find myself sitting here looking at every last video of anything Kobe related, scrolling just waiting to find another one😓
— Dylan Windler (@Dylan_Windler23) January 28, 2020
Th 41-year-old Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other people were killed on Sunday in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. News of his shocking death deeply resonated across the NBA community and beyond.
Windler was one of many young players who idolized Bryant, who played all 20 of his NBA seasons with the Lakers. The abundance of video documenting Bryant’s career is now the only way for them to remember him.
In the case of other NBA players, they can channel their grief into playing the game they love with the dedication that Bryant represented.
Unfortunately for Windler, he won’t get that opportunity until the 2020-21 campaign as he continues to recover from a left tibial stress reaction that’s kept him off the court all season.
Prior to Windler’s injury, he had received ample praise from Cavaliers head coach John Beilein about his potential. Like many players before him, the rookie was no doubt hoping to interact with Bryant at some point, a meeting that now will tragically never take place.
