Kyrie Irving Visits Statues Of Kobe and Gianna Bryant

When the Dallas Mavericks performed the Lakers in  Los Angeles on Feb. 25, Kyrie visited the statues of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, who each died in a helicopter crash in 2020.

In line with The Dallas Morning Information, Irving seen the statues outdoors the Crypto.com Enviornment, a go to he had averted since they had been unveiled on Aug. 2, 2024.

Kyrie Irving visits the Kobe and Gigi Bryant statue at https://t.co/4XyF1JduvH enviornment earlier than tonight’s Mavericks vs. Lakers @kcalnews @SportsCentralLA pic.twitter.com/NhPTmkVJPP

— Darren M. Haynes (@DarrenMHaynes) February 25, 2025

“It meant every little thing to me. I wanted that earlier than the sport,” Irving mentioned. “I don’t know if anyone in right here has handled that avoiding feeling. Avoiding issues that you understand are gonna kinda be painful or damage you, and it’s gonna be greatest for you on the identical time. That was a kind of issues. I hadn’t been to the statue simply because I used to be all in my head, all in my feelings the previous few occasions we’ve come right here. And you understand, clearly, I paid my respects to his household as properly and all the time attempt to, Vanessa and the youngsters. On the identical time, sitting in entrance of that statue simply felt totally different.”

Irving’s love and admiration for Kobe Bryant are nonetheless evident. He wears an armband on his left arm, identical to Kobe did throughout the first half of his enjoying profession. Throughout pre-game warmups, the Mavericks level guard additionally wore a crimson rubber band with “Gigi Bryant” inscribed with a white coronary heart.

Through the sport, Irving imitated certainly one of Kobe’s most acknowledged strikes on the court docket: pumping his fist a number of occasions after making a three-point shot.

“I’m a little bit troll, man, at occasions,” Irving mentioned. “I undoubtedly was giving that Kobe fist a couple of occasions. Kobe held it a little bit longer, and he would grit his enamel, however for me, I used to be like, ‘Sure, I acquired fortunate on this constructing.’ So it felt good, man.”

The NBA legend, his daughter, and 7 others died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020.

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