Knicks legend Patrick Ewing on Kobe Bryant's tragic death: 'He's a person who transcended sport'

"It's a tremendous loss. He wasn't just an athlete"

1/30/2020, 12:08 AM
Mar 2, 2019; Washington, DC, USA; Georgetown Hoyas head coach Patrick Ewing looks on against the Seton Hall Pirates during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Mills
Mar 2, 2019; Washington, DC, USA; Georgetown Hoyas head coach Patrick Ewing looks on against the Seton Hall Pirates during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Mills

The basketball world continues to mourn in the days following Kobe Bryant's tragic death on Sunday afternoon.

Knicks legend Patrick Ewing, now the head coach of Georgetown, spoke about Bryant's lasting NBA legacy on Wednesday.

"To see how horrific the crash was, it sets you back because it could be any one of us, because we're always on the go. As a former player, as a person who competed against him and have seen his work, you're sad, sad for the loss. Not only his life, he's an adult, but his 13-year-old daughter. I have a daughter and me and my family are always on the go, and to lose him and her and the rest of the people in such a horrific way, and so young, it makes you realize how fragile life is and tomorrow's not granted.

"So, my heart goes out to him and his family for not only his loss but his daughter and the rest of the people who lost their lives. My heart goes out to them. Yesterday, it hit very hard. It was a solemn day. A day of reflection, reflecting on your life or your immortality, and just the things that he has accomplished in his life."

 

Ewing joins almost every member of the basketball community in expressing their condolences following the 41-year-old Bryant and his 13-year-old-daughter Gianna's death in Sunday's helicopter accident in California. 

"It's a tremendous loss. He wasn't just an athlete," Ewing said. "He's a person who transcended sport. He was doing so many different things with his life, and like I've said before, it's a huge loss. 

"A lot of people talk about that - they want to be one of the best or the best, but he put the work in night in and night out. He was a great player, and the basketball community has lost someone who represented it really well."

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