Blue Jackets honor Kobe Bryant in first game since death
Ever since Kobe Bryant’s sudden death last Sunday, the entire sporting world have had moments of remembrance to honor the NBA legend.
Prior to Saturday’s game against the Sabres, the Columbus Blue Jackets sent out only defenceman Zach Werenski and forward Nathan Gerbe to the blue line for the national anthem.
No. 8 and No. 24 stood silent and alone, to honor the 41-year-old that passed away in a tragic helicopter accident, in tribute to both numbers Bryant wore with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“That’s a man I have never met but I have watched play and what he was doing after the game, as far as how involved he was in doing the right things,” Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella said after their 2-1 overtime loss to the Sabres. “And the other people (who died) which I think is very important (to acknowledge)…it’s awful.”
“We had the numbers on the jerseys, we wanted to do something, that’s what we did.”
Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were two of the nine that lost their lives during Sunday’s crash. They were reportedly on their way to practice together.
Following their loss to the Sabres, the Blue Jackets sit in the first wild-card spot with a 27-16-9 record.
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