Jerry West: “This is a sad city right now… To see the pictures of him with his daughters and hugging them, to get a Christmas card from them every year, and to watch this incredible family grow and prosper – and now to see not one, not two, but three families gone – saddest day of my life.”
“Honestly, I felt like his father for two years. I don’t know if I can get over this, I really don’t.” (Full Video Above)
Former Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer Jerry West, a longtime executive with the team, had some of the most tear-jerking and heartfelt Kobe Bryant homages imaginable, as arguably the most well-respected front office members in basketball history was visibly shaken and distraught when he appeared on the ‘Inside the NBA’ Kobe special on Tuesday night.
Bryant’s death from a helicopter crash that took the lives of eight other people, including Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna, became one of the biggest tragedies in sports history, and an incredibly dark day for basketball.
TNT broadcasted an hour-long special with immensely emotional personal monologues from Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Dwyane Wade, who were in tears for most of the telecast. At times, O'Neal looked like he was going to lose it on air.
Check out West’s touching stories about his deep friendship with Bryant.