‘There’s not really words to explain it:’ Student athletes react to Kobe’s death

The death of NBA star Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna on Sunday left members of both of the University of Saskatchewan’s basketball teams struggling to find words to describe the tragedy.

“He was obviously a legend. He impacted the game in a variety of ways and a lot of people looked up to him so it was definitely tragic what happened with him and his daughter,” said Huskies guard JT Robinson; he attended high school in Vallejo, Calif., north of San Francisco.

“It’s really big and it’s really eye-opening. I didn’t believe it at first. To see that just kind of gone in an instant is kind of like, it’s crazy, you can’t really find words to explain it,” he said.

Bryant was known to be a big advocate for the advancement of the women’s game which makes the news of his death even more shocking and tragic to Huskies guard Brianna Fehr.

“He was really involved getting the WNBA paid and even for NCAA basketball. He was really great at endorsing the women’s side. I feel like there is some really big shoes to fill,” she said.

“I think we all just have to come together and live his legacy and pass on his message. We all know what he stood for and the human he was.”

However, for Fehr, the hardest part of the tragedy to cope with was the loss of Gianna.

“I get emotional thinking about it, it’s so sad, she was 13. Like so much life ahead of her it’s so tragic,” she said, fighting back tears.

“She was going to do big things. It’s hard to see that talent not come to fruition. It’s just so tragic, there’s not really words to explain it.”

Seven other people also perished in the helicopter crash that killed Bryant and his daughter in Calabasas, Calif.

“I still don’t want to believe it. It doesn’t feel real but it kind of just goes to show how fleeting life is,” said Fehr.

U of R Cougars’ Kleisinger commends Bryant for work on women’s inclusion

Similarly, University of Regina Cougars guard Michaela Kleisinger said Bryant’s work on promoting women’s basketball had an impact on her.

“As his daughter (Gianna) came on the scene, it was really inspiring to see how he grew that women’s game,” she said.

The Cougars co-captain said she chose to wear Bryant’s #24 jersey while playing for the Campbell Tartans high school basketball team, because she grew up watching him and was a big fan.

Kleisinger said as she followed his career, it became clear to her that Bryant had the same hopes and dreams for his daughter in women’s basketball as he would for boys.

“People were asking him constantly if he was sad that he didn’t have any sons. And he said, ‘well I don’t need sons; my daughters can carry on my legacy just fine,'” she said.

She believes Bryant’s aspirations for his daughters’ success were equal to those he held for himself or any son he would have had.

Kleisinger’s inspiration from Bryant promoting women’s basketball is such that she wants to pursue a career coaching the sport, once she graduates from the U of R.

“I just finished my application for a master (degree) in coaching (at the University of Calgary). So I’m waiting to hear back. But coaching is definitely the only thing I have on the horizon.”

She hopes it will eventually lead her back to Regina and “basketball will always be in my life.”

— With files from 980 CJME’s Evan Radford