Retired NBA star Kobe Bryant passed away on Sunday morning after a helicopter crash near Calabasas. He was 41 years old. The world was in shock by this tragic news and elicited millions of responses on social media. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady offered his condolences on Sunday, posting a message about missing Bryant.
“We miss you already Kobe [heart emoji, praying hands emoji],” Brady wrote on Twitter in response to the tragic news.
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As a California native, Brady is well aware of the impact that Bryant had on Los Angeles and the entire state. Bryant had arguably one of the biggest impacts on the NBA, especially during his time winning titles with the dynasty Lakers. He brought the team back to the forefront and made them one of the most feared squads in the entire NBA. This is difficult to achieve once, but Bryant kept his team on top of the league for a very long time.
The New England Patriots quarterback in Brady has often been compared to Bryant due to the mindset. The Lakers star used the “Mamba Mentality” to shine as one of the NBA’s greatest stars, and Brady has done the same thing in the NFL. Both players are viewed as two of the greatest of all-time in their respective sports, and there was an incredible amount of respect shared.
Bryant’s career spanned 20 years and 1,346 games, a tenure in which he appeared in 18 All-Star games. He was a member of five championship teams, and had two different numbers retired by the Lakers. Bryant is fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Brady, on the other hand, just finished his 20th season in the NFL. He has been named to the Pro Bowl 14 times and First-Team All-Pro three times. More importantly, Brady has led the Patriots to the Super Bowl nine separate times. This includes six different victories, the most all-time.
The NBA and NFL are vastly different given the lengths of careers, but Brady and Bryant had comparable careers due to the number of championships won. They both also made major impacts on their respective sports.
Brady knows how important Bryant was to the sport, as well as life in general, and he never wants to forget the superstar. He already misses the Lakers star and will not stop thinking about him or sending out prayers for Bryant’s family.
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