Jayson Tatum Pays Tribute To ‘Hero, Idol’ Kobe Bryant In Touching Instagram

Tragedy struck the sports world Sunday afternoon when news broke that Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria were among those killed in a helicopter crash in California.

Many athletes took to Twitter to mourn the loss of the NBA legend, while the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors opened their game by each taking a 24-second shot clock violation.

And now Jayson Tatum is doing the same.

The Boston Celtics forward shared a touching Instagram post remembering Bryant as his “hero,” “idol,” and “reason I fell in love with the game” ahead of Boston’s contest with the New Orleans Pelicans.

“Heart broken. My Hero. My Idol. The reason I started to play this game, the reason I fell in love with this game. Growing up wanting to be just like you, to you becoming a mentor, beyond thankful for everything you’ve done for me. “I didn’t have a plan B I put all my eggs in one basket and I knew I was going to make it happen” hearing you say that stuck with me everyday of my life. You inspired me and I am forever grateful more than you know! Love you Bean ??❤️! Sad, sad, sad day RIP Kobe and Gianna! Praying for the family!,” he captioned the post.

Check it out below:

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Tatum has modeled his game after Bryant as the two shared a close, personal relationship. The duo worked out together prior to the 2018 season, and Tatum referred to Bryant as his “favorite player.” While Tatum was quiet about what he learned from his time with Bryant, we’re sure he’ll continue to honor him on the court.