SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs tipped off against the Toronto Raptors just moments after news broke that NBA icon Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash Sunday afternoon.
A moment of silence was held before starting line-ups were announced as an image of Bryant and was displayed on the screens in the middle of AT&T Center.
When tip-off occurred, the Raptors committed a 24-second shot violation in honor of Bryant’s well-known No. 24 jersey. When the Spurs got the ball, they also committed the same violation as people in the arena cheered “Kobe!” and fans, coaches, and players gave a standing ovation.
It was later confirmed that Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna was among the five people killed.
The Spurs organization also released a statement in regards to the deaths: