FAYETTEVILLE — On the afternoon of Jan. 26, Jimmy Whitt thoughtfully crafted a tweet he thought he would never have to send.
Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star selection, his daughter Gianna, and seven others tragically died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., earlier that day. The news sent shockwaves throughout the basketball world and beyond.
It struck hard the heart of Whitt, Arkansas’ star graduate transfer guard who holds Bryant as one of his idols and among the greatest to ever play the game. Asked the following day in a press conference about the significance of Bryant’s career in regards to his life, Whitt bypassed the MVP awards, world titles and countless accolades.