MIAMI — Richard Sherman knows exactly what Kobe Bryant would say to him if he were still here. The late basketball legend would remind Sherman of the passionate competitor that resides within him. He’d remind Sherman that the journey is still not complete. And then, Bryant would playfully, but sternly, tell his friend to simply suck it up.
Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash on Sunday — and the death of his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other passengers — hit players, of all sports, like a tidal wave. And on a night that was reserved for the two NFL teams playing in Super Bowl LIV, the NBA icon’s presence was still being felt.