Seemingly, everyone in the basketball community formed a connection with Kobe Bryant, and Mike Hopkins is no different.
The Washington Huskies coach still gets emotional retelling stories of the Los Angeles Lakers great in the wake of Sunday’s helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. that claimed the life of the 41-year-old Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people.
Add Hopkins to a countless collection of those who were impacted and influenced by the NBA legend.
Tales of Bryant’s work ethic and his unrelenting drive to improve himself have become folklore, but Hopkins got a chance to witness it firsthand on a day “that was the greatest moment in my life in basketball.