Published on January 27, 2020 at 04:53AM by By RAUL DOMINGUEZ, Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs collaborated on a touching tribute to Kobe Bryant at the beginning of their game Sunday, with each team dribbling out the 24-second shot clock in remembrance of the No. 24 worn by the retired NBA great, who died in a helicopter crash at age 41.
Pascal Siakam scored 35 points to lead the Raptors past the Spurs 110-106 on a day when many players' thoughts were elsewhere.
Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among the nine people killed when the helicopter they were riding on crashed in Calabasas, California. The teams found out about Bryant's death about an hour before the afternoon tipoff.
The Spurs had many battles with Bryant and the Lakers, especially in the postseason. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich has spoken openly about his love for and respect of Bryant, and that admiration was apparent when the team played a tribute video during the Lakers legend’s final appearance in San Antonio.
“An assassin in the best sense of that word,” Spurs legend David Robinson said. “Someone you knew was going to get the job done. You felt like it was almost inevitable if you’re playing against him. You cannot let him get that shot. Just the work ethic and the intensity, everything you bring to a game, everything that elevates this game to what we (want, he had).”
San Antonio held a moment of silence before the game. Spurs assistant coaches Becky Hammon and Tim Duncan and guard Lonnie Walker IV were visibly upset. Hammon and Walker wiped away tears and Duncan had his hands over his face.
Then came the memorable in-game tribute.
The teams did not contest the opening tipoff. Instead, Toronto point guard Fred VanVleet held onto the ball for 24 seconds, incurring a shot-clock violation. San...
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