Pauley Pavilion ushers whispered under their breath: “Have you heard about Kobe?”News broke of Kobe Bryant’s death about 30 minutes before UCLA tipped off at Pauley Pavilion against Washington State on Sunday. So while people followed updates of the Calabasas helicopter crash that killed nine, including the NBA legend and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, UCLA players were clueless during their 66-50 victory over Washington State. During the game, only a few people on the UCLA bench knew, including director of operations Pam Walker and coach Cori Close. The former Lakers star sat courtside for a UCLA game in 2017 with Gianna when the Bruins faced then-No. It’s a really, really big loss.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 27, 2020 00:33 UTC