NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven more people tragically died in a helicopter crash on Sunday in California. The NBA chose to go ahead and play their games on Sunday, which was a rather debatable decision on such an emotional day. It has to be very difficult to be an NBA player or coach and have your mind fully focused on a regular season game in January, when an NBA legend shockingly died at the age of 41 just hours ago.
It’s even very difficult to be there mentally as an NBA broadcaster, as an emotional Mike Breen put very well before the Knicks-Nets game tipped off at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks’ play-by-play man for MSG — in addition to being the main NBA voice for ESPN/ABC games — got choked up while talking about the NBA games continuing on Sunday after Bryant’s death.
“And that’s the way I think a lot of us feel tonight. I just don’t feel like broadcasting, and I know a lot of the players don’t feel like playing. It’s just a sad, sad day.”
"I just don't feel like broadcasting. I know a lot of the players don't feel like playing. It's just a sad, sad day."
—Mike Breen speaking emotionally about the death of Kobe Bryant at the Nets-Knicks game pic.twitter.com/TsNMebIU3O
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 27, 2020
“Welcome back to Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks and Nets will play on this unbelievably sad day in the NBA.
And Clyde, on my way into the arena, I thought of Bill Gallo. Gallo is the legendary sports cartoonist that when Thurman Munson passed away, the next day he had an unbelievably touching cartoon. And it was these two characters that he had, Basement Bertha and Yuchie. And the cartoon read, ‘Naw, Yuchie, I just don’t feel like playin’ ball today.’ And she was crying. And that’s the way I think a lot of us feel here tonight. I just don’t feel like broadcasting, and I know a lot of the players don’t feel like playing. It’s just a sad, sad day.”
Here’s the Bill Gallo cartoon that Breen referenced:
This Bill Gallo cartoon (published after the death of Thurman Munson) was referenced by Mike Breen during today’s Knicks broadcast.
A sentiment that also echoes the feelings of many this Sunday.
“Naw Yuchie – I just don’t feel like playin’ ball today.” pic.twitter.com/YhoJEiQNJA
— Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) January 27, 2020
On ESPN’s Celtics-Pelicans broadcast, 86-year-old Hubie Brown said, “Today is the saddest day of my basketball career. There’s no doubt about it.”
"Today is the saddest day in my basketball career. There's no doubt about." -Hubie Brown on Kobe Bryant pic.twitter.com/Mqv0unTcG3
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 26, 2020
Hubie Brown on Kobe Bryant, continued. pic.twitter.com/JUPBHmpZn5
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 26, 2020
