Even though the basketball world stood at a standstill Sunday after Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were killed in a helicopter crash, the league’s slate of games went on as scheduled.
And that was difficult for Knicks broadcaster Mike Breen as he was on the call for Knicks-Nets at Madison Square Garden, where Bryant, the Lakers legend who died at age 41, dropped a then-record 61 points on the Knicks in 2009. Breen, the Knicks play-by-play announcer for MSG Network, acknowledged right before tipoff just how tough it was for everyone involved Sunday night.
“Just don’t feel like broadcasting,” Breen said through a lump in his throat. “I know a lot of the players don’t feel like playing. It’s just a sad, sad day.”
Knicks legend and MSG game analyst Walt Frazier, also on the call, described the news of Bryant’s passing as “like [taking] a shot.” Both the Nets and Knicks let the 24-second shot clock run down on their first possession of the game to honor Bryant. Prior to tipoff, there was a moment of silence for Bryant as well.
