Page 17 - ARUBA TODAY

A17
Tuesday 28 January 2020

Lakers'

next game BLAZER

postponed

after Kobe

Bryant's HOT

death

By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The
NBA has postponed the
Los Angeles Lakers' next
game against the Clippers
on Tuesday night after the
deaths of retired superstar
Kobe Bryant, his daughter
and seven others in a heli-
copter crash.
The league announced
the decision in a statement
Monday, saying it "was
made out of respect for
the Lakers organization."
Bryant's helicopter crashed
Sunday, and the Lakers
learned about it while flying
home from an East Coast
road trip. LeBron James
and several other players
appeared to be visibly af-
fected by the news when
they got off the plane.
"The Los Angeles Lakers
would like to thank all of
you for the tremendous
outpouring of support and
condolences," the Lakers
organization said in a state-
ment after the postpone-
ment was announced.
"This is a very difficult time
for all of us."
The 16-time NBA champion
franchise made grief coun-
selors available to employ-
ees Monday after the loss
of Bryant, who spent his
entire 20-year NBA career
with the Lakers.
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss
was quite close to Bryant, Lillard scores 50 as Blazers
and Lakers general man-
ager Rob Pelinka was Bry-
ant's agent during his play- beat Pacers 139-129
ing career.
Dwight Howard is the only
current Lakers player who
played with Bryant for the Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, center, hits a shot over Indiana Pacers center Goga Bitadze, left, and Indiana Pacers
franchise for one season forward Justin Holiday, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020.
back in 2012-13, but the Associated Press
players all knew him.q Page 21