Kobe Bryant

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On Sunday, the world learned that it had lost Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, along with seven others, in a tragic helicopter accident in Calabasas.

While we are losing an NBA legend, we are also losing eight others, including a teenager who seemed to have the brightest future ahead of her. That might be what’s drowning our hearts the most right now.

You don’t need to be a basketball fan to know who Bryant was or why he was so important. He was one of those icons who was bigger than the game itself. We’re talking about Kobe Bryant here. This isn’t how this was supposed to end.

For players in today’s NBA, Kobe was a guy most of them grew up watching. It’s been said enough times, but he was the Michael Jordan of that generation.

“He was my childhood,” Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns said. “I grew up watching him, mimicking his moves, wanting to take those last-second shots because of him, wanting the pressure moments. Me and my family and my closest friends who I call my brothers we sat down and we watched a lot of Kobe. It was surreal yesterday to see that news. I was with Andrew (Wiggins) when I got it, and it was just a surreal moment.”

You don’t have to be an NBA player or coach to have a Kobe story. He impacted all of us. There’s the Mamba Mentality. The throwing anything towards a target and yelling, “KOBE!” The giving your absolute everything for something you care about.

If there was one thing Kobe Bryant wanted people to remember about his legacy, it wasn’t how good he was. It was how hard he worked to get that good. Everything on the line, every single night. And he never hid it. Basketball was his life. And that focus shifted in post-retirement to his family. It was so special and heartwarming to see Kobe the dad. Kobe smiling with one of his four daughters and his wife Vanessa was one of the most-heartwarming scenes ever. Kobe seemed so happy. Gianna seemed to love basketball the way her dad did, and he was doing everything he could do to help her succeed.

“I’m glad that we got to see him more in public post-basketball with his daughters,” Timberwolves coach Ryan Saunders, a new father himself, said. “That’s special to see. It’s special to see that these guys are human.”

One of the most-difficult things about life is indeed death. Even after we lose someone as impactful as someone like Kobe Bryant, life goes on. Games continue to be played. It feels cruel, really, which is probably also why it will probably never completely sink in. Why can’t everything just stop?

While it’s absolutely cliché to write this, but we all know Kobe wouldn’t want that. Kobe would want the competition.

Kobe’s legacy will live on forever, perhaps greater than any other player in NBA history.

On Monday, players from the Timberwolves were asked about Bryant’s legacy and what he meant to them individually. Availabilities like these are not fun. Nobody wants to be talking about what they are talking about.

“I just found myself at times just staring and just watching all of the things and reading up like it was real,” Timberwolves forward Robert Covington said after hearing of the news. “I didn’t want to believe it, and I still don’t want to believe it.”

Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas was on the other side of battles against Kobe’s Lakers through the years as a member of the Rockets’ front office.

Rosas might have captured what an opponent or a rival felt the most about Kobe.

“I think it’s the ultimate respect, and a lot of it is being a part of those Houston teams where we battled with those guys,” Rosas said. “It was Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant and then it was Shane Battier and Kobe. You couldn’t stand the guy. But you couldn’t stand him because he was so great, and he won so much.”

January 26, 2020, will go down as one of the saddest days in NBA history.

The best way to honor him is for all of us to try to give back just a fraction of the memories he was able to give all of us through the years. Kobe may be gone, but we can all play a part in making sure his Mamba Mentality lives forever.

Katie Davidson contributed to this story.

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Timberwolves Mourn The Loss Of Kobe Bryant

Same format. Four questions. This time, related around All-Star Weekend in New Orleans. Let’s roll.

Marco is active on Twitter and I feel like he could have done better than this question. He might also be the world's biggest Zach LaVine fan.

I mean, you could have just looked it up online or something. It’s 54 degrees right now and I believe the high is 73 today. It rained last night and that stunk. 

Come with harder questions next time, Marco.

Let’s roll with a traditional lineup of PG, SG, SF, PF and C. And these players can only be players I’ve watched (and actually remember watching). For example, the only Michael Jordan I really remember watching was in Washington and while he was better than 99.8 percent of basketball players on this earth, he would not be considered for the “Kyle Ratke All-Star Game” that is played at ROCORI High School annually.

Did you even read my column last week, bro?

He wasn’t all that much fun to watch later in his career, but Kobe’s gonna Kobe. If only Nash and Kobe had the chance to play with each other in real life. Oh, wait. . . Let’s move along.

The greatest basketball during my core basketball years. Did you know this is James’ 14th season in the NBA? My goodness I feel old.

Minnesota fans would disown me if I didn’t slot KG here. Has anyone ever played with as much intensity as Garnett? Probably not. Will anyone ever? Good luck.

You think Shaq is great on TV? Okay, agree to disagree. But I’ll never forget how happy I would get when getting a Shaq basketball card. During my prime collecting days (2000-2004, I was 10-14 years old during this time), O’Neal was an absolute monster. Could he do anything away from the rim or from the free-throw line? No, but he didn’t need to.

Also, I wish someone would have told me basketball cards made in the late ‘90s and early 2000s have absolutely no value. My student loans might be in a better place right now had I been a more frugal child.

Will KAT go for MVP in the Rising Stars Game?

We are about 12 hours late for this question. Would Karl-Anthony Towns loved to get the victory last night? Sure. Would he appreciate the MVP trophy? Maybe, yeah. But for Towns, the moment was more about having fun with his peers and representing his organization in a positive way.

“The game is amazingly fun,” Towns said after the game. “You get a chance to be in front of the fans and have a chance to do a little more athletic moves and more All-Star game moves.  It was a lot of fun.  I had a blast.  For me being my last Rising Star, I'm glad that I was able to enjoy this moment.”

For Towns, the next step is playing on All-Star Sunday in Los Angeles next year.

Is media hospitality your favorite or your favorite?

This is from a former colleague of mine with the Wolves. He’s now doing some great stuff for the Kings on web and social. ‘Baz and I spent some time together the last two years over All-Star Weekend and apparently, it’s well known that I’m a fan of the media hospitality room that serves free appetizers and free drinks. If anyone knows the two things I love most in life, it’s free appetizers and free drinks.

Unfortunately, I’m not staying in the media hotel this season because it was full. Instead I’m drinking cold coffee and eating Chex Mix in an undisclosed location. I’M NOT BITTER AT ALL!

We still have two more days in New Orleans and we’ll have plenty of coverage yet to come. Stay tuned.

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Mailbag | All-Star Edition

Here I am at the airport in Las Vegas after 55 days five days of Summer League, ready to head back to Minneapolis. I’m here like three hours early because I’m a freak about being places super early.

There’s a slot machine next to me. There’s also the temptation of Pokémon GO (even though I still have no idea what it is).

I don’t want to lose money, and I don’t want to lose all of my friends, so here I am. Writing stuff.

Tim Duncan announced his retirement on Monday morning.

There wasn’t a tweet (Duncan, of course, doesn’t have Twitter).

There was no Players’ Tribune article, which is the new way to break news for athletes.

There wasn’t even a statement or a letter. Just a report from the Spurs saying the big man retired.

Pikachu got more attention than Duncan’s retirement. That’s how Duncan rolls, though. He’s not exciting. He dresses like your uncle, not an NBA player. He used the backboard throughout his career, something young players might not know exists.

It’s all fitting (unlike his clothes) because of course that’s how Duncan’s career was. He wasn’t the guy to scream after a big shot. Nothing about his game was sexy. In press conferences, he was kind of awkward. Right now he’s probably sitting somewhere wearing a plaid shirt that’s five years old and three sizes too big.

But none of that mattered to Duncan. He won five NBA titles. That’s what it was all about. Sure, the 15 All-Star games were nice. The two MVP trophies look nice in his trophy room (he probably just puts them in the attic). So were the three Finals MVP trophies. But it was all about the rings for Timmy D.

Minnesota fans have been lucky and cursed via Duncan through the years.

Blessed because they were able to watch his whole career and countless battles with their own Kevin Garnett. Cursed because the Wolves were stuck in the same conference as Duncan and the Spurs (along with Kobe and the Lakers, Chris Webber and the Kings, and Dirk and the Mavs).

Duncan’s Spurs eliminated the Wolves from the playoffs twice.

When it came to personalities, Duncan and Garnett couldn’t have been more different.

And before we compare, let’s just all respect the fact that different players have different approaches, upbringings and ways to convey their emotions. There’s no right way. There’s no wrong way (unless you’re kicking someone below the belt… We’re talking ‘bout you, Draymond).

Garnett was and is as passionate as they come. He loses himself in the moment. He yells. He screams. It’s all passion, all the time.

Duncan always looked like he was secretly planning on killing you. And that’s kind of what he did. He was calm. He oddly never sweated. He just kind of fit in. If you asked someone who never watched basketball who the best player on the floor was, Duncan probably wouldn’t be the pick.

When I was growing up, it was all about KG and Allen Iverson. Kobe was the villain. The Kings were annoying. The Spurs were... confusing.

'How are they good? Duncan is boring. David Robinson was past his prime. Who is this Tony Parker kid?'

But behind Duncan and Popovich, they built one of the best (boring) dynasties in the history of all of sports.

Call Duncan boring. He’ll probably agree. But also call him one of the best players to ever play the game.

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Just The Way We Thought He'd Go Out

Timberwolves vs. Lakers | 6:00 PM, Target Center

The big news in this one is the possible history that could be made. Lakers star Kobe Bryant sits just eight points short of tying Michael Jordan for third all-time on the NBA’s scoring list.

Everything logical tells us that Bryant will do exactly that, but the question is when. Will he have a big first quarter? Will he struggle in the first half?

It will put things into perspective for rookies Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, who grew up big fans of both Jordan and  Bryant.

The Lakers come into this one with a 7-16 record, 13th in the West. The Wolves are 5-17, sitting in last place in the West.

Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. on Fox Sports North and WCCO 830-AM.

The two teams last faced off on Nov. 28 in Los Angeles. The Wolves came away with a nail-biting 120-119 win over the Lakers. Former UCLA star Zach LaVine felt like he was in his driveway playing.

LaVine had a career-high 28 points off the bench, shooting 11-of-14 from the field. Mo Williams added 25 points and 11 assists, while Thad Young finished with 22 points. Corey Brewer finished with 13 points, a career-high eight assists and seven rebounds. Anthony Bennett had 11 points off the bench. The Wolves shot a scorching 57 percent from the field (45-of-79) and 55.6 (10-of-18) percent from the three-point line.

Bryant led Los Angeles with 26 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals. Former Wolves forward Wesley Johnson added 19 points, while Jeremy Lin finished with 18 points and 11 assists. Nick “Swaggy P” Young and Carlos Boozer had 16 and 15 points, respectively. 

The Lakers missed seven free throws in this game. Bryant, uncharacteristically, missed four.

The Wolves are coming off of a 111-92 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night. Wiggins and Shabazz Muhammad each finished with 18 points to lead the Wolves. Young added 16 and five boards. Although LaVine hit double-digits, he had a pretty rough game. LaVine shot just 3-of-11 from the field and was torched by Russell Westbrook, who finished with 34 points, six assists and six boards. Gorgui Dieng played well for the Wolves, finishing with 11 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four blocks and two steals.

The Lakers are coming off of a 112-110 overtime road win over the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.

Swaggy P led the way with 29 points off the bench, including a huge three-pointer down the stretch. Bryant added 22 points, nine assists and fo

ur steals. Jordan Hill finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Carlos Boozer also had 14 points to go with 13 rebounds. Johnson scored 13, shooting 5-of-7 from the field. The Lakers forced 19 Spurs turnovers.

KEY MATCHUP: Corey Brewer/Andrew Wiggins vs. Kobe Bryant

Stopping Kobe Bryant. That’s something that very few people have had luck with over the years.

Brewer or Wiggins will be blessed with that task on Sunday night, hoping to delay history a bit.

Bryant is averaging 25.4 points per game to go with five rebounds, five assists and 1.4 steals. At 36 years old, he looks pretty darn good.

He’s shooting just 38.7 percent from the field, a career-low, but by looking at the team’s roster, there aren’t a lot of other options.

Expect Flip Saunders to throw everything he can at Bryant.

Lakers: Xavier Henry (Achilles), Ryan Kelly (hamstring), Julius Randle (tibia) and Steve Nash (back) are all out.

Timberwolves: Ricky Rubio (left ankle sprain), Kevin Martin (fractured right wrist), Nikola Pekovic (sprained right wrist and sore right ankle) and Ronny Turiaf (sore hip) are out. Mo Williams (back spasms) is questionable.

Lakers: PG – Price, SG – Bryant, SF – Johnson, F – Davis, C - Hill

Wolves:  PG – LaVine, SG – Brewer, SF - Wiggins, PF – Young, C – Dieng

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Scouting Report: Wolves vs. Lakers

Every Monday throughout the NBA season, we'll be giving you fantasy basketball advice. In today's edition, we give you five players you should stay away from drafting this upcoming season.

Point Guard, Deron Williams, Brooklyn Nets

2013-14 Stats: 64 games, 14.3 points, 6.1 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals

The concern with Williams is more of his health than anything. He’s had ankle issues limit him as of late and his 32.2 minutes per game last season was his lowest mark since his rookie season (2005-06). He also averaged the lowest points, assists and rebounds per game since his rookie season in Utah.

There’s no reason to suggest Williams will all of the sudden turn things around. It’s hard to believe Williams is only 30. His play makes him seem a lot older.

Shooting Guard, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakes

2013-14 Stats: 6 games, 13.8 points, 6.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals

We are hearing that Bryant is in some of the best shape of his life and that he’s worked harder than ever to get back to full strength this offseason. That’s all fine and dandy, but Bryant has played 54,308 minutes through his career – a pretty staggering number. Unfortunately for the Lakers, Bryant was only able to play 177 minutes last season due to an Achilles and leg injuries.

There’s a chance Bryant could play 82 games. There’s’ a chance that he goes back to 2012-13 when he averaged 27.3 points per contest. If you can get Bryant at a bargain, it’s a good play, but he’s no longer in the category with guys like Chris Paul, Stephen Curry or James Harden for second-tier fantasy players. A risky pick.

Small Forward, Paul Pierce, Washington Wizards

2013-14 Stats: 75 games, 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals

After 15 seasons in Boston, who would have thought Pierce would have played for two different teams over the last two seasons? Like Williams and Bryant, Pierce has shown signs of aging. His 28 minutes per game last season was a career-low, as was his 13.5 points per game.

He should fill Trevor Ariza’s role in Washington well, being he’s still an above-average shooter, but he’s not going to light up the box score like he did during his prime. He’s still worth a spot on a roster, but not as a starter. If Pierce makes or breaks your roster, you probably don’t have a very good team.

Power Forward, Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons

2013-14 Stats: 82 games, 15.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals

You might have followed along with the saga of Greg Monroe this offseason. Instead of signing a deal with Detroit as a restricted free-agent, Monroe gambled on himself and took a one-year qualifying offer. While there’s still a chance he could sign in Detroit, it looks like there still might be some tension between him and the front office.

Small problem: The front office is also his coach. Stan Van Gundy took over as President of Basketball Operations and head coach this season. Monroe is an above-average player who can help with points and rebounds. His blocks are disappointing for a post player, though.

The question here isn’t Monroe’s skill, but instead his relationship with his coach. Being in the doghouse with Van Gundy hasn’t been very enjoyable for NBA players.

2013-14 Stats: 81 games, 10.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 1.1 assists

Last year’s playoffs were an embarrassment for Hibbert. There’s a chance he could bounce back, but his bad play really started before the playoffs. In his final nine games of the regular season, Hibbert scored in double-digits once and never had more than seven rebounds.

Last year’s 10.8 points per game was Hibbert’s lowest mark since his rookie season in 2008-09, when he played about half the minutes as he did last season (29.7). His 6.6 rebounds were his lowest since 2009-10 and his 2.2 blocks were 0.4 fewer per game than 2012-13. In other words, the career-arc for the 27 year-old center has gone the wrong way. Probably someone to stay away from unless you can get him on the cheap. 

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Fantasy Forecast: Five Players To Stay Away From

Editor's Note: As the NBA season approaches and with NBA training camps opening up at the end of the month, Timberwolves.com wanted to give fans a little refresher on what has been a busy offseason. For the next two weeks, we'll be releasing season outlooks for teams throughout the NBA.

How to sum up last season for the Los Angeles Lakers?

With 27 wins, the Lakers were second to last in the Western Conference, just behind the Utah Jazz. While the Lakers made some moves in the offseason, it doesn’t appear as if any of them will be around for the next great Lakers team. And we can assure you that probably won’t be this season.

Key Additions: F Carlos Boozer, G Jordan Clarkson, F Ed Davis, G Jeremy Lin, F Julius Randle, Coach Byron Scott

Key Losses: G Kent Bazemore, G Jordan Farmar, F Pau Gasol, C Chris Kaman, G Kendall Marshall, G Jodie Meeks, Coach Mike D’Antoni

How They Did Against The Wolves: The Lakers faced off against the Wolves four times and managed to win just one game, which happened to be at the Staples Center.

Of the players returning to the Lakers this season, there wasn’t a whole lot of success. Nick Young, a pretty swaggy dude, averaged 17 points per game, while earning one start in the four games. Former Wolves forward Wesley Johnson averaged 9.8 points and four rebounds in four games. Xavier Henry averaged 11.5 points and six rebounds, though he played in just two games.

Kobe Bryant did not play against the Wolves at all due to Achilles and leg injuries.

Future Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash played just 15 games throughout the season, but three came against the Wolves. He averaged 4.3 points and five assists per game, sadly for basketball fans, looking like a shell of himself.

Of the returning members for the Wolves, Kevin Martin led the way, averaging 22.5 points while hitting 50 percent of his 3-point shots. Big man Nikola Pekovic played in just three games, but was nearly unstoppable, averaging 20.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He shot 59.5 percent from the field. Point guard Ricky Rubio had pretty good all-around success, averaging eight points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and two steals per game. Wolves fans will like this one: He shot 50 percent from the field in those games, shooting 13-of-26.

Projection: Like I said before, the Lakers have added some decent pieces. Carlos Boozer is a fine player, but he probably shouldn’t be a contender’s starting power forward anymore. The team will get Bryant back, but at 36 years old, do we really know what to expect? Asking him to put up 27 points like he did in 2012-13 is probably asking too much.

Julius Randle is a banger inside and the team is hoping he can emerge as a second fiddle down the line. The best thing for him might be just to be on the court as much as possible, and chances are, he’ll get that opportunity. Bryant will be breathing down Byron Scott’s neck to win now, but that’s not really realistic with this team in this Western Conference.

Best-case scenario: Kobe goes all déjà vu on us, Randle emerges as the team’s starting power forward and Steve Nash brings us back to his Phoenix days. The team fights for an eighth seed.

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Observing the Opposition: The Los Angeles Lakers

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