Kobe Bryant's sudden, tragic death Sunday from a helicopter crash rocked the NBA world. The Lakers legend's impact was felt much further than basketball courts, though.
From athletes around multiple other sports, fans and everyday people like you and I, Kobe's death at 41 years old, along with his 13-year-old daughter and seven others aboard the helicopter, simply was gut-wrenching. Star 49ers tight end George Kittle is no exception.
Kittle, 26, grew up in Iowa as a huge Kobe fan. Like so many of us, Kittle would lace up his Kobes and mimic the former MVP.
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SIGN UP HERE "Kobe was, other than my parents, he was the reason why I played sports," Kittle said Monday at Super Bowl Opening Night. "Just his mindset, the Mamba mentality. I wore the number 24 in high school my freshman, sophomore year because of him. I wore Kobe Bryant basketball shoes because of Kobe Bryant. Every time I laced up my basketball shoes, I felt like I had Kobe Bryant with me. I had a little part of him -- I had his jumper, his fadeaway.
"The amount of hours I spent practicing that fade away from the corner ... and I never made it. But I tried and I thought I was Kobe. He's an icon, he was a hero of mine."
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Kobe is regarded as one of the best at his position ever, an honor Kittle now finds himself holding among tight ends in the NFL. He has overcome injuries as Bryant did, and his competitiveness is seen every game like the Black Mamba himself.
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There is no doubt Kittle will look to unlock his inner Mamba mentality Sunday in Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Programming note: NBC Sports Bay Area feeds your hunger for 49ers Super Bowl coverage with special editions of “49ers Central” all week (8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 p.m. Tuesday and 3 p.m. Saturday).
Also tune in at 1 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday for a two-hour special of "49ers Pregame Live" with Laura Britt, Donte Whitner, Jeff Garcia, Ian Williams, Kelli Johnson, Greg Papa and Grant Liffmann. That same crew will have all the postgame reaction on "49ers Postgame Live," starting immediately after the game.