Larry Nance pays tribute to former teammate, Kobe Bryant

LARAMIE -- The loss Sunday of former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, 41, has been felt around the globe -- even in Wyoming.

Former Cowboys players have taken to social media to share their thoughts and memories of the former Laker great who, along with eight others, including his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, died in a helicopter crash in southern California.

Former Wyoming player, Larry Nance Jr., who was drafted by the Lakers in the first round back in 2015, paid tribute to his former Los Angeles teammate Tuesday night in Cleveland, wearing Bryant's No. 24.

He had this to say after the game.

"He was unbelievable,” Nance told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I didn’t expect anything. He had countless teammates in his career, he had met, shook hands and bumped elbows with so many people in the world of basketball, in our league. I didn’t expect me to stick out or have any special impact on him. But just the way he was … I remember the year I got traded, we went to the Finals, we played Game 1, all that happened in Game 1, it was a rough game. Coming back to the locker room and seeing a text from Kobe Bryant, ‘Stick with it. Just one game. You got this.’ I mean, come on, he didn’t have to do that. I’m sure whatever made him think of me is what I’m so thankful for, those moments that … I just played the biggest game of my career and lost it, coming back to the locker room and seeing that text was like, ‘It’s all good. I’ll be fine. Next game, can’t wait.'"

Here are some other Wyoming players -- past and present -- sharing their thoughts about Bryant.

Sean Chambers

Nico Evans

Josh Allen

Raghib Ismail

Theo Ratliff

Logan Wilson

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