BUFFALO, N.Y. — Kobe Bryant leaves a lasting legacy on and off the basketball court.
Tragically, Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were killed in a helicopter crash Sunday morning in Calabasas, California. They were on their way to Gianna's travel basketball game.
Bryant left an impression on so many throughout his life, including Bishop Timon basketball coach Jason Rowe.
Rowe met Bryant at a basketball camp for the top players in the country at that time. Rowe played at Traditional in Buffalo and at college at Loyola, Maryland. He also played professionally in a number of different countries, including France, Spain, Italy, Poland and Israel.
Rowe sat down Sunday evening in the WGRZ studio to talk about Kobe Bryant and the impact he had on so many lives.
Rowe told 2 On Your Side's Stu Boyar that Bryant "was extremely confident, very humble, but he was a man that knew what we wanted to do and what he wanted to accomplish."
Now in his third year as coach at Timon, Rowe said to Bryant after seeing a magazine ranking Bryant as the No. 1 player in the country, "You must be pretty good."
Bryant said, "Yeah."
"And as I'm reading this, it says he's the number one player in the country. So I asked him, who's recruiting you? Bryant said everybody," Rowe said.
Rowe asked where Bryant was going. The response: "To the NBA."
Rowe said Bryant said it with such conviction that he believed him.
Bryant did go straight to the NBA and spent his entire 20-year with the Lakers.
Rowe said when he talks to his team about Bryant, he will talk about his work ethic and his ability to transfer after basketball.
