THOUSAND OAKS (CNN) – There’s a growing makeshift memorial to Kobe Bryant his daughter Gianna in front of the training facility they and 7 others were on their way to Sunday when they were killed in a helicopter crash.
Since then, Mamba Sports Academy had been closed.
Today, athletes young and old returned to train.
“Feeling just a bit nervous because I feel like everyone will be pretty like sad now that he’s gone,” said basketball player Ben Bass.
The Laker legend inspired young talent while coaching his daughter Gianna’s team.
14-year-old Bass never got to meet Kobe in person, but 13-year-old Brady Smigiel did on Saturday during the Mamba Cup Tournament.
Brady says in between games, he got a “What’s up” and a fist bump from Kobe.
Later, he snapped a selfie as the Laker star was passing by.
Brady hoped Kobe would have time for a picture after the games, so he waited in line.
“I was up and I saw his car pull up right over here and I was like ‘Kobe could I get a quick picture with a couple of my friends?’ And he was like ‘I’ll get you tomorrow, you play here?’ and I was like ‘yeah, yeah yeah.’ He just walked out, I got that blurry picture and then he walked out and he got in the car,” said Brady.
Brady was disappointed, but he knew he would try again Sunday.
Now he knows there won’t be a next time.
So these pictures are precious to him.
“I’m keeping those forever as long as I can. I’m showing them to all my friends and all my family so if anything happened to my phone, or my family’s phone, I had it somewhere. It’s just so special to me, he said.
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