NBA Teams Honor Kobe Bryant <br />to Start Their Games NBA games were played <br />in the aftermath of Kobe Bryant's death on Sunday, but not without every team paying tribute to the Lakers legend. The games that tipped off <br />following the tragedy all <br />began with a moment of silence. Teams across the league all voluntarily <br />took 24-second violations, an homage to Bryant's No. 24 jersey worn from 2007-2016. The Suns intentionally took an 8-second <br />backcourt violation to honor Bryant's <br />No. 8 jersey worn at the start of his career. Several players wore sneakers from Bryant's <br />shoe line and wrote messages on them in tribute. The entire Pelicans roster wore Kobe Bryant <br />sneakers for the national anthem. Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were <br />two of nine people who died in Sunday's <br />helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
