The whole world was in a state of shock when Kobe Bryant, one of the biggest stars of the NBA, tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in 2020. And it was during that dark phase that NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson shared a message for the Lakers, recalling the 2004 tragedy that struck Hendrick Motorsports and the entire sport, and how they coped with that while also competing in an ongoing season.
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In October 2004, one of the biggest tragedies in NASCAR occurred when a plane carrying family members and team members of Rick Hendrick crashed into a mountain, killing all 10 passengers. But with 4 races left in that season, Hendrick Motorsports carried on, something Jimmie Johnson knew the Lakers would also have to go through in the wake of Bryant’s death.
“For us, everything before the race was the hardest part. Once we started the practice, it took a little off. Once we qualified, one more off, and then when it was time to race, it was almost healing to race. I think the days leading up to our first on-track activity were the hardest ones,” Johnson said in 2020. “So I would assume the Lakers are going to deal with something similar to that.”
“In that first race, we had such a purpose and a mission to honor the people that we lost, that we put aside the pain for a short period of time and became highly motivated by that.”
William Byron and Ryan Blaney paid special tributes to Kobe Bryant in 2020
After Kobe Bryant’s death, all forms of tributes from across the globe came in. Such was the impact and legend of Bryant that those tributes went beyond the court of the NBA and were seen even on the racetracks in NASCAR.
Ahead of the race in Fontana in 2020, several drivers, teams, and fans paid their tribute to the NBA legend. The current Trackhouse Racing star, Daniel Suarez, wore a #24 jersey in Bryant’s honor. Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron of the #24 team and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney of the #12 team, both paid their tribute with purple and gold Laker paint schemes on their respective racecars.
In fact, Blaney revealed that he was taken aback by Bryant when he showed a lot of interest in NASCAR during their meeting at a BodyArmor event in 2018. “He wanted to learn everything about it. And he had these questions that were like, ‘Man, you know nothing about this, but you’re asking really good questions,'” Blaney recalled.
As for William Byron, he claimed that Bryant’s legacy extends beyond basketball, reaching across all the sports world and into many different communities where he gave back.
