Fans have been crowding Staples Center with flowers, notes, jerseys and all sorts of mementos in spontaneous shows of grief over the loss of the last great Laker, Kobe Bryant, and his untimely death in a helicopter crash in Calabasas.
Others have poured heartfelt messages on social media for the man who gave them so much pleasure as a basketball player, carrying the team to five of their last championships and leaving an indelible mark on Los Angeles sports, and the world in general.
For superfan Hector Galvan, the news was especially hard and it shows online.
The CEO of Prime Building Materials in North Hollywood bleeds purple and gold.
From the pool in his house, to his cars and even his boat (all painted in the purple and gold of the Lakers), Galvan follows the team everywhere and celebrates their victories and suffers their defeats. And Bryant’s passing has left an insurmountable sadness that clearly shows on his Facebook page
Because for him, Kobe Bryant was not just merely a player, he was much, much more.
“As a kid we believed in Super Heros (sic) like Superman, Batman, Spiderman etc then you grow up and you realize that they are fictional but as man I had a Super Hero named Kobe Bryant and He Was Real @kobebryant @lakers @lakersstm,” wrote Galvan on a Facebook post showing an image of Bryant in his Laker’s uniform.
“Words cannot describe how I feel right now My deepest condolences To The Bryant Family I Am Devastated I cant even talk at this moment As those of you who know me I am passionate @lakers fan and @kobebryant Fan I had the pleasure of meeting him and had great conversations with him Kobe was always receptive and knew I was a fanatic of the Lakers and Him This is a very difficult day for me and my family we are just so saddened by todays horrible news. We Lost A Laker Legend #mambaout @Lakersstm,” Galvan wrote on Sunday in a Facebook accompanied by photos of him with the Lakers superstar.