For Southern California native Hutchison, Bryant meant everything
Some news really hits home. The death of Kobe Bryant probably struck a little harder for Bulls forward Chandler Hutchison, because he's the lone Southern California native on the roster.
"Growing up in a basketball household, I was a Laker fan religiously," Hutchison said Tuesday at the Advocate Center. "I didn't miss a game. If it was on, I was watching it. My mood the next day was dependent on the result of the Laker game."
And of course, a die-hard Lakers fan in the 2000s had to admire Bryant. It's not much different from what Bulls fans in Chicago experienced with Michael Jordan.
"Just like anyone growing up, when you start to fall in love with the sport, you always find your idol," he said. "Before I even met (Bryant), I felt like I knew him. When you're attached to somebody like that, you feel like you have a relationship, even though they don't even know who you are."
That all changed after Hutchison finished his college career at Boise State and began to prepare for the NBA Draft. One prospective agent, Brandon Rosenthal, offered to set up a meeting between Hutchison and Bryant. So Hutchison went to an office building in Newport Beach and met his basketball hero.
"I just asked him questions, let him know how much of a fan I was of his," Hutchison said. "He was just so willing to help me out and spend some time. He had just won his Oscar. He was super-proud of that. It's just sad. You don't even have to be a basketball fan, obviously, to mourn him and his daughter. It's just heartbreaking."
For some perspective, Hutchison is 23, too young to remember when Bryant and the Lakers won three championships with Shaquille O'Neal from 2000-02. Hutchison said his oldest memories were from 2005 or '06, and he was obviously a huge fan of the era when Bryant teamed with future Bull Pau Gasol to win two more titles in 2009 and '10.
Hutchison can also relate to the AAU basketball world in Southern California. Bryant, his daughter Gianna, two teammates and some family members were on their way to a tournament at the Mamba Academy near Thousand Oaks, Calif. He can also relate to the frequent congestion of California freeways.
"Me and my dad were talking about how even when (Bryant) was in the NBA, he used to take helicopter rides to and from the game," Hutchison said. "He wouldn't drive because the traffic was terrible. So he would have his Mamba helicopter. Getting to know Larry Nance Jr., his former teammate, through my agent, he just explained to me how it seemed like Kobe never walked anywhere. He was either getting picked up by a golf cart or he was on an airplane to and from where he needed to go.
"It was crazy because it probably wasn't anything out of the ordinary. He'd probably taken over a thousand helicopter rides, you have to imagine. It was probably just another day."
Until it wasn't. The helicopter, carrying nine people, crashed into a mountain near Calabasas, Calif., on Sunday morning. It's been widely reported that the area was experiencing heavy fog at the time.
The Bulls had flown home from Cleveland the previous night. Hutchison stopped in for the usual treatment at the Advocate Center on Sunday, then went home to take a nap and was a few hours behind on the breaking news.
"You know it happened and you know it's sad, but it didn't hit me right away. It didn't feel real," Hutchison said. "Then a couple hours later, I was watching TV and all of the sudden, it really hit me and I was overcome with emotion from someone I watched so much. A big part of my life has been spent supporting him and admiring him."
Like most everyone else in the NBA, Hutchison had to gather himself, watch the Bryant tributes and get back to business when the Bulls hosted San Antonio on Monday.
"For me, he is basketball," Hutchison said. "I was telling friends, 'I don't know how I could ever get over it.' Because every time I'm in the gym shooting; so many people, especially me, have been inspired by his psychotic work ethic and chasing everything that he was about. So it's just going to be hard.
"I don't think you even need to be a huge Laker or even a Kobe fan. It's just crazy how he inspired so many people. His reach was beyond hoops."
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls
Bulls game day
Bulls game day
Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers, 6 p.m. Wednesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse
TV: NBCSCH • Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Outlook: Pacers all-star Victor Oladipo is expected to make his season debut in this game after recovering from a torn quad tendon suffered in a game on Jan. 23, 2019. ... Indiana (30-17) has been doing fine without him and was tied for fifth in the East with Philadelphia as of Tuesday morning. ... The Pacers just completed a five-game Western road trip, going 3-2. PG Malcolm Brogdon (17.1 points. 7.3 assists) missed the last two games with a concussion and his status for this game is unclear. PF Domantas Sabonis (18.1 points, 12.8 rebounds) is a likely all-star, while SF T.J. Warren is the teams top scorer at 18.2 ppg. ... The Bulls have lost seven straight to the Pacers and are 0-2 this season.
Next: Brooklyn Nets, 6:30 p.m. Friday at Barclays Center
- Mike McGraw