Jerry West in tears remembering Kobe: I honestly felt like his father for two years

"I remember when he was going to leave the Lakers, and I never really mentioned this to anyone," said West

Jerry West was emotional talking about Kobe Bryant on TNT.

"Not this Black Mamba."

The Logo remembers Kobe's unshakable confidence. pic.twitter.com/wo9CSlM5H6

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 29, 2020

Per ESPN, “Saddest day of my life,” West said. “I lost a brother in Korea is the only thing that compares to this to me … I had a special relationship with [Bryant]. No one knows the intimate talks I had with him. No one knows. Even people close to him, they don’t know the conversations I had with him. They don’t know the conversations I had with him when I was working in Memphis. We still communicated.”

“I remember when he was going to leave the Lakers, and I never really mentioned this to anyone,” said West, the Grizzlies’ general manager from 2002 to ’07. “He was going to come and sign with the Clippers, whom I am now involved with as a consultant. And I told him, Kobe, under no circumstances can you do this.

“And he was mad at everyone at the Lakers, the owner, everyone else. I said, you can’t go play with the Clippers. You can’t play for that owner [Donald Sterling] — period. We had two conversations about it. And he supposedly made a commitment to the Clippers, and we talked [one] last time.

“But there are so many things we talked about. He was just seeking information [constantly]. I honestly felt like his father for two years. … I don’t know if I can get over this ever.”