John Calipari Shares Special Message from Kobe Bryant

The entire planet was shaken Sunday afternoon when word came that Los Angeles Lakers and sports icon Kobe Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna, was killed in a helicopter crash in California.

Tributes immediately began to pour in.

A who's who of the sports, entertainment, and even the political world chimed in about their love for the hoops legend, their admiration and their respect.

It was a shocking moment, to be sure...akin to how we received the news of other icons who left us too soon, like Prince and John Lennon.

University of Kentucky coach John Calipari expressed his shock and offered a prayer:

And on Monday, Coach Calipari shared a photo of a signed copy of Kobe's book, The Mamba Mentality: Il Mio Basket, complete with a special message to his friend:

I've been watching emotional tributes since it happened and was moved to see so many NBA teams begin their games with 24-second shot clock violations to honor Bryant, whose Lakers number was 24.

A tragic loss to be sure but we also want to send our deepest sympathies to the families of the other seven passengers who lost their lives aboard that helicopter.

What an emotional weekend that gives us all a LOT of perspective.