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Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse joined the long list of top athletes from all sports, and all walks of life, who paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant Sunday.

The NBA legend and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among the nine victims of a helicopter crash Sunday morning outside Los Angeles.

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“You feel for his family and what they went through,” said Nurse, who grew up in a sports-oriented family that includes a sister, Kia, who plays in the WNBA.

“Growing up in our household, basketball was always on and one of my fond memories as a kid was trying to be like Kobe Bryant playing basketball. It’s very sad.”