When Emmanuel Omogbo, a former CSU basketball player, lost his family to a house fire in 2016, he received support from an unlikely source: basketball legend Kobe Bryant.

Omogbo and his father grew up watching Lakers games and were huge fans of Bryant.

To Omogbo's surprise, Bryant heard the news about what happened to his family and decided to reach out.

"You're in my prayers and will continue to be in my prayers," Bryant said in the video. "I just wanted to tell you I'm there for you, man."

According to The Coloradoan, the video gave Omogbo the extra motivation to keep moving forward in the face of tragedy, particularly because his dad had loved Kobe so much.

Now, Omogbo is facing another kind of loss following Bryant's untimely death.

"It was such devastating news," said Omogbo. "I couldn't wrap my head around it. He was hardworking, solid, and a good father."

Still, Bryant's message is living on through Omogbo on the court. He is currently playing professionally in Italy, where he is averaging 11.5 points per game.

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

More From Retro 102.5