The Week the NBA Mourned Nipsey Out Loud
After the rapper’s tragic death, his beloved league returned that love in kind
Update 6/7/22: Level has a new home. You can read this article and other new articles by visiting LEVELMAN.com.
When the game against the Memphis Grizzlies ended, Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell made his way into the catacombs tucked beneath the Staples Center stands. He showered, quietly dressed, and steeled himself for the postgame press scrum next to his locker. The silence was uncharacteristic for Harrell, whose penchant for bombast had carried his team to a number of hard-earned wins in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. But grief is a thief, and that night it had sapped his energy dry.
As the reporters began to pepper him with questions, Harrell’s mouth drew taut, his stare lasered through their heads. A journalist asked him about the biggest story of that day, far bigger than a regular-season game: A man had been shot and killed earlier, just a few miles southwest of Staples Center. “Honestly, man, any type of death can take a toll on anybody,” Harrell said, his gaze downward. “Any form of taking someone’s life is wrong, man.” He kept his answer detached, professional. He knew the questions that night wouldn’t be about his 20 points off the bench, his symphonic pick-and-roll…
