Dallas Mavericks remember Kobe Bryant on the anniversary of his passing

The Dallas Mavericks felt the greatness of Kobe Bryant more than a few times during his 20-year career with the Lakers. There was his 62-point game in 2005. The epic battles between Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki. Kobe was one of the best scorers of all-time, but he was so much more than a great basketball player.

Kobe and Dirk had mutual respect for each other. There were plenty of marquee showdowns between the two legends, but they only matched up once in the playoffs. The Mavs swept the two-time defending champion Lakers in 2011 on the way to their lone championship in franchise history. Bryant is set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021, and Dirk Nowitzki will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he is eligible.

The Mavericks remembered and honored Kobe on Jan. 26 as it marked the one-year anniversary of his untimely death. Let us take a closer look.

Dallas Mavericks celebrate Kobe Bryant on the anniversary of his death

The Mavs posted a video with a message to the Bryant family on Tuesday. See it below.

Luka Doncic shared a message on his Instagram story too.

Thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Bryant family and everyone who was impacted by the tragic events that day. The Mavericks will continue to honor Kobe by retiring his number.

Tuesday is another difficult day in the basketball world. Kobe Bryant meant so much to so many people. I grew up watching the Kobe and Shaq Lakers dominate the NBA. Then, Bryant and Pau Gasol formed their own dynamic duo that brought two championships to Los Angeles. Kobe was one of the all-time great competitors. It is still hard to believe he is gone.

Feel free to send us your favorite Kobe Bryant moment on Twitter or Facebook. He is missed greatly. Thoughts and prayers to his family and anyone struggling today.