VIDEO: Trae Young Rocks No. 8 Jersey in Memory of Kobe Bryant for Sunday's Game and Drills Half-Court Heave

It must be incredibly difficult for NBA players to suit up Sunday after hearing of Kobe Bryant's passing. If basketball fans who don't even root for the Lakers feel sick over this, how must the sport's top athletes feel? There are plenty of active NBAers to have played against or alongside Bryant, but think about how many guys in the league chose basketball or stuck with it because of him? Some players, like Kyrie Irving, became too shaken up by the news to feel comfortable playing, but others, like Trae Young, were quick to honor the legend in-game.

For the Atlanta Hawks' home matchup Sunday against the Washington Wizards, Young unexpectedly busted out Bryant's No. 8 instead of his usual No. 11. Before this past season, Young was spotted training with Bryant.

The All-Star guard further honored Bryant with an eight-second violation to start the game. Young notched 21 first-half points on 7-of-12 shooting and knocked down a halftime buzzer-beater from beyond half-court.

Bryant would be proud of Young for unleashing his inner Mamba in such a tragic time.