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It has not been an hour since the alerts began to jump on the phones with the death of Kobe Bryant and his unconditional have already erected a small altar in front of the Staples Center, the house where the angel legend became eternal conquering five titles of the NBA In front of the generous bouquet of flowers in the colors of the Lakers, a small crowd congregates silently and stares at the ground. Many do not struggle to hold back tears. It is hard to digest the blow.

The commotion in Los Angeles is brutal. As palpable as the sudden proliferation of T-shirts with the number 24 and Bryant's name behind his back on the streets, on a pilgrimage to the vicinity of the stadium where the Lakers and Clippers play. One of them is Jerson Castillo. He has glassy eyes and crossed arms, with a serious countenance and without taking his eyes off the giant screen where Bryant's still image and the date of his life tour already dominate: 1978-2020.

Castillo says he has a heart "broken, speechless. It was the true beat of my city, Los Angeles," he shares excitedly. "He was like a family member, a person I've been following since he started his career in 1984, someone I saw going from being a teenager to a man. He simply needed to be here to fire him."

Cristal Calderón also cannot with the sadness of the moment and explodes to cry in front of the cameras of the NBC channel . "This is not real," he repeats screaming and broken with pain. "I can't believe it. It's horrible." Then, more serene, remember that he got to know the NBA star in the presentation of a book in Barnes & Noble, a chain of bookstores. "I spent 14 hours in line to see him and he treated me with love. He was an incredible man. We're going to miss him a lot."

Behind her, another birth angel, Matthew Romero, who believes that Bryant will take a long time to digest because of the connection he had with the working class of the city. "This is full of Latinos and African-Americans because it was a kind of truth, with a commendable work ethic that did not seek to be a star but one more, and that people loved."

In a few minutes the square is filled and the police presence increases. It's Grammys Sunday and downtown Los Angeles is slowly becoming a pressure cooker. They are celebrated precisely at the Staples Center. Among the Lakers fans and citizens who have come to say goodbye to the myth are also mixed guests to the music awards. The contrast is at least picturesque. Yellow basketball jerseys mixed with print heels, ball gowns and men dressed in tuxedos. The only common denominator is sadness and shock.

Among the river of people circulating between the Nokia Theater and the Staples Center passes the Puerto Rican musician David Sánchez, nominated for the Grammy for best Latin jazz album. "I'm very happy to be in the Grammy, it's an honor, but I'm not going to lie to you, this is a very black cloud for these awards," he says. "This affects everything because nobody expected it, obviously. Kobe inspired me as an artist, although in another discipline, for his consistency, his passion, his authenticity. It's a sad day."

Minutes later another familiar face emerges, Danny Trejo, although completely oblivious to the Grammy and delivered to the cause of firing Bryant. "Kobe Bryant was Los Angeles and he had to be here," Machete and Spy Kids says to EL MUNDO as he greets the curious people who recognize him in the crowd. "I made an announcement with him and he was a really great guy. A star, an icon and someone who always remembered his followers. Besides, he was the greatest Laker of all time. It's very hard for him to be gone."

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