WHITTIER, Calif. — All Hannah Fuentes ever wants to do is play basketball. She comes home every afternoon and shoots hoops in her front yard. 

But Monday's hoop session felt a little different. Wearing her favorite Lakers shirt, she reflected on the impact of Kobe Bryant. 

"He inspired me to train harder and not to give up," she said. "And he was just motivation."

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The 13-year-old, like so many worldwide, is dealing with her own grief, following the death of the Lakers legend, his daughter Gianna Bryant, and seven others. 

Bryant was one of the first players she ever watched with her dad. 

“My daughters, they followed suit," Larry Fuentes said. "Whenever I was watching a Lakers game, they’d be sitting here next to me. I think it just poured into them.”

Aside from just watching Bryant on television, the Fuentes family had a unique opportunity to play against the Bryants. 

At 13, Hannah is the same age as Gianna. They played in the same travel ball circuit and have lined up against each other on the court. Fuentes was looking forward to watching them battle for years to come. 

“They played each other in travel ball, so you figured we’d see each other the next five years and beyond," he said. "But that was heartbreaking for me to see it’s over now, it’s done, we’re not [going to] see them no more.”

Hannah took the time to reminisce on her experiences with the Mamba. 

“This is 80 weeks ago and this is our first time seeing his daughter and Kobe," she said, looking at footage on her phone. “We were so excited and this right here is me and Gianna playing against each other.”

Her smile quickly fades as she looks upon the photo of of her and Gianna. As young players, they shared the same dreams and aspirations. 

“I think it’s even more sad because she was my age and she wanted to have the same dreams as me," Hannah said. "It’s all gone.”

In the wake of their deaths, she's committed to taking on Bryant's "Mamba Mentality" and moving forward—playing with both Bryant and Gianna in her heart.