Charles Barkley reflects on Kobe Bryant's death one year later

The one-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant's death is right around the corner. For many in the NBA community, the Los Angeles Lakers legend's death is still fresh in their minds. 

For Charles Barkley, the anniversary of Bryant's death is a difficult time. The Hall of Famer and current NBA analyst said on "The Ellen Degeneres Show" that Bryant was more to him than just a friend. 

"I've known Kobe his whole life" Barkley told Ellen Degeneres on the episode that airs Friday, according to TMZ Sports. "So, I've been around him for 30 years. So he was like part of my family.

"He was a great kid, he was obviously one of the greatest basketball players ever. But, you know when people die young, that's what hurts me."

Bryant, along with 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others, died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020.

Bryant's wife, Vanessa, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the helicopter company, Island Express Helicopters, and pilot Ara Zobayan in February following her husband and daughter's death. She claims that Zobayan was careless and negligent by flying in cloudy conditions on the day all passengers aboard the aircraft were killed.

We'll see many more tributes to Bryant in the coming days, though many of them will come in the form of social media posts on Jan. 26.

Bryant is set to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in May.