Jack Nicholson is a well-known Los Angeles Lakers fan and watched Kobe Bryant do his thing for many years from his courtside seats. While the 82-year-old actor rarely appears in public or likes to give an interview, he decided to change all that for his late friend & Laker great yesterday.

Speaking with CBS Los Angeles, Mr. Nicholson said he was heartbroken over the loss. “My reaction is the same as almost all of LA,” Nicholson said. “Where we think everything’s solid, there’s a big hole in the wall. I was used to seeing and talking to Kobe that… it kills you. It’s just a terrible event.“

The Oscar winner recalled meeting Bryant for the first time at Madison Square Garden in New York. “I teased him the first time we met. I offered him a basketball and asked him if he wanted me to autograph it for him,” the actor joked. “He looked at me like I was crazy.”

And there were the countless special moments he witnessed from his famed court side seat. “I sat right behind his jump shot on the left hand side. I can see him going up and I can tell the first instant if it’s going in. I remember the totality of how great a player he was… We’ll think of him all the time and we’ll miss him,” he said sadly.

Hear what Jack had to say about Kobe (below).