NBA legend Kevin Garnett joined the gaming and manga world in mourning the death of an icon in the industry.
On Thursday, Garnett reacted to the passing of Kazuki Motoyama, who was known as the author and artist of Kodansha’s “Super Mario” manga. Motoyama passed away several weeks ago, as confirmed by his sister on social media, but it wasn’t until recently that news of his death spread around the world. He was 69.
No official cause of death for Motoyama has been revealed, and the exact date of his passing is also unknown. Regardless, many were quick to offer their condolences as they mourn his death and celebrate the life of the “Super Mario” icon.
NBA legend Kevin Garnett reacts during a game.Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
“Damnnn…” Garnett wrote, while sharing a post about Motoyama’s death. “End of an era..”
Garnett — a one-time champion, one-time NBA MVP and 15-time All-Star — is an avid gamer. That being said, it’s not surprising to see him affected by the death of Motoyama.
In his autobiography published in 2022, he shared how he grew up playing Sega and Nintendo games, even noting that they often visited their friends who had such game systems just to play.
“I love my games. Always have. Growing up, most of my friends couldn’t afford a game system,” Garnett said, per Basketball Network. “We were always at the houses of the one or two kids who had a Sega or a Nintendo. When I signed with Minnie and moved into my crib, one of the first things I did was go out and buy every game system and a big-ass TV.”
As gamers would know, “Super Mario” is one of the flagship franchises of Nintendo.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.