The post split social media, with some saying he had no right to speak on behalf of the country and was “an attention-seeker”. Others said he should be allowed to mourn his hero.
Touch told TshisaLIVE he was not bothered by the haters, adding: “Kobe Bryant is more than basketball to me, he’s the epitome of excellence and a very present father. I look up to him.”
He brought slips from when he met the Mamba King and said he was within his right to mourn.
“He visited Soweto during the World Cup, I interviewed him on my radio show and if there was ever a time to thank the Bryant family for giving us the Mamba King it could only be now!”
The star also shared snaps of his time in LA, giving followers a glimpse of a city in mourning.