Tbo Touch has hit back at criticism after visiting Kobe Bryant's memorial in Los Angeles, telling SowetanLIVE's sister publication TshisaLIVE the star was more than a basketball player to him.

Touch found himself on the Twitter trends list recently when he posted a snap of himself at a memorial for Kobe, who died in a helicopter crash late last month.

The media mogul said he was paying tribute on behalf of Kobe's fans from SA.

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 said 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.