The local sports community in the city of Birmingham was shaken up this week by news that former WBRC sports reporter Christina Chambers was found dead in Hoover.

Chambers, a longtime reporter on both high school and collegiate sports in Alabama, was highly admired in the local sports media landscape. Since her death, many have posted touching messages on how she impacted their lives.

The latest is Auburn Tigers men’s basketball coach Steven Pearl, who took the opportunity to open his press conference by talking about Chambers and his interactions with her.

Pearl pointed out how many people had kind things to say about Chambers, from those who knew her to those who didn’t. He made sure those who never got the chance to meet her were aware of just how special of a person she was.

“She was a light. I don’t know if that does her justice. She was a beacon, she was a luminary,” Pearl said. “She just lit up a room every time she walked into it. She was what we should all aspire to be on a day-to-day basis in terms of how she treated people. I think we can all learn something from the kindness that she displayed in her every day life. A true professional in every sense of the word, she loved covering sports in this state…she covered our run to the Final Four in 2019 and I think she was even more excited to be there than we were.”

Pearl began to choke up when he started talking about praying for her friends and family, as well as her three-year-old son who has been left without parents in the tragedy.

“He’s about to endure on a journey that no one should have to go through,” he said. “We tweeted out a GoFundMe on Twitter so anyone that is able to help please do, it’s gonna help pay for his educational stuff and opportunities moving forward. I hope her parents know that if he ever needs to come into our gym, he is always welcome. He’s always got a ticket to the games. She made this world a better place and she made us all better people.”