January 26, 2020, is a date that Los Angeles Lakers fans will never forget, and still to this day, remain in shock as franchise legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were tragically killed in a helicopter crash in Calabassas.
Bryant was more than just a great basketball player, he represented L.A. for two decades and grew in front of our eyes into the hero that he will remain for many of us forever.
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss had a close relationship with Bryant, often leaning on him for advice after his retirement when she took over the team.
On Sunday night, it looks like Buss was missing Bryant a little extra as she took to Twitter to point out how great of a leader he is, calling him to best to ever put on the purple and gold:
I miss KB. He would understand and explain everything that I’m not allowed to. Honestly he was the greatest Laker ever. He understood team over self. Meaning your rewards would come if you valued team goals over your own then everything would fall into place. All can reply.
— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) July 4, 2022
While it’s easy to resonate with Jeanie’s tweet because we all miss Kobe, the timing of it was a bit peculiar considering the team has been involved in trade talks that would send Russell Westbrook to the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving.
It’s no secret that the 2021-22 season didn’t go as planned for the Lakers, so perhaps by pointing out how Bryant’s team-first mentality, current members of the organization will follow suit in order to get L.A. back into championship contention.
James wants anyone on Lakers ‘more than anyone’
LeBron James is the current Lakers leader on the court and has also been involved in the decision-making process off it in recent years.
While James was a big advocate of bringing in Westbrook, he now reportedly is in favor of sending him to Brooklyn to reunite with Irving, who he won a championship with on the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
It’s no secret that Irving would be a better fit alongside James and Anthony Davis than Westbrook, and he has made it known he wants to play for the Lakers and wear the same jersey as Bryant, who he was also close with. So now it’s on Buss and Rob Pelinka to close the deal to give L.A. the best chance to compete for an 18th championship, even if it means trading for the volatile Irving.
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