There is no shortage of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant tributes no matter where you look, which speaks to his influence over an entire generation who grew up watching him play basketball.
Over the course of his 20-year career with the Purple and Gold, Bryant racked up accolades that made him a sure-fire first-ballot Hall-of-Famer. During his time with the Lakers, Bryant won five NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVPs, one regular-season MVP and was named to 18 All-Star teams where he took home the game’s MVP trophy four times.
Even though it has been over two years since his tragic helicopter accident, Bryant continues to serve as a source of inspiration for stars across different sports and industries. For example, in the premiere of Season 4 of Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things,’ Caleb McLaughlin, who plays Lucas Sinclair, is seen sporting a No. 8 basketball jersey for the Hawkins High School basketball team which the studio confirmed was a nod to Bryant, via their Twitter account:
The #8 jersey Lucas wears is a nod to Kobe Bryant’s first jersey number. @calebmclaughlin is a huge fan and had the idea to pay tribute to Kobe through his character’s jersey 💛💜 pic.twitter.com/PjT9uWxbqD
— Netflix (@netflix) May 30, 2022
McLaughlin is an avid basketball fan who grew up watching Bryant, so the subtle tribute in Season 4’s first episode is a nice touch from the young actor. Bryant spent the first 10 years of his career wearing No. 8 before eventually switching to No. 24.
The ‘Stranger Things’ star played basketball growing up and was even featured in the NBA’s 2018 All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game. Getting to portray a basketball player on screen must have been fun for him, especially since he got a chance to pay tribute to his favorite player.
Tatum pays tribute to Bryant in Game 7 of Eastern Conference Finals
Jayson Tatum gave fans another touching Bryant tribute as he wore a purple and gold armband for the Boston Celtics’ Game 7 thriller against the Miami Heat. In true Bryant fashion, Tatum led his team down the stretch by making several tough jumpers.
Tatum later posted several photos to his Instagram account, including a screenshot of a text to Bryant saying, “I got you today.” Bryant was Tatum’s idol growing up, and he surely made the Black Mamba proud with his performance.
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