There are very few athletes in the world that had a greater impact on their city, franchise and sport than Kobe Bryant did with the Los Angeles Lakers, the city of L.A. and the basketball world. Bryant is, in every sense of the word, a legend. And over four years after his tragic passing, his impact on the game of basketball remains ever present.
Bryant is the favorite of many of today’s top players, building personal relationships with superstars like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum, among many others. He also had an impact on guys like D’Angelo Russell, who only played one season with Bryant before his retirement.
Even more impressive is Bryant’s impact on players like Max Christie, who can recount specific Kobe moments despite not entering the league until three years after his death.
The Lakers are preparing to unveil a statue honoring Bryant outside of Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, Feb, 8. The statue is a long time coming, but the Lakers wanted to make sure that it was absolutely perfect, and that includes it being unveiled on a day with significant meaning, as it includes Gianna Bryant’s No. 2 jersey in 2/8/24.
As part of the preparation, the Lakers gave each of their current players a chance to discuss their favorite Bryant memories, as well as what Kobe means to them as people and players:
Favorite Kobe memory 🎙️
What's yours? pic.twitter.com/E8jzLiq7E5
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 7, 2024
Nearly every Laker gets the chance to say something about Bryant, with several players choosing his final game as a standout memory. Bryant dropped a historic 60 points in his final NBA game in 2016, carrying a 17-65 Lakers team to one last win over the Utah Jazz while putting on a performance that will never be forgotten.
Many of the Lakers players were too young to remember some of his other career highlights, but moments like his shove of Pau Gasol on Team USA and his torn Achilles were mentioned.
Then, players like Jarred Vanderbilt, D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis got to speak about their personal experiences with Bryant, as all had the chance to interact with him at various points in their career. Several players, including Taurean Prince and Jaxson Hayes, recalled being surprised that Bryant even knew who they were.
This widespread impact is quintessential of Bryant’s Hall of Fame career, and what makes moments like Thursday’s statue unveiling so special.
Lakers to wear Black Mamba uniforms to honor Kobe Bryant
After Thursday’s statue unveiling, the Lakers are taking on the reigning NBA champions in the Denver Nuggets. When they do so, they’ll be wearing their famed Black Mamba uniforms as another tribute to Bryant.
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