You could see two old comrades sharing a warm embrace on the floor of the Staples previous to the Knicks at Lakers last Sunday. Kobe Bryant and Ronny Turiaf did not go for the customary quick chest bump and machine gun hug with slap in the back en vogue today in the league. Rather, they hugged with gusto, truly like two friends who haven’t seen each other in a while.
Bryant held Turiaf’s forearm almost lovingly, like a grandpa. Ronny talked with familiarity, probably about a health issue, a basketball injury maybe, but it could have been an ailing relative. That’s how heartfelt and intimate it looked.