The Los Angeles Lakers family will again celebrate the late Kobe Bryant’s career this month, honoring the legendary guard’s memory on Kobe Bryant Day.
Orange County and the city of Los Angeles have been celebrating Kobe Bryant Day on Aug. 24 since the Lakers legend’s tragic death in Jan. 2020. The date was inspired by Bryant’s jersey numbers, 8 and 24, but also it comes the day after the five-time NBA champion’s birthday.
Bryant would’ve turned 44 on Aug. 23 this year and to honor his life and career, Spectrum SportsNet will be airing a special program.
The Lakers’ TV network announced it will air a compilation of interviews conducted throughout Bryant’s 20-year Lakers career in a half-hour special, “Backstage: Lakers – The Backstage Interviews: Kobe,” on Tuesday, August 23 at 8 p.m.
The special Backstage episode features some of Kobe’s most memorable interviews, including his thoughts on his NBA final season and Lakers game, as well as his relationships with Dr. Jerry Buss and Lakers legends Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and Pau Gasol.
This year’s Kobe Bryant Day comes at a time the Lakers legend’s wife, Vanessa, testified in a lawsuit against L.A. County officials who shared photos of the helicopter crash site where her husband and daughter, Gianna, died on Jan. 26, 2020.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban thought Kobe Bryant trade to Dallas was ‘done’ in 2007
Kobe spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers — but he came close to leaving the Purple and Gold at least twice. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently described how advanced were discussions between L.A. and his team over a Bryant trade, saying he thought it was a “done” deal.
Cuban speculated that then-Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak must have stepped in and convinced Bryant to stay in L.A.
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