During the 2011 lockout, with the future of the NBA season still hanging in the balance, late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant had a lot of time on his hands. In fact, he had so much time that he decided to suit up in the Drew League, one of the most famous pro-am leagues held every summer in Los Angeles, California.
But the Lakers legend didn't want to just go through the motions. He wanted to etch his name into Drew League lore for eternity, with the memory of his 2011 appearance burned into the brain of Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan.
DeRozan, in an appearance on Iman Shumpert's Iman Amongst Men podcast on UNINTERRUPTED, recalled just how awesome it was to witness Kobe Bryant hit the game-winner, but not before the police approached him to escort the Lakers star out of the building before it became an immense security risk. But Kobe being Kobe, he was not going anywhere without finishing the game in style.
“There are three minutes left in the game and the police came to Kob'e like, ‘Let's get you out of here before the game is over'. He said, ‘I'm going nowhere, I will finish the game.' He finished the game, hit the game-winner, and stood in the middle of the court. Like Jesus,” DeRozan said.
Every Kobe story just adds to his legacy. ♾🐍
Bulls superstar @DeMar_Derozan is on an all-new episode of #ImanAmongstMen, out now on @UNINTERRUPTED's YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts!
📺: https://t.co/BSOVjemz6W
🎧: https://t.co/rto6D6BHxH pic.twitter.com/uoiTrFp5lt— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) July 25, 2023
Kobe pulled up to the Drew League 10 years ago and put on a show…
With his squad down late in the 4th qtr, cops tried to get him to leave early. Kobe said, “I gotta finish the game,” then led a legendary comeback including a game winner at the buzzer!https://t.co/NuYxPhficr
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) August 16, 2021
DeMar DeRozan clearly patterned a lot of his game after the late Lakers legend. Both are prolific from midrange, and after a few years struggling in the clutch, both have become cold-blooded assassins with the game on the line later on in their careers.
And to witness Kobe Bryant's greatness firsthand must have been an absolute joy for someone who grew up in Southern California. The Black Mamba certainly made an impact on the lives of many basketball stars around the world, and these kinds of moments are exactly what makes the Lakers legend one of the most iconic hoopers to ever grace the earth.
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