The Los Angeles Lakers paid tribute to Kobe Bryant on Friday night at the Staples Center as they hosted the Portland Trail Blazers. The Staples Center was filled with Kobe jerseys as they putting together a video tribute that spanned Bryant's 20-year career in L.A. as well as his transition to post-retirement life.
But one of the most heartfelt moments came from Bryant's friend and current Lakers star LeBron James. James issued a pregame statement about carrying on Kobe's legacy. He also mentioned the outpouring of love the city of Los Angeles showed over the past week.
Former Lakers guard and Kobe's old teammate Derek Fisher lauded James for what he did in the face of such grief. Via Sam Amick of The Athletic:
“‘Bron was in an almost impossible position to even have to do what he had to do tonight, but it was needed,” said Derek Fisher, the former Lakers guard who won five titles alongside Bryant and was one of his most trusted friends. “I think (James) nailed it because I believe it was genuine, it was heartfelt. There was compassion. But then, similar to the way Kobe was wired, there was a part of him that was also just trying to help everybody bring it back to like, ‘We’re here, and we have an obligation and a responsibility to celebrate this and to move forward together,’ almost to inspire us again after such a tragic loss. I thought he struck the perfect balance of what we needed. … I commend him for even wanting to. A lot of guys would have run from that responsibility.”
This has undoubtedly been an emotional week for James. He passed Bryant on the all-time scoring list last Saturday and spoke about the influence Kobe had on his career. He was in tears after receiving the news on Sunday. And understandably, was very emotional again on Friday.
But James gathered the strength to pay one final tribute to his old friend. A move that speaks to his character as a leading ambassador in the NBA.
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