The Los Angeles Dodgers showed love to the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant ahead of Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies.
In honor of Kobe's birthday, Los Angeles donned Bryant's No. 8 and No. 24 Lakers jerseys during the national anthem to recognize the “Black Mamba,” who would have turned 42 on Sunday.
We miss you, Kobe. pic.twitter.com/nAp4JbqTz2
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 23, 2020
Pretty classy move from the Dodgers, who held an MLB-best 21-8 record at the start of play on Sunday.
Numerous Dodgers players spoke about Bryant's impact on society in the days following his death, including star pitcher Clayton Kershaw (via Karen Mizoguchi of People Magazine):
“What everybody said about him, you just felt that in the room,” Kershaw said of the Lakers icon following news of his tragic passing. “As far as his presence and just what he meant to this city. Being here now and playing sports here for the last 12 years, everybody talks about Kobe. That's like the guy. And so you feel for everybody. You feel impacted even though you didn't know him just like the millions of people that are watching him playing basketball. To his wife and daughters, I just feel terrible. I hope that they can find some comfort in the legacy he left and just the millions of people that he impacted.”
The sporting world has honored Bryant — who died in a helicopter crash in January — in a number of ways to commemorate his birthday.
This tribute from the Dodgers encapsulates what Bryant meant not only to the Lakers but to the City of Angels as a whole. Kobe might be gone, but his legacy will endure for years to come.
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