The Los Angeles Lakers have taken what seems like every opportunity to honor the late, great Kobe Bryant throughout what has been a dominant playoff run. One especially notable example came when Anthony Davis hit the game-winning 3-pointer against the Denver Nuggets and then shouted “Kobe” afterward.
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss shared her two cents on this development with The Athletic's Sam Amick, expressing how proud she is of her team for paying tribute to the fallen legend at every turn.
According to Buss, this was not planned out:
“This wasn’t created,” Buss explained. “This wasn’t something like, ‘Oh, the front office is now going to dedicate the season (to Bryant).’ This is completely organic. This is coming from the heart. You can’t write this, because this is who these players are.”
Buss then went on to discuss her own personal relationship with Kobe, and how she believes Bryant was also able to touch the lives of countless individuals throughout his life. It even took the Lakers owner by surprise:
“I know what my relationship was with Kobe, and how generous he was with his advice and his support of me personally,” Buss said. “I didn’t realize how much he gave to so many other people — of his time, of his wisdom. When you have the winner of the U.S. Open (Naomi Osaka) talking about her conversations with Kobe and how he inspired her, and people in other sports, and other countries. This is who Kobe was, and a reflection of how many lives he’s touched and will continue to touch.”
As they always say, everybody grieves in their own way. However, what is clear is that for most people who had the honor to cross paths with Kobe, he left a mark in their lives in one way or another. The Lakers legend's legacy will be felt forever:
“Grieving this loss is felt by everybody,” Buss continued. “Like, we all lost somebody who was a giving person and who stood for what somebody can accomplish with a mindset and a person that will be willing to do the work and work harder than everybody else and continue to push and challenge themselves. Those lessons that he taught us, and what he stood for, won’t disappear in time. He will forever be part of this franchise.”
It has been nine months now since Kobe and his daughter Gianna passed away in that tragic helicopter crash. However, it's hard to deny that stories such as these just bring back all the hurt from losing one of the greatest of all time.
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