It's now been well over two years since the great Kobe Bryant tragically passed away. However, there's no denying that his untimely death and his legacy continue to have a lasting impact on the Los Angeles Lakers to this very day.

Team owner Jeanie Buss, who herself was very close to Kobe, recently spoke out about how challenging it was to deal with her good friend's passing. The Lakers governor admitted that it was an extremely tough time for her on a personal level. However, this tragedy also brought out the true colors of Lakers Nation (via Scooby Axson of USA TODAY):

“It's been really tough. With some high points and some of the lowest points that I have ever experienced,” she said.

“What I have learned through the adversity was when we faced the loss of Kobe and Gianna Bryant, the question was, ‘How are we going to play basketball?' We come together and we grieve together. That's what ‘Lakers Nation' does. And that's the power of sports in our society.”

To this very day, Lakers fans everywhere continue to grieve the passing of Kobe Bryant and his loving daughter Gianna. At the same time, we also celebrate the life that he lived and the iconic mark that he left not only on the organization but on the game of basketball as well.

Through Buss' leadership (and a little bit of help from a guy named LeBron James), the Lakers took home the title in 2020 — just nine months after Kobe's death. Right now, the Purple and Gold are hoping to honor the Black Mamba's legacy as they hunt for championship No. 18.