Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers received their championship rings on Tuesday night, but the absence of the late Kobe Bryant loomed large over the ceremony at Staples Center.
Sure enough, Black Mamba's memory was present in the thoughts of LeBron, who earned his first ring as a Laker over the summer after leading the franchise to its 17th NBA championship in the NBA bubble.
On Wednesday, James posted a rendered image on Instagram imagining a proud Bryant being on hand to present the Lakers with their rings.
“What I felt last night when I grabbed that ring from the case. Love and miss you my brother!!!! #Mama4Life” LeBron James captioned the post along with the numbers “8-24” in Kobe Bryant's honor.
View this post on Instagram
The recent title marked James' fourth ring overall, one behind Bryant.
Upon reaching the Finals in September, James spoke on the legacy Bryant left with the Lakers franchise and beyond.
“Every time you put on purple and gold, you think about his legacy and what he meant to this franchise for 20-plus years. … Just that drive to always want to be victorious. It stops you from sleeping. You sacrifice a lot of things, you sacrifice your family at times, because you’re so driven to be so great that other things fall by the wayside at times.”
After the highs of the ring ceremony subsided, the Lakers—playing just two months after closing out the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Finals in the bubble—looked sluggish against the Los Angeles Clippers, falling 116-109.
James had 22 points on 7-for-17 shooting (3-for-8 from three), while adding five rebounds and five assists.
Bryant won five championships during his illustrious career with the Purple and Gold. The rest of the 2019-20 Lakers season was dedicated to Bryant after he, his daughter Gianna, and seven others tragically perished in a helicopter accident in January.
Follow Us
Subscribe