The day Lakers fans have long been waiting for finally came on Monday, as Kobe Bryant's jerseys were officially retired by the Purple and Gold. Both jersey No. 8 and No. 24 are now up in the rafters of Staples Center, along with the other greats of the franchise.
Forever immortalized đ#Ko8e24 pic.twitter.com/qB3HaO9rRs
â Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 19, 2017
The ceremony, which took place during halftime of the game between the Lakers and Golden State Warriors, started with a video tribute for The Black Mamba, which depicted the story of his journey to greatness.
The team's president of basketball operations, Magic Johnson, then took centerstage to give a powerful speech for Kobe Bryant, recalling some of the most memorable moments he had during his playing days.
Then it was team owner Jeanie Buss' turn to speak after, where she talked about what the five-time champion brought to the game and to the Lakers.
With both his jerseys now officially retired, Bryant will forever be immortalized as an all-time great and a legend of the Lakers as well. The festivities was done in front of a sold out Staples Center, with a number of his former teammates and Hall of Famers also in attendance, who all took turns in congratulating him following the ceremony.
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