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Uzone.id – Kobe Bryant tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash, a heartbreaking event that shook the sports world. Throughout his career, his loyalty and dedication to the LA Lakers were nothing short of remarkable. Many even consider him to be on the same level as the legendary Michael Jordan.
His untimely passing left a significant void in the NBA, taking away one of its greatest legends. During his playing days, Kobe achieved incredible success, winning five NBA championships and earning two Finals MVP awards. He was also a fixture in the NBA All-Star team, making the roster an impressive 18 times.
Bryant’s achievements were all achieved with the Lakers. The player nicknamed Black Mamba is close to the Lakers. The reason is that this club from Los Angeles is the only club he has played for in the NBA for 20 years.
Born in Philadelphia on August 23, 1978, Bryant has joined the Lakers since he was 18 years old in the 1996-1997 season. The Lakers were attracted by Bryant’s talent after Joe Bryant’s son emerged prominently during his high school years with Lower Merion High School. He became the second youngest player to play in NBA history at that time.
Season after season, the Lakers jersey never left Bryant. He was very loyal to the Lakers both when the team was full of stars and when it was down.
His 20-year career with the Lakers ended in 2016 after he decided to retire. The Lakers then rewarded Bryant’s devotion by retiring the numbers 8 and 24 worn by the Black Mamba.
The Lakers seem to be truly inseparable from Bryant’s life. The day before he died, he still had time to watch the Lakers lose 91-108 to the Philadelphia 76ers in Philadelphia.
He saw firsthand that his score of 33,643 points in the NBA was surpassed by LeBron James. James overtook Bryant as the third-leading scorer in the NBA with 33,655.
Kobe Bryant Day
Kobe Bryant Day is celebrated every year on August 24. As the name suggests, this memorial aims to commemorate the figure of Kobe Bryant.
Often considered one of the best basketball players of all time, Bryant won five NBA championships, was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA Team, 12 All-Defensive Team, NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2008, and 2-time NBA Finals MVP. He scored the most at MBA over two seasons, ranking fourth on the all-time regular season scoring list and fourth on the all-time playoff scoring list.
At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals as a member of the US national team. Then, in 2018, Bryant won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for his film Dear Basketball.
NBA legend Michael Jordan said in an emotional speech at Bryant’s memorial: “When I knew him, I wanted to be the best brother I could. “I am inspired by what he has done and what he has shared with Vanessa and her children. When Kobe Bryant died, a part of me died too.” Jordan said.
Kobe Bryant’s Immortal Number
Kobe Bryant was synonymous with the number 8 jersey when he started his career at the Los Angeles Lakers. However, he then changed his jersey number to 24. Even though Kobe was very attached to the number 8 when he started his career with the Lakers.
With the number 8 on his back, Kobe scored a total of 16,777 points and won three consecutive NBA titles from 2000 to 2002. He also appeared eight times in the NBA All-Star game.
The number 8 was used because when he first joined the Lakers in 1996, George McCloud had worn the number 24 he had used since his high school career.
Initially, Kobe wanted to wear the number 33, which he also wore in high school, but that number was also retired in honor of Kareem Abdul-Jabar. Therefore, Kobe had to wait ten years before finally being able to wear number 24.
“When I first came and wore number 8, it meant I was trying to find myself. I had to prove to myself first that I belonged in this league. I had to prove that I was one of the best. You have to chase that. Non-stop and aggressive,” said Kobe about the number 8 he uses.
“Then from there, I was able to get number 24. Physical attributes were no longer important because I was getting older. Married, had children. I started to have a broader perspective because I was one of the senior players on this team, as opposed to the younger players. Everything has changed,” he continued.
While wearing number 24, Kobe did not lose his magic because he brought the Lakers to two championships in 2009 and 2010 was MVP of the Finals twice, and appeared 10 times in the All-Star.
Meanwhile, in terms of points, Kobe was more productive with 16,866 points and entered the list of the top three scorers of all time in the NBA, before being replaced by LeBron James.
