Lakers eternal star, Bryant was the greatest player of the 200s

Kobe Bryant is dead. Four unreal words that twisted the stomach of all NBA lovers on Sunday evening. The man of only one franchise, 20 years and five titles with the Lakers between 1996 and 2016, died at the end of the morning in a helicopter accident on the heights of Calabasas, a county of Los Angeles. At 41, Bryant was a true icon of the game, the only player to have had two jersey numbers removed, 8 and 24.

20 years with the Lakers

Those who were born a little late to take advantage of Jordan's arabesques consider it with a little bad faith as the best in history. It’s because they watched him with the eyes of love chaining incredible scoring performances, including a historic peak at 81 points one day in January 2006, a brand never reached by his majesty Jordan before him, nor by LeBron James after him.

LeBron, his successor in the purple and gold franchise, who had just, cruel coincidence of the calendar, to exceed him to the rank of 3rd best scorer in the history of the League the day before in Philadelphia, had paid him a vibrant tribute, without knowing it : “Kobe was immortal offensively because of his ability to score a lot. And here I am here in Philadelphia, wearing the same Lakers jersey. The universe sometimes causes these things… It's not supposed to have a meaning, but here it is, it just happens ”.

I'm crying bro. I really am. 😭 pic.twitter.com/Z2iSXtuaWs

Landed in the League without even going through the High School, Kobe Bryant had landed at the Lakers by the grace of an amazing exchange that will long regret the club Charlotte. Associated with the gigantic Shaquille O'Neal pivot, the "Black Mamba" quickly gained the reputation of a workaholic and a scorer unique in the League, at a time when the NBA still allowed the defenders to do their job. But three titles later, O'Neal left angry and left Bryant alone in the world in LA.

Best player of the decade 2000

This one often prefers to play against five, and one sometimes mocks his frenzied individualism, but the arrival of Pau Gasol allows him to reign again in the League, with two new titles in 2009 and 2010. It is the consecration for Kobe, designated player of the decade 2000 by the NBA. The result will be a little less happy for the double Olympic champion, until an end of career spoiled by a serious injury to the Achilles tendon in 2013.

I'm crying bro. I really am. 😭 pic.twitter.com/Z2iSXtuaWs

But because Kobe couldn't leave us like this, he struggles to return and offer an unforgettable evening in 2016 to a Staples Center conquered for the last game of his career against Utah. We remember it as if it were yesterday. 60 points and the shot of the win as in the big time. A video that we have already returned to see tears in our eyes three times.

World

Death of Kobe Bryant LIVE The ex-basketball star died this Sunday in a helicopter accident ...

• Lakers
• NBA
• Sport
• Kobe Bryant
• Basketball
• Disappearance