Touching video, tears of players and emotional speech of James: how the Lakers said goodbye to Kobe Bryant

In Los Angeles, the Staples Center sports complex hosted the first Lakers match after the death of basketball player Kobe Bryant. In connection with the tragic death of the legendary athlete, the leadership of the National Basketball Association gave the team time to recover and rescheduled the meeting scheduled for January 29 with “Clippers”. Thus, the guests from Portland became witnesses of farewell to the Black Mamba.

The ceremony lasted about 25 minutes, during which the fans who appeared in the stands could honor the memory of the five-time NBA champion and team symbol. To do this, the organizers invited them to wear commemorative T-shirts with the name and numbers of Bryant, which were placed on the backs of chairs. On the front was the number “8”, under which Kobe spent the first half of his career, and on the back - the number “24”.

The first on the site was singer Asher, who performed a song in honor of Bryant. By this moment, two large wreaths in the form of sportsman’s game numbers have already appeared on the floor. After a touching video in memory of Kobe was demonstrated to the accompaniment of a cello in the arena. The main moments of his career were shown on the screen, starting with his appearances for Low Marion School, ending with his last NBA match and the Academy Award for the best animated short film. The video included cutting the best moments of his performances, accompanied by comments from the athlete himself.

The video was replaced by a moment of silence in memory of the two-time Olympic champion and all the victims of the helicopter crash in Kalabasas. Moreover, its duration was also symbolic - 24.2 seconds. In addition, two T-shirts were hung on the front row: one was the Lakers with number 24, and the other was Mamba Akademi (Bryant's basketball school, where his daughter Gianna, who died with him, was training) with the number “2 ".

After the traditional performance of the anthem, the Lakers leader LeBron James addressed the fans with a speech. Like his partners, he struggled with emotions. First, LeBron paid tribute to all those who died in a plane crash, after which he turned to fans of Bryant. Forward admitted that it would be disrespect for the fans to read a piece of paper. Therefore, he threw away the note and declared that he intended to speak from the heart.

“I know that someday Kobe will definitely erect a monument. But I perceive tonight as a celebration. We commemorate how Kobe shed blood, sweat and tears on this floor for 20 years, completely exhausted, his ups and downs. Endless hours on the site, his desire to achieve the highest possible heights. Tonight, we pay tribute to the boy who came here at age 18, completed his sports career at 38 and the last three years was perhaps the best father in the world, ”said James.

It is noteworthy that on the floor LeBron appeared in Nike Kobe 5 sneakers, specially made in memory of Bryant. In a similar version of the shoe, Kobe himself performed in 2009 - 2010.

“The first thing that came to mind: the family is the main thing. Looking around this arena, I see sorrow, pain and broken hearts. But in such difficult moments, it is better to just lean on the shoulders of loved ones. I heard about the cohesion of the Lakers players and fans, that this is a family, even before joining the team last year. I am convinced of this all week, from Sunday morning until this very moment. And this concerns not only athletes, coaches and organizations, but absolutely everyone, ”continued James.

Given the long-standing friendship between LeBron and Kobe, it is easy to understand his emotions. For 13 years, athletes opposed each other in NBA matches, but at the same time twice defended the colors of the US national team. Together, James and Bryant won two Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012.

“Kobe is like a brother to me. He followed his career from afar when he was at school, and then, at the age of 18, having got into the NBA, he watched his game closely. Throughout my career, we have often been adversaries, but one thing we definitely had in common was the desire to win and be great, ”said the three-time NBA champion.

To top it off, James promised that he would do his best to continue the Lakers' victorious traditions in memory of Bryant.

“The fact that I'm here now means a lot to me. My teammates and I want to carry the legacy of Bryant not only this year, but as long as we can play basketball, which we all love so much. Kobe would like that. ” At one time he said: "Mamba is gone." And we say: "He is not forgotten." You will remain in our hearts, brother, ”James concluded.

However, this did not end there. In memory of the five-time NBA champion, the announcer at the stadium announced each of the Lakers starting lineup by his name, which caused a stormy reaction from fans. And already during the game from the stands the chants “Kobe! Kobe! ”

It is not surprising that the leaders of the Western Conference could not properly tune in to a game with a strong opponent and suffered a second defeat in a row. The meeting ended with a score of 127: 119 in favor of Portland, and Damian Lillard was the most productive. The defender of the guests chalked up 48 points, which was a unique achievement. So, he became the first NBA player in history to assemble a collection of more than 35 points, five rebounds, five assists and five exact three-pointer over five games.

It is noteworthy that before the match, Lillard posted a photo on Instagram, which depicts the empty staples of the Staples Center, decorated with Bryant shirts.

“We play in his honor,” he wrote.

As part of the Lakers, Anthony Davis was the most productive, scoring 37 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and five block shots. During the ceremony, he also could not hold back his tears, and after the match he admitted that he played as Kobe would have liked from him.

At the same time, purple-gold coach Frank Vogel admitted that for the past week, players have been trying to come to terms with Bryant's departure.

“Basketball is our salvation. I believe that for the guys there is nothing better than being here, competing, abstracting and doing what they love most, ”concluded Vogel.