A Tuesday Night In Philly, With Kobe Bryant
- Updated: December 6, 2015
On Tuesday night in Philadelphia, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant made his final trip to the city where he was born. The game wasn’t what all Lakers fans were looking for, as the Philadelphia 76ers were coming into this game as the worst team in the NBA and was currently in the worst slide in pro sports history, which had reached 28 games without a victory.
The Sixers were celebrating two of the greatest players in NBA history on that night. Planned, was the life and career of Moses Malone, who passed away several months ago, and our own Kobe Bryant.
The fans in Philly are known for their appreciation for opposing players, booing them to no end, verbally abusing players while in their fields of play and applauding them while injured, but this night was totally different.
Philadelphia showed Kobe Bryant the honor and respect that he deserved, every time he stepped onto the court, which made me proud that they had the will to treat their native son with that respect.
Kobe Bryant looked great in the beginning,”Vintage Kobe,” hitting three-pointers like he had turned back the clock, as he had the look of a man on a simple mission, to rip out the hearts of his hometown once again. Unfortunately, the outcome wasn’t good, as the Sixers won for the first time this season and the Lakers were suffered their fifteenth loss of the season.
In general terms, the announcement of his retirement was something bittersweet for the millions of fans that loved him and followed his career. I can remember when he was just coming into the league, a flashy rookie, with a certain look and the demands and a hunger of a true champion and now, he’s considered one of the greatest of all times, with championships and many accolades to boot.
The media has really taken some of their frustrations out on him, before the announcement, he was the bulls-eye target to all of the Lakers woes, but he simply worked harder than any athlete, to return from two devastating season-ending injuries. His work ethic was gruesome and he never lacked in his will to return the franchise back to greatness, as we all have come to known.
The NBA will now have another torch passing at the end of the season, this time to LeBron James and Kevin Durant. The Lakers era has been enriched with great history and the question now is who is the next great Lakers player?
Father Time is truly undefeated, I can remember the playoff game in which the Lakers were losing and Kobe had the determination to bring his back by just unloading three-pointers, but the team was unsuccessful in their attempt to win. The loss to the Boston Celtics in 2008, was heartbreaking for the Lakers and their fans. When the cameras showed his emotions and expressions, we all knew that the next season was going to be something really special, and it was, his fourth championship ring, and the Lakers were back on top of the basketball world.
Not to forget the 81 point performance against Jalen Rose, Chris Bosh and the Toronto Raptors, on January 22, 2006. Remember the night he lit-up Madison Square Garden for 61 points on (GHD), February 2, 2009. My favorite game was in Philly, when he moved into 5th place on the all-time scoring list, passing the great Wilt Chamberlain, he was excellent that night.
Finally, we will always remember Kobe Bryant for the player he was, fierce, competitive, determined. It has been a true honor to have watched and a greater opportunity to have covered the Lakers and Kobe Bryant in this his final season on the hardwood. LEGENDS DESERVE RESPECT! And as for Kobe Bryant he has well-deserved and earned it. He is a basketball king, who is making his final trip around the country to give his loyal fans one final chance to him. He is finally going out on his own terms, doing what legends do, riding off into the sunset, with people for all generations, past, present and future to remembering his greatness. We at CaliSports News tip our hats to you Kobe. Good Luck and God speed in the future, Thank you Kobe.
Stay with us at Calisportsnews.com as we will keep you up-to-date on all things Los Angeles Lakers and the rest of the LA sports teams! All Cali, All the time!
Related Posts
About Lavoy Briscoe
