The Los Angeles Lakers won their first NBA title in a decade and after doing so, they paid tribute to Kobe Bryant. Kobe was a five-time NBA champion, and in January of 2020, he was tragically killed in a helicopter crash alongside Gianna, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven others.
Kobe Bryant: An LA Lakers Legend
Bryant spent his entire NBA career with the LA Lakers and led them to their NBA title in 2010. Anthony Davis, who plays for the Lakers as a forward, mentioned that he knew Kobe was looking down on the team and was super proud. He also said that the team missed Kobe and that they won the title for him.
The Lakers played against the Miami Heat and were able to seal the deal on a 4-2 series win by finishing the game 106-93. The team is now tied with the Boston Celtics for having the most NBA championships — 17 total.
Anthony Davis added that he had a lot of confidence in his team and the organization to go out and win the championship this year. Several times throughout the playoffs, the Lakers played in “Black Mamba” jerseys, which was Kobe Bryant’s nickname.
Leaving Behind a Proud Wife and Fan Base
Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, posted to her Instagram story a photo of her husband alongside Pelinka and wrote that she wished Kobe and Gigi were still here to see this moment.
Lakers fans went out into the LA streets to celebrate the win, and many wore Kobe Bryant’s jersey numbers — both 8 and 24. They took photos next to giant Kobe murals and chanted both his and Gianna’s names.
Rajon Rondo, another fellow Laker teammate, said that winning for Kobe has been on his mind for a long time and that competing with him helped him learn and understand a lot about the game.
He said that he knew Kobe was smiling down on them.