Kobe Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 seasons, leading the team to ultimate success time and time again. What’s wild is that the Lakers didn’t draft him directly, though, he was part of a trade with the Charlotte Hornets.
In any case, on July 11th, 1996, Kobe Bryant became a Laker. It has been exactly 27 years since that day, and NBA fans reacted to that milestone on social media.
On this day in '96: Kobe became a Laker. pic.twitter.com/FvmAfgj0MZ
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 11, 2023
The Los Angeles Lakers were a little lost after the Showtime team dissolved, but the arrival of Kobe Bryant alongside Shaquille O’Neal in 1996 changed everything for the team. As per one fan, Kobe changed the franchise’s history.
The greates Laker ever! A man who changed Lakers' history. #MambaForever https://t.co/LV9ScZFHD0
— Rafael Miravete (@R_Miravete) July 11, 2023
It has been over three years since Bryant passed away tragically in a helicopter crash. And one fan mentioned how it is still hard to believe after all this time.
https://twitter.com/sean_rohacik/status/1678855945340723201
Kobe Bryant achieved a lot playing for the Purple and Gold, he won nearly every accolade there is to with the team. And as one fan said, the mark he left wasn’t just on the Lakers’ franchise, but the game of basketball.
HIStory.
Can’t mention the game of basketball without bringing his name up. Special player.
Black Mamba ♾️ https://t.co/Iqaqq7I2Lh
— Ant DeShields Jr (@ToneDesh) July 11, 2023
Like with any other legend, there is a lot of talk about where they rank all-time, what they achieved, and all of that. But with Kobe’s untimely passing, things have changed for Lakers fans, who now look at his legacy as a human, emotionally more than anything else.
We love you forever, Kobe
💜💛 https://t.co/YSICti6b8p
— joshua (@joshuarmcgee) July 11, 2023
Kobe Bryant Achieved Nearly Everything With The Los Angeles Lakers
There is a strong reason Kobe Bryant’s name is in the GOAT conversation, and that is because he won nearly everything there is to win as a Laker. He got five championships in total, winning Finals MVP during two of those runs, to go along with an MVP award. Bryant made the All-Star team 18 times, had 15 All-NBA selections, and led the league in scoring two times as well.
Since 2000, the Lakers have won five championships, no other franchise has won more during that time. That is a part of Kobe’s legacy, he brought the Lakers into the 21st century as the definition of success. Both his numbers were retired by the team, and he also made it to the Hall Of Fame. What makes it perfect, though, is that Kobe himself never claimed to be the greatest Laker ever. He was truly special.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTTWedyp37o
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