On Wednesday, ex-NBA point guard Jalen Rose joined thousands of fans in TD Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
As a basketball veteran and a prominent voice on ESPN, he is a pretty well-known celebrity in the basketball world, and one lucky fan was fortunate enough to get a picture with the guy at some point during the night.
Unfortunately, Jalen Rose is also known for being the guy who let Kobe Bryant drop 81 on his head, and that reputation came back to haunt him when one heckler decided to roast Mr. Rose in the middle of his courtside photo.
“Smile if Kobe dropped 80,” said the fan, as Rose ignored him.
Jalen Rose let his opponent score the second-most points in NBA history, and it’s something that will forever be tied to his legacy. Most players would hate to be constantly reminded about the moment.
While Rose might not appreciate the jokes and trolls, he has been a pretty good sport about the 81-point game and even joked about it last year.
The former player-turned-analyst never forgot about that night or when Kobe ordered a martini with 81 olives after running into each other at a restaurant.
“How bout this, I saw Kobe after he dropped 81 on us at a restaurant and he ordered a martini with 81 olives,” Rose said last year.
This, however, is also a reference to Kobe joking with Rose in an excerpt from “Jalen vs. Everybody,“ where he orders that drink after greeting Jalen. That is one of the funniest videos in NBA history, showing how cool Rose and Bryant were despite all the jokes.
Sadly, Bryant passed away a few years ago so he’s not around to talk about his career anymore. But his friends, family, fans, and competitors all keep his memory and legacy alive with stories and tales of his life.
For Rose, his career will always be tied with Kobe’s (for all the wrong reasons), but he doesn’t seem to take it to heart. In fact, he probably admires Kobe just as much as the rest of us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9NILK4OXpo
