The NBA’s first-ever Rivals week comes to an end with the most iconic rivalry in the league, as the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. They are the two most successful franchises in the history of the NBA, and so many of the greats of the game have suited up for these teams.
One such individual was Kobe Bryant, who has gone down as one of, if not the greatest Laker ever. Things could have gone down quite differently, however, as the Celtics had brought Bryant in for a workout prior to the 1996 NBA Draft and did seriously consider selecting him, but they ultimately chose not to. Their loss was the Lakers’ gain, and Kobe would go on to inspire a whole generation of basketball players. One of the many to be inspired by Kobe is Jayson Tatum, and the Celtics star came to the arena for the game against the Lakers wearing a Kobe-Celtics shirt from his 1996 workout.
Jayson Tatum pulled up in a Kobe-Celtics shirt before tonight's game vs. the Lakers 🙌 pic.twitter.com/FpIFcjiCzB
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 29, 2023
Is Tatum trying to play some mind games? He could be, or it might just be his way of honoring his idol Bryant for this matchup. Kobe’s third death anniversary recently went by, and we have had a lot of players, including Kyrie Irving, pay tribute to him.
The Celtics Are Looking To Get Back On Track Here
The Celtics had bounced back from a rough stretch in mid-December by winning 9 in a row but have followed it up by losing 3 on the trot. With the Philadelphia 76ers breathing down their necks, the Celtics need to get back to winning ways, and they’ll be hoping to sweep the season series here.
They would be counting on Tatum, who has received a lot of MVP buzz throughout the season, to deliver the goods, and he did score 44 points in the first meeting between these teams. They might well need another epic performance from him to counter LeBron James, who has been on an absolute tear in recent weeks.
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