LeBron James and Anthony Davis were leading the Lakers on a championship charge in 2020 when they found out that Kobe Bryant had passed away in January 2020. Their emotional reaction to the news was made public by James and Davis in a video, where Anthony revealed he told LeBron about the news.
Anthony Davis: “Kobe just died. ‘Bron is knocked out, and I’m like, ‘Bron! Bron!’ He wakes up and I said, ‘Bro, Kobe died.’ He said, ‘Kobe who?’ I’m like, ‘Kobe Bryant. Him, Gigi.'”
LeBron James: “Anthony looked like somebody pulled his soul from him. Nobody had their color. We all, all of us just broke down in tears.”
Hearing players react to Kobe & Gigi's passing pic.twitter.com/ZaOONBjbTy
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) April 1, 2024
The loss of Kobe Bryant broke the entire basketball world, as fans and athletes continue to mourn Bryant’s tragic passing to this day. The loss of his 14-year-old daughter Gianna was arguably even more heartbreaking, as Kobe was preparing his daughter to follow his steps and become a professional player.
The impact of Kobe’s loss was felt deeply by the Lakers organization, with stars like LeBron James boasting a strong personal relationship with Bryant. They did manage to win the 2020 Championship for Kobe, but even they would trade that championship in if it meant Kobe would be with us still.
The Last NBA Game Kobe Bryant Attended
Kobe Bryant’s final NBA game as a viewer came in December 2019, as he sat courtside with Gianna to watch Luka Doncic in his sophomore season take on the title-contending Lakers with LeBron and Anthony Davis. Doncic was leading the Mavs as a shocking success story, emerging as an MVP candidate in his second year in the NBA.
Kobe and Gianna took an iconic picture at the game together.
https://twitter.com/timecaptales/status/1774938731092291880
Kobe had said that Luka was Gianna’s favorite player and that the pair made sure they came to watch the Lakers when Dallas was in town. Bryant even heckled Doncic from the sideline, speaking in Slovenian and confusing Doncic before he realized who decided to trash-talk him.
LUKA on the heckling fan at the Lakers/Mavs game: “He was talking Slovenian. So I was like, 'Who's talking my language?' I saw Kobe and was really surprised." 💜💛
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 23, 2023
Kobe’s trash-talk might have been effective, as the Lakers won that game 108-95. Doncic put up 19 points, still proving to the NBA that he’s a bonafide superstar at the age of 20 instead of being another flash-in-the-pan. Kobe clearly respected Doncic’s game, even when Luka was just breaking out as an NBA star.
Bryant had a whole host of young players dominating the NBA right now after having worked alongside him or referred to him as their mentor. Players like Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, and Kyrie Irving headline this group, but Bryant’s impact was felt all around the NBA.
We would have loved to see Kobe continue attending Lakers games until his old age, but life is so cruel that we won’t be able to experience that. No matter how hard it’s been for fans, it’s harder on the Bryant family, though Vanessa Bryant is doing everything to make sure their children continue to be taken care of, with Pau Gasol also stepping in to make sure the daughters fulfill the potential Kobe knew they had.
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