There is no denying the impact Kobe Bryant had on the generation of basketball players that came after him. Kobe came into the league in 1996, and within 6 years, he had become an All-Star and a 3-time NBA champion. Given how young he was, the way he inspired the coming generations was truly incredible.
When Kobe Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016, it was a truly historic moment. One of the greatest players in the history of the NBA was walking away from the game, and several players who were inspired by Kobe attempted to pay tribute to him in different ways. Three all-time great NBA players chose to throw Kobe a retirement party.
Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony hosted a retirement party for Kobe Bryant. During the party, all three players took turns talking about what Kobe meant to them and how much they loved and admired him. They also gave Kobe some gifts, throwing in quite a few jokes at Kobe’s expense as they were getting ready to celebrate the career of one of the best ever.
Part 2 of 2. pic.twitter.com/J6fbuQ6Snc
— 𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙗𝙝 ⁶𓅓 (@OVOLakeShow) March 17, 2022
Chris Paul: “The one thing we all have in common, is that at some point in our career, we just wanted to earn his respect.”
Dwyane Wade: “When I came into this league 13 years ago, my goal was to have one person in the NBA look at me as an equal. And it was the best two-guard in the game, Kobe Bryant.”
Carmelo Anthony: “I want to thank Kobe for allowing us to do this. It was important for us to be able to have a moment to thank him and appreciate him. One of our favorite players… “
There were a lot of kind words exchanged, and it was a wonderful night. 3/4th of the Banana Boat Crew wanted to give Kobe his flowers, and share the respect and admiration they had for Kobe, not just as a colleague, but as a role model who inspired them.
Kobe was playing some of the best basketball of his career while these players were in their formative years, and many of them modeled their game after him. All three players had gotten close with Kobe during their time together at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where they were part of the ‘Redeem Team’ that won the Gold Medal.
