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Kobe Bryant day: Lakers and Los Angeles honor former NBA star

Both Los Angeles (in 2016) and Orange County (earlier this month) declared August 24 as Kobe Bryant Day in homage to the two numbers – 8 and 24 – that Bryant wore throughout his NBA career. Both of his jersey numbers have been withdrawn by the Lakers.
Sunday would have been Bryant’s 42nd birthday, and many, including Bryant’s widow Vanessa, posted heartfelt messages to commemorate his life.

Here’s a look at how the 18-time All-Star is awarded.

The city of Los Angeles

Los Angeles city council member Herb J. Wesson Jr. announced that the city would rename a portion of Figueroa Street near the Staples Center with the name of Bryant in his honor. The stadium has often been referred to as the “House built by Kobe”.

“Figueroa Street will soon become Kobe Bryant Boulevard between Olympic (Boulevard) and (Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard),” Wesson tweeted.

“Kobe’s legacy is bigger than basketball. #KobeBryantBlvd will be a reminder to everyone, young and old, who lead it, there are no obstacles too big and that with # Mambamentality, anything is possible.”

“The championship parade after the championship parade, Kobe Bryant led the procession along Figueroa St, from MLK to Olympic,” Wesson wrote in another tweet, adding that the new road would be “COMING SOON”.

The Lakers

The Lakers will wear special black Nike jerseys that Bryant helped design during the team’s Game 4 match against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.

The jerseys were originally released in 2017 and feature a snakeskin-like print along with a special patch dedicated to Bryant’s daughter Gianna who wore the number 2 during her basketball career.

Bryant, who has won two Olympic gold medals, played his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers and won five NBA championships.

Nike

Nike kicked off its “Mamba Week” on Sunday by releasing a commercial titled “Better / Mamba Forever”.

The commercial, narrated by rapper Kendrick Lamar, features clips of Bryant along with Nike-sponsored athletes and others who have been inspired by him.

“Kobe taught us to be better,” Lamar says in the video. “Better leader, better generation, better nation. Just be better. Can you do it? … Better me, better you, better us.”

Nike said it will also release a series of special Kobe Protro sneakers, and the company has made a $ 1 million donation to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.

The foundation was created in honor of Bryant and his daughter. Its mission is to make a positive impact through sport, according to Nike.

Former teammates

Pau Gasol and Shaquille O’Neal, two former team-mates of Bryant’s Lakers, also posted tributes to their friend on social media.

“The most important thing is to try to inspire people so they can be great at whatever they want to do.” 8/24. Happy Kobe Bryant Day #MambaDay, “Gasol, who won two NBA championships with Bryant in 2009 and 2010, wrote on Instagram.
Gasol also posted on Bryant’s birthday Sunday, sharing a photo of the two of them on both Twitter and Instagram: “With tears in your eyes today … I wish you were here celebrating your birthday with your girls and your family. I miss you so much brother and Gigi. I will always be grateful for how much you have influenced my life in so many different ways. “

O’Neal, who played with Bryant on the Lakers from 1996 to 2004, also posted a video on Sunday – which features clips from their days together with the Lakers – on Sunday.

“Happy birthday Kobe,” he wrote. “They couldn’t stop REIGN.”

Other LA teams

The Los Angeles Dodgers paid tribute to Bryant from wearing his jersey to Sunday’s game.
The team also debuted with a commemorative video narrated by legendary retired Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully.
Other LA teams – including the Sparks, Kings is Galaxy – also shared birthday messages on social media.

Eric Levenson of CNN contributed to this report.

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