All-stars slated to wear Nos. for Bryants
NBA All-star Game tributes to Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and all of the victims in a helicopter crash Sunday continue to take shape with the jersey details for both teams revealed for the Feb. 16 contest at Chicago.
Every player on Team Lebron, captained by Lebron James of the Lakers, will wear a jersey with the No. 2 in honour of 13-yearold Gianna Bryant, who wore the number in youth league games.
Team Giannis, captained by Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, will have its players wear No. 24, one of two numbers Bryant wore during his decorated NBA career.
Both teams will wear a jersey patch that will have nine stars to represent all nine victims of the crash that occurred on a hillside last weekend at Calabasas, Calif.
During the Rising Star game on Feb. 14, players will wear a patch with the Nos. 2 and 24, surrounded by nine stars. That patch will also be worn by participants in the Feb. 15 skills challenge, three-point shooting contest, and dunk contest.
The nine-star patches will represent Kobe and Gianna Bryant as well as John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan, all of whom were headed to a youth basketball game before their helicopter went down in foggy conditions.
Another Bryant tribute at the all-star festivities is related to the game.
At the end of the third quarter, a 24 will be added to the score of the team that is in the lead. The first team to reach that number will be declared the winner.
Bryant, who died at the age of 41, was an 18-time allstar during his 20 seasons in the NBA. He scored 290 points in all-star competition, including 31 during the 2001-02 season when he was named the game’s MVP for the first time. He earned four All-star Game MVP Awards in his career.