Top Kobe Bryant memories a year later
Seeing Devin Booker tearing up on the court before playing in Memphis is one of the first memories that jumps in my head when thinking about Kobe Bryant today.
I knew about the “Young Kobe” nickname and the “Be Legendary,” shoe signing, but to what depths Booker idolized Bryant was really unknown to me until then.
How he played hours after learning Bryant died in a helicopter crash Jan. 26, 2020 remains mind boggling be
cause I struggled covering Phoenix’s game against the Grizzlies at FedExForum that night.
Anger fully consumed me. In my mind, that should’ve never happened.
Lives are lost. Bryant's daughter, Gianna, is gone. Millions are in mourning.
I remained furious, but still had a job to do.
We all wanted to talk to Booker about Bryant’s death after the game, but the longer we waited, the more I felt this isn’t the right time to do this.
Rarely feel that way, but this was a rare situation here.
So I stepped away from outside the locker room to do something. Can’t remember what, but upon returning, someone said Booker had already left.
I looked down the hallway and saw him in line getting food before heading to the bus.
Suddenly, I started walking towards Booker trying to think of what to say. Then it hit me.
Be compassionate. Express sympathy.
I’ve lost people who mean everything to me, too.
So I put my arm around Booker’s waist and just gave him some consoling words.
Won’t share what I said.
That’ll always stay between he and I, but I knew that interview with Booker could wait.
Two days later, we talked with him about Bryant's death before Phoenix played at Dallas. Booker was still hurting, but better prepared to discuss the loss of his idol.
A month after that, Booker gave me a much more pleasant Bryant memory.
After attending Bryant’s memorial service Feb. 24, 2020, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Booker proceeded to score 24 points and make eight shots from the field to match Bryant’s NBA jersey numbers in an 131-111 win at Utah. Unbelievable, but so appropriate. I am thankful to have many more special memories of Bryant.
Here are a few.
First one
This skinny kid is standing at a podium inside his high school gym saying he's going straight to the NBA.
Students roar. He's grinning ear to ear, but come on now.
First off, those sunglasses? Uh no. Second, he’s not ready for the league. Sunglasses still a bad look, but Bryant became an all-time great.
'Check him out'
I still can hear Reggie Theus saying, "Check him out, check him out," after Bryant went between his legs for the jam in winning the 1997 dunk contest in Cleveland.
Still skinny as an 18-year-old rookie. Chest MIA, but steady scowling and flexing after the dunk.
Crowd roaring. R&B singer and Bryant’s prom date, Brandy, going crazy.
I’m like, I like this kid. He’s got swag.
No. 8 over No. 24
Suddenly, Bryant got full grown on us.
Bigger. Stronger. Filled out.
Suddenly, Bryant started looking more and more like his idol — Michael Jordan.
Same moves. Same mannerisms. He truly was trying to be like Mike. The only difference was Bryant wore No. 8 and rocked the baby afro. I preferred No. 8 Bryant.
No. 24 was more skilled, knew how to win, but No. 8 was raw and so explosive.
When Bryant confidently strutted into Continental Airlines Arena sporting the white Chicago Bulls’ Jordan jersey with the Lakers up 3-0 on the New Jersey Nets in the 2002 finals, break out the brooms.
Still can hear Brent Musburger saying, “He drives! One-handed jam! Kobe Bryant! And he made like No. 23.”
Sir Charles vs. Kobe
Bryant’s celebration of his buzzer beater to give the Lakers a 3-1 series lead on Phoenix in 2006 was vintage Kobe.
Yanking his jersey to the side to show his heart. Screaming.
Urging on the home crowd by beating his chest.
Still wearing that No. 8, too.
The Suns stormed back to win the first round series as Bryant took only three shots in the second half of Game 7.
Charles Barkley criticized Bryant for not taking the game over on TNT’s Inside The NBA.
Bryant didn’t like that. Hit Barkley up via text.
Days later, Bryant sat across from Barkley in Studio J in Atlanta. Must-see TV, but they kept it classy. Each one gave his side. Case closed, but Bryant did get the final parting shot.
As host Ernie Johnson began changing the subject, Bryant said, “Well, I’m not going to jump over the table and lump him on the side of the head or nothing like that.”
Did it twice without Shaq
After Boston beat the Lakers in the 2008 finals, O’Neal did this freestyle rap saying Bryant couldn’t win a title without him and delivered a disrespectful line.
“Kobe, tell me how my a-- taste.” O’Neal won his fourth ring in 2006 with Dwyane Wade in Miami, but I knew Bryant wouldn't rest until he won one without his former teammate.
Bryant ended up winning two backto-back (2009, 2010) with the second one coming against the Celtics, but I wanted to see Bryant and LeBron James meet in the finals.
I covered their battles in Cleveland those two years while working for the Erie Times-News. James led the Cavaliers to the NBA’s top record those two seasons, won league MVP honors both years, but lost to Orlando in the 2009 playoffs and Boston in 2010.
Got cheated out of a Kobe-LeBron finals.
Those Nike puppets commercials were cool, though.
Shhhhh
Bryant winning gold in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing took on greater meaning to me after talking with Jerry Colangelo about it.
The former Suns team owner said he had Bryant in his office after Bryant dropped 81, the second-most points ever in an NBA game, on Toronto.
He said Bryant 'wanted to in the worst way" be on Team USA.
"I put him on by saying, 'Look, we may want you to do something else rather than score," Colangelo recalls. "'We may need you to be the distributor' and he kind of looked at me funny and we smiled and he said, 'I'll do whatever you want. I just want to be part of it.'"
Bryant was clutch helping the “Redeem Team” close out Spain in the gold medal game as he knocked down big 3 late and gave the shhhh sign after being fouled on the shot.
Having never represented his country, Bryant was the difference from the 2004 team that won bronze to gold four years later.
“Mamba out”
My all-time favorite NBA color commentator — Hubie Brown — called the game for ESPN.
That just made watching Bryant score 60 in his final NBA game even more memorable.
Running on fumes, Bryant outscored Utah 23-21 in the fourth quarter as he hit the game winner with 31.6 seconds left at Staples Center — at age 37 in his 20th NBA season.
Come on now.
Just an epic performance with his wife Vanessa, their kids, O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Jack Nicholson and long list of who’s who going nuts with the fans.
Bryant closed out the night as only he could. “Mamba Out.”
Thanks for the memories, Kobe.