Kobe will dominate again at NBA All-Star weekend
CHICAGO - A few blocks from Chicago’s United Center, a sprawling mural depicting the late Kobe Bryant looms over a nondescript city street, his intense gaze surrounded by Laker purple and gold catching the eyes of motorists as they drive by in the frigid air.
The portrait, which popped up after the former Los Angeles Lakers star and his 13-year-old daughter were killed in a helicopter crash, is a solemn reminder of the shadow his death has cast over the 2020 NBA All-Star weekend.
The event, hosted this year by Chicago, is normally a festive occasion for both the players and fans who love the game.
But at this year’s 69th annual rendition, which culminates on Sunday with an exhibition game featuring the sport’s best players, the celebrations are likely to be muted as the National Basketball Association pays homage to a fallen star.
“It’s still fresh for everybody,” said Jesse Sims, a 33-year-old truck driver who wore a Bryant jersey as he stood in line waiting to get into a pre-game
NBA event. “It’s going to be heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.”
Tributes to Bryant, both planned and spontaneous, are expected to be the highlights of a weekend loaded with events designed to showcase the skills and personalities that have made NBA basketball one of the world’s most popular sports.
The weekend officially tips off in Chicago, which last hosted an NBA AllStar game in 1988, on Friday evening with the NBA Rising Stars game, featuring promising young players.
It continues on Saturday night with the Slam Dunk and 3-point Shot contests. There is also a Skills Challenge featuring ball-handling, passing and shooting.
“You still have a lot of sad and somber people. It’s a bittersweet moment,” said a 26-year-old woman who goes by the name J Monet. She wore a Lakers cap and bright yellow lipstick as she shopped along Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile.
Players in Sunday’s All-Star game will wear No. 2 jerseys to honor Gianna Bryant, who wore that number when she played basketball in her father’s Mamba Sports Academy.