An All- Star swan song for Bryant
Kobe will be in spotlight during his 18th and final midseason showcase
TORONTO — Kobe Bryant answered questions in Spanish and Italian, raved about Canadian hospitality and showed off knowledge of both Greek basketball and English soccer. He announced plans to go to the Philippines and Taiwan, thanked fans from Japan and even asked a reporter how to say a phrase in Mandarin. It all made perfect sense. The basketball world belongs to Bryant, at least for one more weekend.
About 750 million people around the globe are expected to follow the NBA All- Star Game on Sunday in one form or another, and it’s a safe guess most will do so to keep a keen eye on Bryant’s final appearance in the league’s midseason showcase. His farewell season now officially starting to wind down, the Los Angeles Lakers’ star was the center of attraction at media day Friday — and seemed most appreciative.
“I just feel very blessed to be able to play so many years, man,” Bryant said. “Twenty years is a long time, so I feel very good about it.”
Bryant was the leading vote- getter in the fan balloting that chose the starting lineup for the game, a lifetime achievement award more than anything related to his play this season. At 37 years old, he’s obviously not the same player he was when he was helping the Lakers win five championships, though during the season he’s shown flashes of what made him one of the game’s all- time elite.
Bryant said he’d be fine playing 10 minutes Sunday.
Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant isn’t buying that one.
“We definitely want to send him off on a good note,” Durant said. “We know he’s going to be super competitive.” It is a festive sendoff, for certain. Dozens of media members staked out space around Bryant’s podium long before he started speaking Friday, though some just wanted to take selfies with him in the background. Bryant was a featured panelist at the NBA’s technology summit earlier in the morning to share ideas with league executives and others, and has his wife and their two daughters in Toronto so the whole family can bask in the celebrations.
“This is pretty cool,” Bryant said. “I’m looking around the room and I’m seeing guys that I’m playing with that are tearing the league up that were like 4 formy first All- Star Game. . . . How many players can say they played 20 years and actually have seen the game go through three, four generations? It’s not sad at all. I’m really happy and honored to be here and see this.” So were his All- Star peers. Cleveland’s LeBron James still might be the best player in the world, Miami’s Dwyane Wade has more championship rings than any other All- Star this year besides Bryant, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are getting the hometown support and Golden State’s Stephen Curry is the reigning MVP for a team that won last year’s title.
But they all know the spotlight is going to be on No. 24.
“I think it’s going to be special,” said James, who got Bryant’s sneakers autographed after the Lakers visited Cleveland earlier this week for his own trophy case. “Not only formyself, but for the fans here and for all of Kobe’s fans.”
As far as All- Star selections, only Kareem Abdul- Jabbar has more than Bryant’s 18.
“I know it will kind of be bittersweet for a lot of people, but it should be celebrated like it will be,” said Miami’s Chris Bosh, who was slated to play in the All- Star Game but withdrew Friday afternoon with a calf injury.