China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Elation of champions
The Los Angeles Lakers dedicated their NBA Finals victory Sunday to the late Kobe Bryant, whose death in a helicopter crash in January united and motivated the team in a year full of challenges.
Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others died in the crash near Los Angeles, sending shockwaves through the NBA world and beyond.
Bryant won five championships in 20 seasons with the Lakers and is considered one of the sport’s alltime greats.
“Ever since the tragedy, we wanted to do it for him, and we didn’t want to let him down,” said Anthony Davis, who was Bryant’s teammate on the 2012 Olympic team, after the Lakers’ Game 6 victory over the Miami Heat.
“I know he’s looking down on us and proud of us, I know Vanessa (Bryant’s wife) is proud of us, the organization is proud of us. It means a lot to us.
Vanessa Bryant said she wished her husband and daughter could have been present while she was congratulating the Lakers after they beat Miami Heat 106-93 to win their 17th NBA Championship on Sunday.
“Go Lakers! Wish Kobe and Gigi were here to see this,” wrote Vanessa Bryant in a post on Instagram that included a photograph of her late husband and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.
“Congratulations Uncle P! Congratulations @lakers Kobe was right, RP!” she added. “Stay the course — block out the noise.”
Bryant was never far from the minds of the players during their more than three-month stay inside the NBA’s bio-secure bubble at Disney World in Florida.
Late in Sunday’s game the players could be heard breaking the huddle with the cry of “One, two, three, Mamba!” referring to Bryant’s nickname.
Back in Los Angeles, fans poured into the streets chanting “Kobe! Kobe!”
Team President Jeanie Buss acknowledged the bittersweet nature of celebrating the franchise’s first title since 2010 without Bryant, who took home the Finals MVP honors that year.
“To Lakers nation, we have been through a heartbreaking tragedy with the loss of our beloved Kobe Bryant and Gianna,” she said.
“Let this trophy serve as a reminder of when we come together, believe in each other, incredible things can happen.”
Seventy-six people were arrested and more than 30 buildings and businesses were damaged when a Los Angeles downtown celebration turned chaotic, police said Monday.
Causes for the arrests included failure to disperse, vandalism and assault on a police officer.
Eight officers were treated for injuries and three members of the crowd were taken to hospitals after being injured by so-called less lethal munitions fired by officers, a police statement said.
The celebration by about 1,000 people was initially largely peaceful but “unruly individuals” mixed into the crowd and threw glass, bottles, rocks and other projectiles at officers, police said.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti had discouraged public gatherings to celebrate the win, instead urging fans to cheer on the team from home.
“As we cheer our @Lakers’ 17th championship, please remember it’s still not safe to gather in groups,” the mayor tweeted, in reference to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Having wrapped up a season that was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver readily admits he has no idea when the next NBA game will take place.
First thoughts were late November or Christmas Day, but Silver said last month in an interview with CNN the likelihood of a regular season starting before January 2021 was highly unlikely due to the pandemic.