The Lakers threw Kobe Bryant a bit of a party on Monday night to celebrate his jersey(s) retirement against the Golden State Warriors. While the Dubs spoiled the party a bit with an overtime win, all eyes were on halftime as the Lakers put on a lengthy retirement ceremony that featured speeches from both Bryant and team president Major Johnson.
Though the spectre of replacing a player like Bryant still hangs over the franchise, celebrating his legacy in both 8 and 24 offered Magic and the Lakers a chance to talk about just how good the team has had it when it comes to franchise-altering talent over the last few decades.
Johnson called Kobe “the greatest to ever wear the purple and gold” which actually might be a bit of a slight to himself if you think about it. But the superlatives were out in full force for Kobe on Monday, and they were well-deserved. Johnson even said there will never be another player like Bryant again.
"We're here to celebrate the greatest ever to wear the purple & gold."@MagicJohnson on @kobebryant #Ko8e24 pic.twitter.com/phlltN64ot
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 19, 2017
“There will never be another Kobe Bryant,” Magic Johnson said. “This man has turned out to be the greatest we’ve ever seen.”
That may certainly be true. Kobe was unique in a lot of ways, both from the way he marketed himself to the utter drive he played with on the court. Other players have shared their Kobe stories and praised his game leading up to his retirement as well, and no one has said anything other than that he’s transcendent.
The future of the Lakers with Johnson at the helm is far from decided, but on Monday the franchise paused just long enough to look back and see how truly blessed they were to have Kobe around all those years.
