On Monday, December 18, 2017, the Los Angeles Lakers retired not one, but two of Kobe Bryant’s jerseys, numbers 8 and 24, respectively, in a ceremony held during halftime at the Lakers vs. Warriors game. Both Magic Johnson and Jeanie Buss gave heartfelt speeches about the man of the hour before the Black Mamba took the stage and gave an inspirational pep talk about his work ethic, journey and the people who’ve helped shape him into the man he is today.
It was a memorable night for fans, including me, to see Kobe back on the court one last time, albeit in a suit, and although the Lakers didn’t take home the win, Larry Nance Jr.’s dunk on Kevin Durant definitely made up for it. Check out the highlight if you missed it. You’ll thank me later.
Prior to the game, I caught the tail end of KOBELAND, a street festival celebrating Kobe’s jersey retirement, hosted by the Lakers. Activities included a giant Kobe-themed ferris wheel, games, merch and of course photo ops with the Kobe puppets.
Check out the photos of the festival and ceremony below…
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