Just eight days worth of games left for number 24, Kobe Bryant. One of the Los Angeles Lakers and NBA’s top five, dead or alive, greatest of all-time is about to put his classic court career in a casket.
Can you fathom?
Well you better believe it. Because whether you like it or not it’s coming like father time or the end of the year exam. Time to swat up. Because one Flash of a block aside the only Kobe action we got from the Black Mamba in just 9 minutes was a trademark fadeaway over rejuvanated All-Star Dwyane Wade, as Bean and the Miami Heat great friend/rival legend met for the last time ever before dinner with Gabrielle Union.
Still two points was all the California club needed to win as the Florida side took their talents to STAPLES and were stamped and handed a 102-100 return ticket to American Airlines.
But it was sophomore stud Julius Randle (a lucky 13 points) who’s clutch drive, spin and lay-in bucket clutched the W for the Lake Show beautifully after their defence tried to contain Miami’s red hot number 3 (26 points and 10 boards) from downtown for over four quarters.
But with Kobe mummified on the bench the Lakers managed to wrap up the W thanks to their young talent of the future sparking up like L.A.’s WNBA sister team. From Larry Nance’s signature dunks to Jordan Clarkson (26 points too) autographing the hardwood with a fresh dome cut wrapped up with a purple headband to go with his gold. Even Brazilian God Marcelo Huertas was getting it in. From a rainbow raindrop in Southern Cali’, to the Shaqtin’ steal of the year as he hid behind Miami coach Spo and went after the ball like a dog after the mailman, as the Big Diesel’s former teams faced off like Cage and Travolta.
Forget a face swap app, the Twitter trend thats had the social media hash-tags going crazy was the news that rookie sensation D’Angelo Russell had a video of unaware teammate Nick Young revealing he had seen another girl behind rapping fiancee Iggy Azalea’s back leaked online (Russell who had 11 has no idea how). Feeling a violation of trust and boos too the Lakers new number 1 says he felt “sick” at what has happened and wants to “earn” his teams respect again. A team that will one day be his burdened shoulders to lead once Kobe leaves with an M.J. shrug.
Still Nick Young’s zero and D’Angelo’s 1 still managed to sit next to each other as the Lakers overcame all the Hollywood drama distractions and went out fighting against the Heat as a team.
As Kobe advised, “Adversity is always tough, especially with a group of young guys. There’s always light, even when it’s the darkest. Even when you can’t see it at all.”
Need anymore proof? Did you see the former Heat and Laker player who was sitting courtside getting greeted by owner Jeanie Buss and Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as well as everyone in attendance cheering his name in standing ovation?
Lamar Odom!
Like Kobe called it this tremendous moment was a “miracle”!
Time for another…