Lakers To Honor Kobe Bryant In His Final Game

Due to Magic Johnson’s abrupt retirement in 1991, the Los Angeles Lakers did not get to pay tribute to one of the game’s all-time legends.

Lakers To Honor Kobe Bryant In His Final Game

Veteran NBA player Kobe Bryant, however, will be honored in his final game, when the Lakers play the Utah Jazz at the Staples Center in L.A. on Wednesday.

Lakers co-owner and president Jeanie Buss said she is happy Bryant will be honored. “We had that opportunity with Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], but we didn’t have that opportunity with Magic,” Buss told ESPN on Tuesday. “After Magic retired and we struggled through the mid-’90s, I said to myself, ‘If I’m so fortunate to ever be graced by the presence of such talent, I will do everything that I can to honor that talent.’

Buss added that the team had already planned to honor Bryant in his 20th season, so only a slight change was necessary after Bryant announced in November that he would retire following the end of this season after 20 years with the Lakers, with whom he spent his entire NBA career.

“The goal was to celebrate 20 years of Kobe,” Buss stated. “To celebrate him and his career and what he’s meant to the fans, to the city, and just to the people who love him. Not just here but all over the world. It gave us an opportunity. When he decided to announce that he was retired, it was kind of like we already had these things in place anyway, and we just made it more about retirement.”

The Lakers will pay homage to Bryant in a video before the game and will also hold tributes at timeouts and breaks throughout the game. Bryant will also reportedly address the crowd following the game.

Buss also said she was particularly impressed with the NBA’s reception of Bryant, who has long been a polarizing player, throughout his farewell tour.

“It means everything,” Kobe said regarding how much it means to him to have had the career he did with the Lakers. “I grew up a die-hard Laker fan. It’s like a dream come true, for a kid to grow up, play for his favorite team and play here for 20 years, his entire career. I’ve seen the city grow. I’ve seen the city develop and vice versa. There’s no place I’d rather end my career.”

When asked how he felt heading into Wednesday’s home game, Bryant said: “Tough to say. We’ll see Wednesday. So far I’ve been pretty cool about everything. I’ve been very thankful about everything, been very happy about everything. It hasn’t really hit me yet. We’ll see if it does.”

The Lakers (16-65) have struggled this season, and are ranked 15th in the Western Conference. They have lost their last six games.