The Los Angeles Lakers recently revealed a statue of the late Kobe Bryant. The statue features Bryant standing and holding his finger in the #1 sign from his 81-point game, but the text below the NBA great is what has caught many fans’ attention. The text on the base of the statue includes the box score of the famous game but with multiple errors, specifically four names and words spelled incorrectly.

“We have been aware of this for a few weeks and are already working to get it corrected soon,” a Lakers spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.

Of the misspelling issues on the statute are the names of NBA players Von Wafer (spelled Vom Wafer) and Jose Calderon (spelled Jose Calderson). The term “DNP – Coach’s Decision” was also featured in the text for the game’s box score, but instead the word “decision” was misspelled as “decicion” twice. Though the statue was originally unveiled on Feb. 8, the errors were only noticed this week by a German basketball journalist.

The statue itself is a 19-foot tall depiction of Bryant in his #8 jersey following his legendary game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006, which currently sits outside of Crypto.com Arena. It is one of three statues that have been commissioned by the team in partnership with his wife, Vanessa Bryant. Of the other two, one will feature Bryant in the #24 jersey and the other will feature him with his late daughter Gianna.

Though the statue does contain multiple errors, another side of the base includes a quote from Bryant free of any misspellings or punctuation issues.

“Leave the game better than you found it,” it reads. “And when it comes time for you to leave, leave a legend.”

Following his 20-year career with the team, Bryant is the seventh individual to be represented in the Lakers’ Star Plaza. The only others with a statue are Chick Hearn, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal. 

A federal jury sided with Vanessa Bryant against Los Angeles County Wednesday, awarding Bryant $16 million in damages for the county’s handling of the deaths of her husband, Kobe Bryant, and 13-year-old daughter, Gigi Bryant. Bryant sued the county for recklessly distributing photos of her husband and daughter’s remains following a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020.

The jury also awarded co-plaintiff Chris Chester, who lost his wife and daughter in the crash, an additional $15 million. The trial lasted 11 days, completing a lawsuit first filed by Bryant and Chester in November 2021.

Lawyers representing the pair argued that they deserved financial accountability from the county after eight sheriff’s deputies at the scene took photos of the victims and sent them to friends and colleagues. One deputy privately referred to the victims as resembling “piles of meat.”

In an emotional testimony, Vanessa Bryant described the impact of the deputies’ actions following the death of her husband and daughter.

“I live in fear every day of being on social media and these popping up,” Bryant said. “I live in fear of my daughters being on social media and these popping up.”

Meanwhile, the county argued that the pictures were never published online and that there was no law at the time forbidding officers from taking private photos at the scene of an accident.

This defense was regularly undercut by circumstances surrounding the incident, however.

After discovering his deputies’ actions, sheriff Alex Villanueva made them delete all the photos they took and deemed their actions “inexcusable” in an interview with NBC News.

Villanueva later enacted a policy banning private photos at scenes of accidents or crimes, and the state senate made his policy law in December 2020.

Due to law enforcement’s response to the event, as well as Bryant and Chester’s claims of intense emotional distress, the jury chose to reward the plaintiffs with more than $30 million combined after a four-and-a-half hour deliberation.

Bryant and her lawyer declined to comment after the verdict was delivered, but Bryant later posted on Instagram calling for justice for her family. Chester’s lawyer merely expressed gratitude for a fair trial after the verdict.

The jury’s deliberation and verdict coincidentally occurred on August 24, recognized by many as Kobe Bryant Day in Los Angeles as a combination of his two numbers, 8 and 24. In addition to an outpouring of support for the Bryant family on social media, there were also many public demonstrations to honor the late NBA star and other victims.

The Los Angeles Lakers have a problem. It’s one that the organization has faced before. There’s never an elegant solution to this problem, and in this case, the magnitude of the decision could lead to phenomenal success or profound disappointment. Typical mediocrity isn’t in the cards when LeBron James is involved.

On Wednesday, James and the Lakers agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million extension, nearly making him the highest-paid player in the league at age 37. The deal also has a third-year option that could extend his contract past his 40th birthday. The projected yearly payout represents a pay raise for James, who signed a four-year deal worth $154 million in 2018.

Though James could not secure a no-trade clause, his reputation alone will keep him in Los Angeles for as long as he deems fit. This is the crux of the team’s problem. It is impossible for the Lakers to turn down one of the greatest NBA players of all time, but accepting his terms at his advanced age may cripple their championship pursuit for years to come. It’s the problem of the aging superstar.

An Unwanted Parallel

In 2014, the Lakers had a similar issue with 35-year-old Kobe Bryant, who was coming off an injury in the 2013-14 season which limited him to just six appearances. Unwilling to part with their superstar, the Lakers signed Bryant for two years and $48.5 million. He only appeared in 35 games the following season and never regained the level of performance that helped the team win back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. Instead, the Lakers compiled a 38-126 record across two seasons before Bryant retired in 2016. The team didn’t finish above .500 again until 2019.

It’s true that James’ situation with the Lakers isn’t identical to Bryant’s. While Bryant was already in the process of regressing before he signed his contract, James remains a dominant force when he’s on the floor. Like Bryant, however, James has had trouble staying healthy in recent years. Despite posting consistently high numbers, he has not appeared in more than 70 regular season games since 2018.

Following his latest contract, the Lakers also have far more money invested in James, nearly twice as much as Bryant at a similar point. If the 2022-23 season were to begin today, salaries for James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis would account for more than 100% of the team’s cap space. All three stars underwhelmed in one form or another last season, and James’ deal nearly ensures that Westbrook will be traded in the near future.

A Tale Of Two Lakers Teams

Sometimes, paying aging superstars has proved to be a winning decision for the Lakers. In the late 1980s, the team paid Kareem Abdul-Jabbar nearly as well as younger star Magic Johnson and the duo won three championships together between 1985 and 1988. Though he wasn’t in his prime, the team still had the components necessary to win.

But the circumstances surrounding James’ contract more closely resemble those of Bryant than of Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar. The Lakers are not in the midst of a dynastic run. They couldn’t play well enough last season to make the playoffs, and beyond a championship win in the bubble in 2020, they’ve largely been written off as a dysfunctional organization with underwhelming talent.

As it stands, the Lakers missed the playoffs last season, and their biggest move of the offseason so far has been to give their leader a pay raise. Reports suggest that James wants to stick around long enough to play on the same team as his son, 17-year-old Bronny James. While he waits, his team will have to find a way to contend with limited pieces.

Los Angeles Laker superstar LeBron James may not be participating in the NBA Finals this year but he is still collecting accolades. The four-time NBA Champion has an evaluated net worth of one billion dollars.

According to Forbes, James has been one of the top-earning athletes in the world over the last few years. His $121.1 million earned in the last year was second only to Lionel Messi. This was based on his $44.5 million salaries and money earned with off-court brand deals, endorsements, as well as James’ other ventures. Here’s where else James makes his earnings.

Throughout his NBA career, the superstar has made a lot of money with his contracts. with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Los Angles Lakers with his estimated earnings to be valued at north of $385 million.

James recently starred in the modern version of Space Jam bringing home a good amount from the box office after grossing $163 million worldwide. His production company SpringHill recently sold a minority stake at a $725 million valuation. The company also produces the hit interview show The Shop.

James also has made about $90 million from Fenway Sports group. He gained a 1% percent ownership in the group after exchanging his minority ownership of Liverpool FC. Fenway Sports Group owns Liverpool, Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox, and just purchased the Pittsburgh Penguins.

His real estate holding is also estimated to be about $80 million in total value. The Akron, Ohio native purchased a $10 million mansion in the Akron area, plus two homes in Los Angeles for about $59.75 million.

Investments within the food and beverage industry have also Brough James a good amount of cash. His 10% ownership stake in Blaze Pizza which he bought in 2012 for less than $1 million is now valued at $30 million.

With this milestone, James has become the first active NBA player to be worth $1 billion. Only two other former NBA players have reached the milestone, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.

Following a bitter split about a year ago, Kobe Bryant’s estate has reached a new long-term deal with Nike to continue producing footwear and apparel from the late Bryant’s Zoom Kobe series.

“We’re excited to announce our partnership with Nike is going to continue!” Kobe’s widow, Vanessa, wrote in an Instagram post. “I am so proud that my husband’s shoes are still the most worn by players on NBA courts [nearly 20%] and that the demand for his shoes remain so desired by his fans around the world.”

Kobe, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, died in a helicopter crash in January 2020.

“Kobe Bryant means so much to so many of us, not just NBA fans but globally beyond the game,” John Donahoe, Nike’s president and CEO, said. “His impact in growing the sport, particularly encouraging women and young people to pick it up, endures as one of his deepest, lasting legacies. Together with Vanessa, we hope to honor Kobe and Gigi by championing a new generation for many years to come.”

In addition to re-releasing 11 shoes worn by Bryant during his career—with talks of adding his six post-career designs as well—Nike will be adding a new Gigi Bryant shoe.

“With this new partnership, fans will soon be able to have access to Kobe and Gigi Nike product for years to come,” Vanessa Bryant said. “Nike [is] donating 100% of the net proceeds yearly for Gianna’s shoes to our Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation (M&MSF).”

Nike says the first release could arrive as soon as May 1—what would’ve been Gianna’s 16th birthday.

“The first new shoe from the partnership, the Kobe 6 Protro ‘Mambacita Sweet 16’ will honor Gigi Bryant,” Nike said. “All proceeds from the shoe will benefit the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.”

“I am also grateful that Nike and I will work together to establish a youth basketball center in Southern California that will share the Mamba Mentality with youth athletes for generations to come,” Vanessa added.

The starters for this year’s NBA All-Star Game were announced on Thursday, and the usual suspects were there, as were some new ones.

Los Angeles Lakers uber star LeBron James was named Captain of the Western Conference—it’s his 18th time being named an All-Star, tying Kobe Bryant for second place all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19).

James will be making a return to Cleveland—the love-hate place where he not only grew up but also began his NBA career—for the All-Star Game, taking place on February 10.

“King James” will be joined by Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins as West starters. It’s Curry’s eight All-Star selection and the reigning MVP Jokic’s fourth, while Morant and Wiggins are making their debuts.

“I was taking my pregame nap,” Wiggins said, “and my girl and daughter woke me up and told me: ‘You are a starter, you are a starter.’ I thought I was dreaming for a second. I was like, ‘What is going on?’ It was a good way to learn that I made it to the All-Star, and I am thankful.

“I have been putting in a lot of work and I have found a home here. Hopefully, I can keep it going and this is not the last one.”

Although he will not be playing, Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant will be the captain of the Eastern Conference’s team. Joining the 12-time All-Star is Chicago Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

It’s Antetokounmpo’s sixth selection—matching Abdul-Jabbar’s Bucks franchise record for selections—the fifth for Embiid and second for Young.

Fan votes accounted for 50% of the vote, with a media panel and current players each accounting for 25%. The reserves will be announced on February 3; they’re voted on by head coaches.

Wednesday marks the two-year anniversary of the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven other people.

“When my oldest daughter was born, and I have a picture which we framed of him, and have in the house, of him holding her and giving her a kiss on the cheek,” former Laker teammate Jordan Farmar said. “Just how much he transitioned to being the ultra-fierce competitor to this soft, healthy, worldly guy. And I think his kids and his girls softened him up and made him that way.”

On January 26, 2020, a helicopter carrying the nine people crashed in heavy fog in Calabasas, Calif., killing all passengers. Among the nine was 56-year-old John Altobelli, a longtime baseball coach at Orange Coast College, his 46-year-old wife Keri and their 13-year-old daughter Alyssa. Thirty-eight-year-old Christina Mauser, wife, mother, and basketball coach from Huntington Beach, was also on board.

Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, is currently embroiled in litigation with Los Angeles County over the sharing of personal cell phone photos by L.A. County Sheriff’s first responders at the crash scene. If no settlement can be reached, the federal trial is set to start February 22.

Prosecutors allege the crash-scene photos were passed around to 28 LA County Sheriff’s Department devices and others belonging to firefighters. They allege the photos were shown at bars and an awards gala.

Vanessa Bryant found out about her husband Kobe Bryant’s death in the worst imaginable way, via multiple phone notifications.

In recent testimony, Bryant revealed that she did not get a word from authorities immediately regarding her late husband’s, Kobe Bryant, death back in January 2020. When she did receive the call from the authorities, she had already gotten hundreds of notifications via her phone breaking the news to her.

Authorities had declined to provide Vanessa with any information until Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva was able to speak with her in person. Vanessa said she was only informed by the sheriff’s department that her husband had died hours after she received the mobile alerts. 

In her testimony, Vanessa revealed that on Jan. 26, 2020, after a family assistant told her “there was an accident and that there were five survivors,” she tried calling her husband but could not get through to him. She then called on her mother to look after her other two children.

According to the deposition, she then went to pick up her daughter Natalia from school. “I told her that Daddy and Gigi were in an accident,” Vanessa said. “Not to worry I’m sure they’re fine because there’s five survivors. And I’m sure Daddy and Gigi are fine.”

“I was holding onto my phone, because obviously I was trying to call my husband back, and all these notifications started popping up on my phone, saying ‘RIP Kobe. RIP Kobe. RIP Kobe,’” Vanessa said.

She then tried to fly to the crash site but weather conditions made the helicopter flight impossible.

Vanessa said Villanueva asked if he could do anything for her following Kobe and Gianna’s deaths. “I said: If you can’t bring my husband and baby back, please make sure no one takes photographs of them,” Bryant testified. “Please secure the area. And he said: I will.” The testimony came in her lawsuit accusing authorities of taking pictures of the crash site.

Nine people died in the helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, that killed Kobe and their 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

Cryptograph, a digital collectibles company, recently auctioned a series of eight never-before-seen images of Kobe Bryant that will be sold as non-fungible tokens, popularly known as NFTs. The photos were taken by photographer Davis Factor as part of a 1999 shoot at an abandoned warehouse in downtown L.A.

“This shoot is special because you don’t see him in a jersey. He’s Kobe Bean Bryant,” Tommy Alastra, the co-founder of Cryptograph, explained. “You can see the father, the son, the husband come out. It’s just him, raw, in everyday Kobe. It’s special… They’re really quite beautiful.”

In a nod to Kobe’s jersey number, the auction started August 24 at 1 p.m. EST and ran on the website for 72 hours. The proceeds will be donated to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in memory of Kobe and Gianna Bryant that is dedicated to “helping underserved athletes and young women in sports.”

https://twitter.com/cryptograph/status/1430214693545672707

Vanessa Bryant, the widow of the late, great NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, has agreed to settle a lawsuit against the pilot and owners of the helicopter that crashed last year that sadly killed the Bryants’ daughter, Gianna, and seven others. If approved by the court, the settlement would end a negligence and wrongful death lawsuit filed against the estate of the pilot and the owner and operator of the helicopter that crashed into a hillside on January 26, 2020.

Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and six other passengers were flying from Orange County to a youth basketball tournament at his Mamba Sports Academy in Ventura County last year when the helicopter encountered thick fog in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles. Pilot Ara Zobayan climbed sharply and had nearly broken through the clouds when the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter banked abruptly and plunged into the Calabasas hills below, killing all nine aboard instantly before flames engulfed the wreckage. It’s unknown why Zobayan made this sudden, life-ending maneuver.

Amongst the others killed in the crash were Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and their daughter Alyssa, Christina Mauser, who helped Bryant coach his daughter’s basketball team, as well as Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton. Alyssa and Payton were Gianna’s teammates.

The crash was investigated more thoroughly earlier this year, with the National Transportation Safety Board releasing a report in February that blamed pilot error for the crash. The NTSB said a series of poor decisions led Zobayan to fly blindly into a wall of clouds where he became so disoriented he thought he was climbing when the craft was plunging. The agency also faulted Island Express Helicopters Inc. for inadequate review and oversight of safety matters. The settlement agreement would end legal action against Zobayan’s estate, Island Express Helicopters Inc. and its owner, Island Express Holding Corp. The suit alleged the companies didn’t properly train or supervise Zobayan and that the pilot was careless and negligent for flying in fog and should have aborted the flight.

NBA Hall of Fame inductee Scottie Pippen accused his former coach, Phil Jackson, of being racist as Pippen doubles down on earlier comments regarding an incident that occurred in the 1994 playoffs.

Pippen was on the Dan Patrick Show when he addressed comments he previously made in an interview with GQ about a playoff game in 1994 between the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.

Pippen famously refused to return to the game with the score tied at 102 and 1.8 seconds left in the game. Pippen was frustrated with Jackson’s decision to draw up a play to give the final shot of the game to a rookie, Toni Kukoč, who ended up scoring the game-winner.

“I felt like it was an opportunity to give (Kukoč) a rise,” Pippen told GQ. “It was a racial move to give him a rise. After all I’ve been through with this organization, now you’re gonna tell me to take the ball out and throw it to Toni Kukoč? You’re insulting me.”

In his interview on the Dan Patrick Show, Pippen made it clear that his opinion has not changed. “Why would Toni, who’s a rookie, get the last-second shot and you put me out of bounds? That’s what I mean racial,” Pippen said.

Dan Patrick proceeded to ask Pippen if he thinks Jackson was a racist, to clarify his thoughts on the perceived racist intent.

“Oh, yeah,” Pippen said. “Do you remember Phil Jackson left the Lakers, went and wrote a book on Kobe Bryant, and then came back and coached him? I mean, who would do that? You name someone in professional sports that would do that.”

“And you’re Jackson, who sits in the locker room and tells the players ‘this is a circle, and everything stays within the circle because that’s what team is about.’ But you as a head coach open it up and now you go out and try to belittle—at that time probably one of the greatest players in the game.”

Pippen was referring to The Last Season, a book published in 2004 after Jackson left the Lakers after winning three championships alongside Kobe Bryant. The book focused on the locker room tension and was critical of Bryant.

Jackson would return to the Lakers and end up winning two more championships with Bryant.

U.S. Olympic athlete Katie Ledecky is an incredibly well-accomplished swimmer, medaling six times during her career. One of the sources of her motivation to perform at an elite level has come from the motivating words of Kobe Bryant, which she recalled fondly at the Team USA Media Summit.

Two Los Angeles County firefighters could be fired and a third suspended for taking and sharing graphic photos of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant, and seven others, court documents say.

The court documents were filed Monday, as part of widow Vanessa Bryant‘s federal lawsuit against Los Angeles County that alleges invasion of privacy.

On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant and seven others were killed when the helicopter they were aboard crashed. Federal safety officials blamed pilot error for the crash.

Two firefighters who arrived on the scene took photos of the bodies in the helicopter wreckage. Those two firefighters then sent it to a third firefighter, who also shared the pictures with friends and family at a gathering later that year.

After an internal investigation, the two firefighters were sent “intention to discharge” letters last December. The third firefighter only received an “intention to suspend” letter. The employment status of all three is not clear.

Los Angeles County attorneys have argued that there is no legal basis for Vanessa Bryant’s lawsuit because the photos were not publicly disseminated. The attorneys argued that Vanessa cannot sue for a “hypothetical harm” that they might be shared publicly.

Several Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies, none of whom were directly involved in the crash investigation, were included in the lawsuit. The deputies were accused of taking or passing around photos with family, friends, and in one case, a bar patron and a bartender.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva condemned the deputies’ behavior and ordered them to delete the photos. The captain of the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff’s station, which oversees the area where the crash occurred, pushed back on the decision but was overruled.

“A full administrative investigation was conducted, and appropriate administrative action was taken,” the sheriff’s department said last Wednesday. The department could not provide details because of a pending lawsuit and a state employment law that bars disclosing “specific administrative actions.”

In September, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new bill into law banning first responders from taking unauthorized photos of accidents and crime scenes. It makes it “a misdemeanor for a first responder, as defined, who responds to the scene of an accident or crime to capture the photographic image of a deceased person for any purpose other than an official law enforcement purpose or a genuine public interest.”

On January 26 of last year, the basketball community was burdened with one of the biggest tragedies in recent memory. Kobe Bryant, and 13 year old daughter Giana Bryant, along with six others, perished in a helicopter crash in California. Bryant was an all time Los Angeles Lakers great. He led the team to five championships, with countless personal accolades along the way, including an MVP and multiple scoring titles. Bryant was known for his competitive spirit, something he got from the great Michael Jordan. This Saturday completes Bryant’s journey to basketball immortality, as he’ll be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in what is quite possibly the best class of all time. Included in the class are power forwards Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, both champions in their own right. The aforementioned Jordan is set to induct Bryant, and recently this past week Jordan revealed his last texts with the Lakers swing man.

“This tequila is awesome,” wrote Bryant.

Bryant’s text was in reference to Jordan’s Cincoro Tequila, a bottle of which was sent to Bryant at the launch.

“Thank you, my brother,” Jordan responded.

“Yes, sir. Family good?” Kobe replied.

All good. Yours?”

“All good.”

Jordan wanted to talk to Bryant about his daughter’s basketball team—which he was coaching. “He was really into coaching Gigi,” Jordan said, “so I hit him up about that.”

“I added that little crying/laughing emoji,” Jordan chuckles.

“Ah, back at you, man,” Kobe wrote. “Hey, coach, I’m sitting on the bench right now, and we’re blowing this team out. 45-8.” …

“I just love that text,” Jordan says, “because it shows Kobe’s competitive nature.”

Emotions will almost certainly run high on Saturday, even for someone as stoic and cold natured as Jordan. When asked about the speech, he told ESPN, “I was thinking, at first, I might be a little somewhat nervous about it, but then I realized I’m not going to be nervous about showing emotions for someone I absolutely loved,” “That’s the humanistic side of me—people tend to forget I do have one.”

Bryant will be enshrined on ESPN, at 5:30 PM ET.

The United States Basketball Women’s National Team has gone undefeated at the Olympic Games since 1996. The team is going for its seventh-straight Olympic gold medal this year at the Tokyo Games. When members of the team sat down with reporters, somehow the “Black Mamba” came up.

The Black Mamba will no longer be selling shoes through Nike.

In a statement on Monday night, Vanessa Bryant announced that the Kobe Bryant estate will not be renewing their contract with Nike. Bryant’s deal with Nike, which was one of the most successful of all athletes, expired on April 13, 2021, and it will not be picked up again. The estate had growing frustrations over the past few years regarding the lack of availability of Bryant’s shoes, stemming from his retirement five years ago and exacerbated by his death in a helicopter crash in January 2020. Bryant was known for extending his resources and influence to many different groups of people, and the estate also felt that there were not enough shoe options in kids’ sizes.

Prior to his death, Bryant had explored options other than Nike in preparation for the expiration of his contract. He met with a creative agency in December 2019 to see if he could start his own Mamba apparel line. Bryant first began his partnership with Nike in 2003, and had 11 signature models under the Nike Kobe series. Bryant was at the forefront of sneaker culture in the NBA, as his Kobe 4 led to a wave of players switching to low tops, with nearly half the league wearing them now. Following retirement, Bryant released a series of “Protro” sneakers, a term of his own, signifying retro kicks that were updated with modern technology.

Despite Bryant’s passing, his legacy and impact in the league still remains strong, and in no field is that more evident than footwear. His brand was worn more than any other in the 2020 NBA bubble, and a number of players, including current Los Angeles Lakers guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Talen Horton-Tucker, have stated that they plan on exclusively wearing Kobe shoes.

The most prolific shooter of all time is continuing to reach previously unimaginable heights.

Stephen Curry, the long-time superstar point guard of the Golden State Warriors, scored 49 points on Monday night in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers. However, this offensive onslaught was overshadowed by an even more impressive record – Curry became the only player, age 33 or older, to score 30 or more points in 11 consecutive games. The record had previously been held by the late great Kobe Bryant, who had a stretch of 10 such games. Curry has forced himself into the MVP conversation, averaging 39.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game over his first 10 games in April. Curry has put Golden State back into contention to make the playoffs in the Western Conference. After winning five of their last six games, the Warriors sit in ninth place in the West, at 29-29, and have nine of their last 14 matchups against teams with a sub .500 record.

This latest landmark in Curry’s career comes right on the heels of another record, as it was only last week when Curry passed basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain to become the all-time leading scorer in Golden State history.

“From Wilt’s [record] last week and then this streak, I’m obviously aware,” Curry said. “But you don’t put too much pressure on yourself, you just play basketball. … Being aggressive, obviously, but kind of letting the game come to you. For me, that looks a certain type of way, but I’m having a blast out there just playing basketball and it’s obviously working.”

“Twenty-one career games with 10 or more 3s,” coach Steve Kerr said, almost not believing the words coming out of his mouth. “And Klay [Thompson] is second with five. And Steph’s had four in the last five [games]. Mind-boggling. Mind-boggling stuff.”

On Thursday, The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced its honorees for the 2020 Hall of Fame inductees.

Among the presenters, Michael Jordan is the biggest name, and he will be honoring the late Kobe Bryant by announcing his induction to the Hall of Fame.

In early 2020, Bryant passed away in a fatal helicopter crash. During his memorial service, Jordan spoke about the Lakers’ legend. “Kobe was my dear friend, he was like a little brother,” Jordan said. “When Kobe died, a little piece of me died. This kid had passion as you would never know, as I got to know him, I wanted to be the best big brother that I could be.”

Growing up, Bryant idolized the Chicago Bulls legend and sought to emulate Jordan’s game. Once Bryant made it to the NBA, he dedicated his early career to learning from Jordan on and off the court. At first, MJ was irked about Bryant’s constant questioning, but it soon faded as a bond was formed between them. “At first, it was an aggravation,” Jordan said. “Then it became a passion.”

The two formed a sibling bond. “He was really like a big brother, and whether it’s because we similarly see things in terms of our competitive spirit or fire or whatever the case may be, there’s an understanding that we have a connection that we have,” Bryant once said of Jordan.

Jordan will be the only Hall of Famer to be presenting multiple people in the ceremony. The Chicago legend will also be presenting women’s coach Kim Mulkey in the Hall of Fame ceremony.

The other inductees and their presenters are the following:

• Patrick Baumann, presented by Russ Granik and Vlade Divac  
• Tamika Catchings, presented by Alonzo Mourning and Dawn Staley 
• Tim Duncan, presented by David Robinson 
• Kevin Garnett, presented by Isiah Thomas
• Barbara Stevens, presented by Geno Auriemma and Muffet McGraw 
• Eddie Sutton, presented by John Calipari, Bill Self and Sidney Moncrief
• Rudy Tomjanovich, presented by Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon 

A federal judge in California has ruled that Vanessa Bryant can obtain the names of the deputies who shared unauthorized photos of the helicopter crash that killed her husband and daughter last year.

On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant, and seven others were killed when their helicopter crashed. An investigation revealed that some deputies took photos of the crash and of the victims, and shared the photos. As a result, Bryant sued the Los Angeles County and Sheriff’s Department, seeking damages for negligence and invasion of privacy.

The ruling means that the names and details from an internal affairs investigation of the deputies could be added to Bryant’s lawsuit against the county and the Sheriff’s Department. It essentially dismisses the Los Angeles counties’ attempt to hide the name of the deputies.

The judge wrote in his ruling that Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s “promise to publicly release the [internal affairs bureau] report after the conclusion of the investigation undermines Defendants’ purported concern in the disclosure of the limited excerpts at issue here.” The judge additionally said that the public has the right to know the truthfulness of police misconduct allegations.