Kobe Bryant has received all sorts of gifts since he embarked on his retirement tour this season. But Friday night, it was his turn to return the favor.
Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers squared off against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday at Staples Center. That meant a reunion for Bryant with Grizzlies guard Tony Allen, who had plenty of battles with Kobe during his days with the Boston Celtics.
According to Allen, Bryant payed the tenacious defender the ultimate sign of respect after the game in the form of an awesome gift.
Kobe’s message on the shoe: “To Tony, the best defender I ever faced!”
That’s pretty high praise from one of the greatest scorers in NBA history who has seen just about everything during his two decades in the league. It’s an opinion Bryant firmly believes, though, as the 37-year-old said during a December interview that Allen was the closest he’s seen to being a “Kobe Stopper.”
Ironically, neither Bryant nor Allen played in Friday’s game, a 112-95 Grizzlies win, as the 34-year-old Allen is dealing a sore knee. But Kobe’s retirement tour is all about celebrating the past, and clearly his NBA Finals showdowns with Allen left a strong impression.
