Some things are much bigger than sports, as we were reminded Sunday afternoon in unspeakable fashion.
The sudden, tragic death of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and eight others — including his 13-year-old daughter — shocked the sports world. The 41-year-old Bryant died in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles, halting the life of one of the best basketball players the world has ever seen.
Bryant’s 20-year NBA career was legendary and he’ll soon take his rightful place in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Over those years, he developed plenty of personal and team rivalries, including his own foray into the historic rivalry between the Lakers and Boston Celtics.
Bryant actually was at the center of the rejuvenation of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry. While it didn’t reach the heights of Magic-Larry, Bryant and Celtics star Paul Pierce went back and forth for their entire careers. That rivalry culminated in two NBA Finals showdowns, one in 2008 and another in 2010. Fittingly, they split those series, with Pierce getting the better of Bryant and the Lakers in 2008 only for Bryant to get his revenge a couple years later.
And when Bryant made his final trip to Boston in 2015, Celtics fans showed their appreciation for all the battles with a hearty standing ovation when the Black Mamba was introduced before the game.
It was far from a vintage performance that night from Bryant, who scored just 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting, but he and his teammates did enough to get out of Boston with the win.
“This place has really meant a lot for my career. I can’t stress that enough,” said Bryant, who was gifted a piece of Celtics’ famed parquet floor. “And this is why I wanted my kids here. I wanted my family here. I wanted them to be able to be in the building. I wanted them to be able to see this and experience this.”
He continued, saying something made even sadder by Sunday’s tragic events.
“I mean, I remember my daughter was having a hard time with softball — semifinal game, striking out. She was crying. She was mad. I showed her the video of us losing to the Celtics. And me walking off the court crying. And I said listen, it’s fine. It’s fine. You just gotta bounce back. That’s the kind of profound impact this building has had.”
It’s safe to say the feeling was mutual.
