With Aug. 23 being Kobe Bryant\u2019s birthday and Aug. 24 considered \u201cMamba Day\u201d in\u00a0Los Angeles\u00a0and Orange County, this is a perfect time to reflect on the Black Mamba and his continued impact on the Lakers.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s impossible for a fan to attend a home Lakers game and not feel Kobe\u2019s presence. Regardless of how you get to the stadium, you are guaranteed to pass one of the over 346 murals of Bryant that can be found in the Southern California area.<\/p>\n
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When one of those murals is in danger of being lost, people step up to protect it. A prime example of this is when NBA2K\u00a0helped save an iconic Kobe, Gianna Bryant mural<\/a>\u00a0in downtown Los Angeles, ensuring it didn\u2019t become just another billboard.<\/p>\n Once fans are near the front of the stadium, there are two statues currently up in Bryant\u2019s honor, with a third on the way. The first one is the image of him raising his finger over his head as he walks off the court<\/a> after scoring a career-high 81 points against the Raptors.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not hard to find Kobe\u2019s statue; it\u2019s the one with dozens and dozens of people standing in line waiting to take pictures in front of it.<\/p>\n His second statue is equally epic and touching<\/a>. It\u2019s placed near the Kobe Bryant Entrance at Crypto.com Arena and features Bryant and his daughter Gigi.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n This statue demonstrates Kobe as the \u201cGirl Dad.\u201d It features both Kobe and Gigi sitting together, with Bryant kissing his daughter as she leans in smiling.<\/p>\n The statue depicts Kobe and Gigi at a Lakers game and there is public seating available so fans can pay their respects and share a similar moment with them.<\/p>\n Once inside, Kobe\u2019s presence is undeniable. You\u2019ll see plenty of Kobe posters, murals, photos and fans wearing Bryant jerseys.<\/p>\n As people take their seats and look up to the rafters, they\u2019ll see both of Kobe\u2019s jersey numbers retired. When you look at the 17 banners that hang, five of them were only possible due to Bryant\u2019s contributions.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The players on the Lakers also keep Bryant\u2019s legacy alive and well.<\/p>\n Luka Don\u010di\u0107 donated to\u00a0restore a vandalized Gianna and Kobe mural<\/a>\u00a0this past season, and he constantly speaks about embracing Los Angeles<\/a>.<\/p>\n Austin Reaves shares his admiration for Kobe every chance he gets and called Bryant his \u201cGoat\u201d<\/a> this summer, yes, even over his teammate LeBron James.<\/p>\n LeBron also often shares the love and respect he has for Kobe.<\/p>\n He has called Kobe a \u201clegend\u201d<\/a> on numerous occasions, and when James passed Kobe on the all-time scoring list, Bryant congratulated him on Twitter, telling him to continue moving the game forward.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n It was the last social media post Bryant ever shared as he passed away in a helicopter accident the following day<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Lakers have had a long list of legendary players donning the purple and gold uniform, but Bryant stands tallest as the king of all kings. He\u2019s No. 1 in franchise history in points scored and minutes played, won five titles and was a Laker for his entire 20-year career.<\/p>\n Beyond Bryant\u2019s achievements, it was who he was as a basketball player and a person that made all of Los Angeles fans of Kobe, regardless of how many Lakers games they watched.<\/p>\n Kobe constantly talked about the \u201cMamba Mentality\u201d and being your best self and going all in on your craft, whatever it was.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n He did so as a player and with his creative works, like \u201cDear Basketball which won an Oscar<\/a>.<\/p>\n Teams, ideally, are a representation of their respective cities. And the Lakers are a prime example of this. Yes, a Lakers game will feature celebrities and have plenty of pomp and circumstance, just like the city does, but also, you\u2019d better win.<\/p>\n That\u2019s what comes with being a Lakers star.<\/p>\n The fans will give you their heart, but you\u2019d better provide them with a title in return. If you fail, you can do like any other person who arrives in L.A. aspiring to be successful does when they fall short and go somewhere with a less demanding expectation.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n No one understood this better than Bryant. He not only matched these lofty expectations, but he set a new standard.<\/p>\n In a conversation with Jalen Rose of ESPN<\/a>, Kobe talked about why he was so against having to convince a player to join the Lakers.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, the thing about this franchise is that you shouldn\u2019t need recruiting to come in it,\u201d Bryant said. \u201cIt takes a special person to want to play for this franchise, and take the pressure that comes along with playing for this franchise. The pressure of following Magic [Johnson]\u2019s footsteps, myself and the dynasty that we\u2019ve had, it takes a special person to do that.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if I need to convince you come here, to carry that legacy forward, then you ain\u2019t the one to be it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lakers used the slogan \u201cLeave a Legacy\u201d during the 2019-20 title run and wore their \u201cBlack Mamba\u201d jerseys throughout the postseason, winning all but one game in the postseason when they wore that uniform.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a shame Kobe wasn\u2019t able to witness what that Lakers team accomplished, but the best way to honor him is to keep on pursuing greatness always in all ways.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n His life may have been cut short, but Kobe\u2019s legacy is as strong as ever. He has set an example for what having a good work ethic means and that\u2019s something we can all aspire to achieve.<\/p>\n As Magic Johnson said, Kobe\u2019s the greatest Laker ever<\/a> and while he may be gone, legends truly never die.<\/p>\n You can follow Edwin on Twitter at\u00a0@ECreates88<\/a>\u00a0or on Bluesky at\u00a0@ecreates88.bsky.social<\/a>.<\/p>\n