With Kobe Bryant playing his last game, Los Angeles once again loses a legend.
It is over. After 20 long and productive years of controversy and achievement, Kobe Bryant‘s career is now over.
The Los Angeles Lakers lose one of the greatest to ever play the game, but so does the city of Los Angeles. Arguably the greatest sports city in the world, now has to say good-bye to a player that dedicated his life to the basketball team that represented this great city.
Being a UCLA fan, I have followed many great Bruin athletes and have had the privilege to learn about those before my time. The legends that have been a part of the Bruin family are untouchable. Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ann Meyers, Troy Aikman, Jackie Joyner-Kersey and Jackie Robinson, just to name a few.
Lake Show Life
The same goes for the city of Los Angeles. It seems when greatness presents itself, the city rises in support. To have greats such as Magic Johnson, Wayne Gretzky, Lisa Leslie, Orel Hershiser, and David Beckham (just to name a few) play and win titles for your city is something special. We can forget our differences and focus on one thing that brings us joy, if only for a little while. But that changes.
After these players were gone, there was a void left on their respective teams, and everyone felt it. Right now, both the Lakers and the city of Los Angeles (and pretty much all of Southern California) is feeling that void right now.
Kobe Bryant has left the building.
No matter what your perspective is on Kobe, you cannot deny that he was a fantastic basketball player. That kind of talent does not come along every season. He was a once in a lifetime phenomena.
Five-time champion. 18-time All-Star. 3rd all-time in NBA scoring. 2007-08 MVP. I could go on, but you get the idea. Love him or hate him, for a fan of sports there is really only one word for it…
Respect.
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From all of us at Go Joe Bruin, congratulations on a successful career, Mamba. Los Angeles and it’s fans are indeed losing a legend.