LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers walks along the sideline with Frank Vogel in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round against the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 24, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP
The Los Angeles Lakers wore special “Black Mamba” jerseys to remember Kobe Bryant in Game 4 of their first round playoff series on Monday in the NBA’s quarantine bubble in Florida.
The Lakers also wore a special patch bearing the No. 2 in a heart as they paid tribute to Bryant’s daughter Gianna as well before the Western Conference contest against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The 18-time all-star Bryant died, along with his daughter and seven others, in a helicopter crash seven months ago in Calabasas, California. He was 41, and Sunday would have marked his 42nd birthday.
Monday was also ‘Kobe Bryant Day’ in Los Angeles, where the city is honoring the five-time NBA champion with a move to rename the downtown road in front of the Staples Center arena after him.
“This is a gift to the city of Los Angeles and to all the Kobe Bryant fans around the world,” councilman Curren Price said of the proposal.
Kobe Bryant Boulevard will stretch south from the arena for several blocks to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
In 2016, Los Angeles initially declared August 24 to be “Kobe Bryant Day”. Orange County followed suit earlier this month with the same honor.
Bryant wore No. 24 for his last 10 seasons and No. 8 before that with the Lakers.
The move comes one day after Vanessa Bryant posted a heartfelt message to her late husband and daughter.
“To my baby. Happy birthday. I love you and miss you more than I can ever explain. I wish you and Gigi were here to celebrate YOU! I wish I could make you your fav food or a birthday cake with my Gigi. I miss your big hugs, your kisses, your smile, your loud ass deep laugh,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
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