The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Championship title, and it was the first marker in a new chapter after Kobe Bryant’s death.
The legendary shooting guard who passed away earlier this year after a horrific helicopter accident was not forgotten as the Lakers took on the Miami Heat this past weekend claiming the NBA Championship title this past Sunday.
CNN reported Vanessa Bryant congratulated the team on Instagram Sunday in a heartfelt post, remembering her husband and her daughter. “Wish Kobe and Gigi were here to see this,” Bryant wrote.
Lakers players and coaching staff have said the death of their former star was a motivating force to their journey towards a championship win.
Lakers player Anthony Davis dedicated the win to former Laker Kobe Bryant according to a report on BBC. “We didn’t let him down. Ever since the tragedy we’ve wanted to do it for him and we didn’t let him down,” Davis said.
Davis said: “I know he’s looking down and is proud of us, it means a lot to us. It’s a tough moment. He was a big brother to all of us. We did this for him.”
Bryant spent 20 years as a Laker, winning five NBA championships and has been touted as on of the greatest players of the sport. And as the team celebrates the win; it is clear that COVID-19 restrictions put a damper on the festivities but did not take away from the pride of the winning team.
And as the Lakers enters into a new era, it seems that there is need to celebrate the greats present. Talking to reporters after the win, Lebron James remarked “It means a lot to represent this franchise – when I joined I promised to put this franchise back where it belongs. We just want our respect, Laker nation wants its respect. I want my damn respect too.”
James made history with the 2020 NBA Title win, earning him four national titles with three different teams. As reported, by achieving the feat with a trio of franchises (Miami Heat 2012, 2013) Cleveland Cavaliers (2016) and now the Lakers (2020).
Lebron is set to set new standards with the Lakers team with the next season set to begin in December 2020 due to COVID-19 delays.
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