Lakers: Three Years Later, Kobe Bryant's Legacy Looms Large Over LA
On January 26th, 2020, a dark year for the world was presaged by a particularly dark day for Los Angeles, when beloved former Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other souls died in a Calabasas helicopter crash one cold, foggy Sunday morning. The elder Bryant was just 41 years old.
The NBA world and Lakers fans alike came together to mourn the loss that day. Several clubs opted for 24-second shot clock violations in tribute to Bryant's retired No. 24 jersey, one of two Bryant jerseys hanging in the rafters by Los Angeles.
He spent each of his 20 seasons as a Laker during a run so legendary it's already been commemorated in an epic Hulu docuseries. The 6'6" swingman was named to 18 All-Star appearances, 15 All-NBA Teams, 12 All-Defensive Teams (including nine All-Defensive First Teams), and of course the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.
Oh, and he also won a heck of a lot of basketball games. From 2000-2004, Bryant and a fellow LA immortal, center Shaquille O'Neal, led the Lakers to four NBA Finals appearances in five years, winning three, despite the fact that they absolutely hated each other from at least 2002-2004.
After O'Neal was shipped off to the Miami Heat, Bryant wandered in the wilderness of non-contention for a while, trapped on several talent-challenged Lakers clubs. Though his non-Lamar Odom teammates during this window may have been constant sources of frustration (and very public smack-talking) for Bryant, he made the most of his opportunity to shoot like a maniac, leading the NBA in scoring twice, in 2006 and 2007.
A trade to acquire future Hall of Fame power forward/center Pau Gasol at the 2008 deadline immediately vaulted the Lakers back to title contention. Bryant won his lone MVP that season, and LA returned to the NBA Finals, though the team would fall in six games to a loaded Boston Celtics team. The Bryant/Gasol/Odom Lakers would return to the Finals during the next two seasons as well, winning both times.
The Lakers remained a tough playoff out for the next few seasons, before a trade for Dwight Howard and the signing of free agent Steve Nash cratered the club. Bryant tore his Achilles near the end of that fateful 2012-13 season, and was never the same player again. He retired in 2016, and used the intervening years developing media projects under his Granity Studios banner.
