Five-time NBA Championship, two-time NBA FMVP, legendary player of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant is meeting his 40th birthday on Thursday. NBA TV announced that it will present a “Mamba marathon” on that day as a celebration.
Starting from the Slam Dunk Contest at the All-Star Weekend in Cleveland in 1997 in which 19-year-old Bryant won the title, NBA TV plans to show a collection of Kobe’s best performances and interviews before putting an end to the program with Black Mamba’s last game in his career.
Kobe Bryant wins champion at the Slam Dunk Contest of the NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland in 1997. /VCG Photo
Meanwhile, 36-year-old Dwyane Wade paid his tribute to Bryant on Instagram by recalling the day he heard about Bryant’s decision to retire from NBA. “Black Mamba!!! I remember watching him closely when I (was) in high school, college and the NBA. This dude was UnReal! I remember the day I heard he was retiring and selfishly I thought, 'Nooooooo. Who will I have to chase? Who stats will I’d check as soon as my game ends?' I knew inside I’ll never be the same when he retired. A lot of y’all (you all) forget very easy that this dude was an absolute BEAST! @kobebryant thank you for your greatness!”
Moreover, PJ Tucker from the Houston Rockets shared a story between him and Kobe over sneakers. As NBA’s well-known “sneaker king,” Tucker has an astonishing collection of sneakers. When asked about his favorite sneaker story in a video on ESPN’s Twitter, Tucker gave the following answer:
Kobe Bryant #8 vs. Michael Jordan #23 during a regular season game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls in 1998. /VCG Photo
“Probably playing against Kobe with some really rare Kobes, then have him sign them at the game. That was a big-time game for me. And he gave me another pair of his shoes after the game… Some Kobe 9's and some… which ones… maybe were some 2's… yeah, some 2's. It’s crazy,” said Tucker, according to ClutchPoints.
Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in NBA history and has more than enough fans all over the world. In China, one of the most common jokes about his popularity is that the Black Mamba has six billion fans on earth-though considering population growth, the number probably should be 7.6 billion now.
Kobe Bryant #24 puts an end to his NBA career by scoring 60 points against the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2016. /VCG Photo
The following is the NBA TV’s schedule for Mamba marathon on Thursday (Pacific Time):
3 a.m. Bryant won champion at Slam Dunk Contest in Cleveland in 1997.
3:30 a.m. The 19-year-old Bryant takes down 33 points playing against Michael Jordan (36 points) and his Chicago Bulls.
5:30 a.m. Bryant scores 18 points in his debut at NBA All-Star Game.
7:30 a.m. Bryant saves the Lakers with his 28 points in Game 4 of the Finals against the Indiana Pacers in 2000.
10 a.m. By taking down 48 points and 16 rebounds, Bryant kicks out the Sacramento Kings in 2001 NBA playoffs.
12 p.m. Bryant scores 81 points, the second most in NBA history in the game against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006.
2 p.m. Bryant makes 32 points to bring the Lakers victory in Game 4 of the Finals against the Orlando Magic in 2009.
4 p.m. Kobe’s interview with Ahmad Rashad
5 p.m. Bryant has a sit-down conversation with Shaquille O’Neal about the old times when they were teammates.
6 p.m. “Mamba out” before taking down 60 points in the last game of his NBA career against the Utah Jazz on April 13th, 2016.
(Top picture: VCG Photo)