2020 RETROSPECTIVE
H I S TO RY REP EATS I TSEL F: LA K E RS 2020 CH AMP I ONS BY: VANS H GU P TA
Photo courtesy of nba2k.
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en years ago, Kobe Bryant held up the NBA championship trophy after winning his fifth and final title with the Los Angeles Lakers. After a hard-fought battle against the Boston Celtics, the series ended in a suspenseful Game 7 matchup, coming down to the very final seconds. Not only was it an unforgettable moment for Lakers fans everywhere, but it cemented Bryant as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
and multiple line-ups. Nothing seemed to work until the current season of 20192020, in which superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis led them to a dominating regular season and an impressive playoff run.
It’s no secret, however, that 2020 has definitely not been all good news. On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, died in a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The devastating accident shook up not just the In the nine years that followed, the Lakers whole NBA community but the entire world. struggled to play to their potential, and ended Kobe was so much more than a player; he up entering a long stretch of rebuilding, was a loving husband, a caring father, an idol experimenting with several different coaches looked up to by millions, and the list goes on.
Impact of Bryant on Current Lakers: With a lot riding on their season, the Lakers have been fueled by the tragic events of Kobe Bryant, and are playing in honor of him and how much he means to them. The team often wears their “Mamba” jerseys resembling a color pattern of the Black Mamba (Bryant’s nickname), as well as
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the number 2 (Gianna’s jersey number) in the corner with a heart around it. One thing about Kobe Bryant was that he prioritized loyalty over anything else, and this is reflected by the current Laker team and how close they have become as a group. Bryant bled purple and gold,
