Orange County loves the late great Kobe Bryant. They have proved it time and again through their gestures and honors for the late legend over the years. Recently, they added another honor to Kobe’s long list, which was also celebrated by Vanessa Bryant on her Instagram profile.

Vanessa gave an update for Kobe’s fans that OC has inducted the late Mamba into the Orange County Hall of Fame. While this isn’t the first time that Orange County has honored Kobe, his being included in the inaugural class surely speaks of the love they have for him.

Kobe Bryant inducted into the Orange County Hall of Fame

Sharing a picture of the plaque, Vanessa wrote, “Kobe’s legacy and connection to OC will forever be celebrated. This month he was inducted into the first-ever Orange County Hall of Fame. #MambaForever #InauguralClass #OCHOF”. Kobe was made part of the inaugural class for the Orange County Hall of Fame. Before this, in 2020, they declared that the 24th of August will be remembered as Kobe Bryant Day in honor of the legend. The numbers 24 and August being the 8th month of the year represent both jerseys that Kobe wore while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Not only did Orange County fondly remember and honor the legacy of the late Mamba, but they also try to propagate the life lessons that Kobe has left us all with. With the announcement of Kobe Bryant Day in 2020, the board that made that decision said that they wish people would learn from Kobe’s principles. “By engaging in community building, helping young people in need, encouraging aspiring youth to follow their dreams, and living by Bryant’s words: ‘The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do”, the board said.

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For the outside world, Kobe was a superstar but for the people of OC, he was just their regular neighbor. Through his humility, the 5x NBA champion was able to form these relationships with people around the county. He would often step out for regular chores and use that time to bond with people.

The owner of Mustard Café in that area has very fond memories of Kobe and Gigi. He said, “Kobe used to come like at least once or twice a week just to come grab French toast for the family, so I ended up renaming it Gigi’s French Toast in honor of Gigi.” He really was the people’s champion.

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