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Anthony Davis Recalls Hilarious Moment That Led To His Unbreakable Bond With Legendary Kobe Bryant

Published 10/14/2020, 9:03 AM EDT

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And when the daunting series ended, the Los Angeles Lakers came out as the 2020 NBA Champions. The Finals wouldn’t have been even half of what it was if it weren’t for the worthy and competitive Miami Heat. However, this win was far more significant for LeBron James and Co. They had to win it for the late Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers’ legend died in a helicopter crash earlier this year, which shook the world. But it was exactly this tragedy that drove the Lakers’ to make this dream come true. They dedicated the entire playoffs to him through different means, either by wearing the Mamba Jerseys during crucial games or by replicating Kobe and his records on the court.

Now that the tough part is over, the Lakers have some time to breathe. Let’s hear what Anthony Davis has to say about their team dedicating their win to Kobe.

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The bond that Kobe Bryant and the Lakers’ star shared

On Jimmy Kimmel Live, Davis sat to discuss plenty of things from his year’s playoffs. His first championship, thoughts on his parents being in the bubble, and the most important, Kobe Bryant.

Kimmel talked about the emotional season and how AD and Kobe were super close since the time they played together in the Olympics. “You met playing on the Olympic team together, right?” asked Kimmel. Davis responded, “Yeah, that’s when we got really close.”

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“I met him before at a camp. The first time I got to talk to him and get to know him was on the Olympic team. Everyone knows me and Kobe were close. He was my god, and it’s a picture that floats around with me and him on the bench at one of the games. He’s looking down my shirt. It’s because I forgot my jersey to go into the game.”

Then, he narrated a hilarious piece of advice that Kobe imparted after this incident. “He told me about not forgetting the jersey and how you want to be great and show people what you can do if you don’t have a jersey on.”

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Talking about their dedication, Davis said, “We definitely dedicated the season to him. He’s touched everyone in that organization personally and it was definitely an honor.”

Kimmel talked about how touching it is to see that one can’t cross a single intersection without seeing at least one painting of Kobe. This victory may have meant a lot to every Laker fan, but the NBA franchise won that day because it kept the face of the organization alive.

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Written by:

Yashima Bhatia

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Yashima Bhatia is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports who specialises in providing nuanced predictions and updates for matches. She has a Bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication. Yashima's love for playing the game came up at a young age, when the excitement of the games coupled with the intensity of the Playoffs had her hooked.
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