Mamba remembered: Kings fans saw many sides of Kobe Bryant – including his backside
Over the course of his iconic NBA playing career, Kings fans saw many sides of Kobe Bryant, the former Los Angeles Lakers great who died in a fiery helicopter crash Sunday morning in the hills above Calabasas. One time, they even saw his backside.
In a Players Only interview on TNT in February 2018, Bryant and former teammate Shaquille O’Neal discussed one of their favorite moments. Bryant and O’Neal recalled an incident that occurred after the Lakers defeated the Kings in Game 7 of the storied 2002 Western Conference Finals.
O’Neal said Kings fans mooned them as they arrived at Arco Arena for the final game of the series. The Lakers returned the gesture as their team bus left the arena following a 112-106 victory over the Kings.
“We go up there in Game 7 and we win, and my favorite moment that we ever had was on the bus leaving the arena, leaving Arco Arena,” Bryant said. “What did we do?”
“When we got there, people were mooning us,” O’Neal said.
“Uh huh,” Bryant said, flashing that familiar smile.
“So after the game, all of us put our ass on the window and we mooned them,” O’Neal said as Bryant laughed, clapping in amusement.
“Thank God they didn’t have camera phones back then,” Bryant quipped. “… That was my favorite moment, man.”
Bryant, 41, and his daughter Gianna, 13, were among nine people who died when Bryant’s helicopter crashed about 10 a.m. Sunday in a hilly area near Calabasas, a few miles north of Malibu and about 40 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. Bryant lived south of Los Angeles in Orange County. He often used a personal helicopter when traveling in the region to avoid traffic on busy Southern California roadways, according to a report published last year in Business Insider.
“We will forever remember the mutual respect shared between Kobe and Sacramento,” Kings owner Vivek Ranadive said in a written statement. “On behalf of the entire Kings organization, we extend our deepest condolences to his wife Vanessa, their family and all those impacted as we hold them in our hearts and prayers at this most difficult time.”
Kobe vs. the Kings
Bryant and O’Neal led the Lakers over the Kings in five games in the 2000 Western Conference quarterfinals. Bryant averaged 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists to help them sweep Sacramento in the 2001 conference semifinals before the California rivals clashed once more in the memorable 2002 conference finals.
Bryant had 30 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in Game 7 of that series, handing the Kings a loss that still haunts the organization. The Lakers went on to sweep the New Jersey Nets in the finals, winning their third consecutive NBA title.
The Kings went 61-21 to post the best record in the NBA that season. Franchise greats such as Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby, Bobby Jackson and Doug Christie led the Kings to the brink of their first NBA championship in the Sacramento era, but their hopes were dashed by the Lakers.
Bryant suffered food poisoning prior to Game 2 of that series after eating a cheeseburger and cheesecake at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sacramento. Bryant scored 22 points in Game 2 after receiving intravenous fluids in the hours leading up to the contest.
“Kobe told me he started feeling sick around 1 a.m.,” former Lakers trainer Gary Vitti told Grantland in 2014. “He didn’t call me until around 3. By that time, his abdominal cramping, vomiting and diarrhea was out of control. The cramping was so bad, he was curled up like a shrimp.”
Lakers fans were convinced Bryant had been poisoned on purpose. Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson told Grantland that Bryant was “never confident again about eating room service from that hotel,” but Bryant was not convinced there was any ill intent.
“As far as a conspiracy, I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t think so.”
‘Much respect’
Bryant entered the NBA out of high school when the Charlotte Hornets selected him with the 13th pick in the 1996 draft. The Hornets soon traded him to the Lakers in exchange for Divac, who now serves as the Kings general manager.
Divac and Bryant were teammates with the Lakers in 2004-05, the final year of Divac’s career.
“Kobe deeply loved the game and his family,” Divac wrote on Instagram. “As I think back on his incredible legacy, I’m reminded of his competitive spirit & millions around the world he inspired. As a father, the loss of Gianna is devastating. My heart goes out to Vanessa, their daughters and all impacted.”
Bryant averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists over his 20-year NBA career. He was an 18-time All-Star, an 11-time All-NBA First Team selection and a five-time NBA champion who was named league MVP in 2008 and NBA Finals MVP in 2009 and 2010. He retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points in his final NBA game against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Bryant died hours after Lakers star LeBron James passed him for third on the NBA’s career scoring list. Bryant congratulated James in his final post on Twitter.
“Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames,” Bryant wrote. “Much respect my brother.”
This story was originally published January 26, 2020 at 3:03 PM.
