Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson & Others Pay Tribute To Lakers Legend Kobe Bryant On Third Anniversary Of Death

Corey Hansford
4 Min Read
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

There is not a person who doesn’t remember where they were when they saw the tragic news of the passing of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant, and seven others on Jan. 26, 2020. The news sent shockwaves across the world and extended beyond the sports world as Kobe truly touched and impacted so many in all walks of life.

Three years later and it still doesn’t feel real that Bryant is no longer with us on this earth, but his legacy continues to live on. His family continues to thrive while players around the NBA continue to pay homage to him regularly, and that was certainly the case on the third anniversary of his passing.

Lakers legends such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, and current NBA stars like Kyrie Irving, Alex Caruso and Jayson Tatum paid their respects to the late, great Kobe Bryant three years to the day that he left this earth:

Kareem posting a video outside of The Forum, where Bryant’s NBA career began with the Lakers is a beautiful touch while Magic having fans clap eight times is a wonderful way to remember Kobe. It is clear that the relationships he formed were deeper than just basketball.

It is well known that Kobe and Irving were extremely close and spoke regularly, and Tatum was one of the last young NBA stars to be able to work with the Lakers legend. Caruso was on the Lakers at the time of Kobe’s passing and it is well-documented how emotional that time was for the franchise.

Judy Seto worked with Bryant for years as a trainer and physical therapist and shared an awesome message that she learned from him over the years.

One thing that is for sure is that the memory and legacy of Kobe Bryant will never go away. Ten, 20 and 30 years into the future, the world will still vividly and fondly remember everything that Bryant accomplished and stood for.

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Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.