Diana Taurasi is one of the most legendary players in WNBA history. The 11-time All-Star and three-time champion has played 20 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, and at 42 years old, is likely to be saying goodbye when the 2024 season comes to an end. That meant that Tuesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena was perhaps her final time playing in the house that Kobe Bryant built.
The home of the L.A. Lakers has been synonymous with Bryant’s legend for the 25 years of its existence. Bryant won five NBA championships in that building and became the greatest Laker of all time. He already has two jerseys in the rafters and two statues in the outside plazas, with one more still to come.
And when Taurasi plays at Crypto.com Arena, she feels that connection to her home, the Lakers and Bryant all at once, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I grew up watching the greats here. I got to play here. I got to honor Kobe here. My whole family is from here, we migrated here 40 years ago. This is home.”
Taurasi is not alone in feeling a connection to Bryant. In the four years since his tragic death, athletes from all walks of life have dedicated moments to honor the Black Mamba’s legacy. And for Taurasi, that’s every time she gets a chance to play in Crypto.com Arena.
And over the course of 20 seasons, she has gotten many chances to do that. Taurasi has played 61 total games against the Sparks in her career, tied for the second-most of any opponent with the Minnesota Lynx. And while half of those have been in Phoenix, that is still a significant amount of chances to honor Bryant.
Bryant was a massive supporter of Taurasi’s as she spoke at his Celebration of Life ceremony in 2020. So for her to continue honoring her home and Kobe is something the late Lakers legend would undoubtedly be proud of.
Boxer Caleb Plant honors Kobe Bryant
Caleb Plant is a professional boxer with a 32-13 all-time record, and he recently became the father to a beautiful daughter. Bryant is perhaps best known — especially in his post-playing days — for his role as a girl dad. Kobe took more pride in being a father of daughters than he did just about anything else in his world. He has become a motivation for girl dads everywhere because of it.
And Plant felt it was important to give Bryant that credit when discussing his own family, featuring sneakers from Bryant with a girl dad embroidery and some memorable moments from the first years of his daughter’s life, as he shared on Instagram.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!