New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson has vaulted himself to become one of the best players in basketball over the last two years. The sixth-year guard was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2023-24 and finished fifth in MVP voting. But through all the success, he vividly remembers a story about Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant from nearly 10 years ago.
In 2014, Brunson was a senior in high school in Illinois and Bryant was in his first season back after tearing his Achilles. It was Christmas Day and the Lakers were in Chicago to face the Bulls. Brunson was in attendance, and while Bryant was not going to play in that game, he still made a lifelong memory for a young fan.
The Knicks star spoke about what he remembers from that day nearly 10 years ago and what it meant to him as a young high school star, via NBA Kicks:
“Kobe didn’t play, but he had a pair of Kobe 9s he was going to wear, the red ‘Christmas’ Kobe 9s. He literally brought them out of the locker room in his hand, and (said) here you go.”
Brunson was so stunned to be received the sneakers, he abandoned a rule set by his high school so that he could wear the shoes in his next game:
“”Everyone was like, ‘What are you going to do with them?’ I’m going to wear these the next game I play. We’re the same size. I’m wearing them. Our high school had a rule that we couldn’t wear outside the team colors; I completely broke that. We were green and gold; I was wearing red. But we won the holiday tournament; I was wearing those shoes. Yeah, that was a cool moment. He just came out and said, ‘Here you go.'”
These types of moments were routine for Bryant, especially in the later stages of his career. He made it a point to do whatever he could to inspire the next generation of athletes and make them feel like they can be stars on their own.
Bryant did not get a chance to see Brunson’s ascension to the top of the league, as he did not start making a real name for himself until the 2020-21 season. But Bryant would undoubtedly be proud of the type of player and person that Brunson has become as a star in the NBA.
NBA legends wish Kobe Bryant a happy birthday
Kobe Bryant’s birthday was on Friday, and there was no shortage of NBA legends ready to celebrate him on social media. Some Laker greats, including Magic Johnson, Pau Gasol and LeBron James — as well as Dwyane Wade — took to social media to give a message to the late Hall of Famer.
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