Monday is all about Kobe Bryant. The Los Angeles Lakers are retiring both his No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys during a halftime ceremony, and there is an all-day celebration taking place around Staples Center. Even though he is retired, Kobe’s impact on the league still remains as he imparts wisdom on the current generation of players, including Kyle Kuzma and other Lakers.
Kobe met with the reigning Western Conference Rookie of the Month over dinner, giving him words of wisdom. Kuzma undoubtedly has the look of a potential future All-Star as he is the team’s leading scorer and is currently one of the favorites for the Rookie of the Year Award.
Beyond Kuzma’s play, his mentality and desire to learn and absorb information is one aspect that drew Bryant’s praise.
Ahead of Kobe’s jersey ceremony, Kuzma took to his Twitter account to pay tribute to the five-time champion with a short letter:
— kuz (@kylekuzma) December 18, 2017
Kuzma is among several current Lakers who have recently mentioned Kobe’s ‘Mamba Mentality’ as source of inspiration for them. That mindset has been largely devoid within the franchise since Bryant retired.
Nonetheless this day is about arguably the best player to ever wear the purple and gold, and one of the best in NBA history period. Everyone has been paying tribute to Kobe from former teammates like Shaq and Pau, to the NBA themselves.
It is definitely that Kuzma chose to pay tribute in the same way that Kobe announced his retirement, with a letter. Every little thing matters and it is no coincidence that Kuzma chose this way to honor one of the NBA’s greatest ever.
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