Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s legacy and impact on the city will always be felt, especially since his tragic passing in 2020.
Bryant has been celebrated in a variety of ways, most recently being featured on numerous murals across L.A. to get ready for the 2028 Olympics.
Additionally, the Los Angeles Dodgers also celebrated Bryant on Sunday afternoon, giving out jerseys ahead of their game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium. Bryant would have turned 46 on Friday, and then Saturday was celebrated as “Mamba Day” due to the date being his two jersey numbers 8 and 24.
Bryant was a big fan of the Dodgers, often attending their games during the Lakers’ offseason. In fact, it was also revealed that he helped the Dodgers out with a recruitment video for Shohei Ohtani back in 2017.
Being the competitor that Ohtani is, receiving that video from someone like Bryant must have been really cool. While he did not see the video in 2017 and wound up signing with the L.A. Angels, the Dodgers again recruited Ohtani this past offseason and showed him the clip, which he called one of the highlights of their recruitment pitch.
Ohtani, of course, chose to sign with the Dodgers this time around and is in the midst of a historic first season with the team. While Bryant is not here to see it, there’s no doubt he would have shared a mutual respect with a similar type of competitor in Ohtani. If Ohtani continues the season he is having, he will win his third MVP award and first in the National League.
The Dodgers made the day even better by announcing that they would be donating $100,000 to Bryant’s Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation. Vanessa and the rest of the Bryant’s family were in attendance with their 7-year-old daughter Bianka throwing out the first pitch to Mookie Betts:
Kobe Bryant's daughter Bianka threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium today. ???
(?: @ByBlakeWilliams, @DodgerBlue1958) pic.twitter.com/3SvPtWVcRs
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) August 25, 2024
The oldest Bryant daughter, Natalia, threw out the first pitch on this day last year, and she now has passed the torch to Bianka. Then, their youngest daughter, Capri, did the traditional “It’s Time For Dodger Baseball” chant to kick off the game.
All in all, it was a fun day at Chavez Ravine on Sunday celebrating Bryant with his family and friends in attendance.
Showtime Lakers legends threw out first pitch at Dodger Stadium
It was a weekend full of Lakers celebrations at Dodger Stadium as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Byron Scott, A.C. Green, Michael Cooper, Mychal Thompson and Kurt Rambis were in attendance on Saturday night to throw out the first pitch before the Dodgers’ game against the Rays.
All threw pitches right down the middle as the home crowd showered them with applause. The Dodgers also gave out Showtime Lakers T-Shirts to commemorate the night.
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