NBA legend Jerry West addressed the media before Kobe Bryant’s last game at Oracle Arena on Thursday night. From stories about Bryant’s first workout with Los Angeles, to the behind the scenes of how the Lakers acquired him in the 1996 NBA draft to what makes Kobe so different from every other player.
West even touches on why Bryant was a better player than Kevin Garnett and what he’s worried about when Bryant retires. West talks about his father-son relationship with Bryant, late-night conversations and how he continued to be a mentor even after leaving the Lakers. West goes on to place Bryant alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson as the greatest Lakers of all-time.
Plus, West addresses the current state of the Lakers. Though he doesn’t yet see someone that can fill Bryant’s shoes, he hopes the Lakers will find it in the near future. It’s all in the video above.