At the start of this calendar year, the National Basketball Association (NBA) lost too soon two of the most important men in the sport. We said goodbye to who many consider the greatest commissioner in professional sports history and then even more tragically to one of the greatest to ever grace the NBA hardwood, who had a major impact on today generation of not just players but coaches, fans and even members of the media. Those two men were celebrated an honored at the 2020 All-Star Weekend in Chicago, IL.
The celebrations of the life of NBA Commissioner Emeritus David Stern, who headed the league from 1984-2014 and passed away on Jan. 1 from a brain hemorrhage suffered on Dec. 12, 2019 and 18-time All-Star and five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, who along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, pilot Ara Zobayan, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton; John Altobelli and his wife Keri, and daughter Alyssa, and Christina Mauser, who all tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA on Jan. 26 began on Friday at the 2020 All-Star Celebrity Game on ESPN at the Wintrust Arena, home of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky with a 24.2 second countdown, as the 24 represented the number Bryant wore in the last 10 seasons of his NBA career and the 2 represented his second daughter’s jersey number.
Before that began, ESPN television personalities and head coaches for the celebrity game in Stephen A. Smith, host of ESPN’s weekday morning show “First Take” and Chicago native, and Northwestern University graduate Michael Wilbon each gave their thoughts on the losses of Commissioner Stern and Bryant before tip-off.
“The NBA lost two legends recently. One who made his mark on the league and the world off the court. The other whose name synonymous with basketball greatness,” Mr. Smith said about Commissioner Stern and Bryant.
Mr. Wilbon then followed by saying that Bryant and Commissioner Stern were “two men who changed the NBA and the great game of basketball globally in ways only legends could. They will forever be missed, but certainly never forgotten. Thank you, David, [Stern], and Kobe [Bryant].”
The speeches by Mr. Wilbon and Mr. Smith were followed by the crowd inside the arena and the participants in the celebrity game on the court chanting, “Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!”
That is the kind of respect deserving for a great player who earned 18 consecutive All-Star selections (most all-time) in his 20-year career all with the Lakers, second only to the 19 another Lakers great in Hall of Famer and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer at 38,387 points in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bryant was tied with four-time Kia MVP and now 16-time All-Star LeBron James for most All-Star games started with 15 until James passed him when the All-Star starters were announced on Jan. 23 on TNT. Bryant is tied with Hall of Famer Bob Pettit for most All-Star Game MVPs with four (2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011). His 292 points in the unofficial mid-season classic with 292 points scored. His 38 total steals in the All-Star Game and 10 offensive rebounds in a game are the most all-time.
That appreciation and respect was also shown about two hours later before the NBA Rising Stars Challenge at the United Center when Bryant’s former teammate that he won back-to-back titles with and former Chicago Bull Pau Gasol and perennial WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA champion of the Seattle Storm Sue Bird shared their feelings about Bryant and Mr. Stern.
“David and Kobe’s contributions to the NBA, the WNBA, to the game of basketball-it’s impossible to measure,” Bird said to the audience. “We literally would not be standing here right now without David whose brainchild was the NBA All-Star Game. And Kobe, 18 All-Star appearances, four MVPs and an epic Dunk Contest win. Like their impact on the court and on the game, they’ll never be forgotten.”
Gasol added that the game of basketball is a global game and that is mainly thanks to Mr. Stern and Bryant saying that he was “proud” to have worked alongside of both them, and even more proud to call them friends.
Before both Team USA and Team World took the court for the NBA Rising Stars Challenge, the head coach of the team in Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy wrote “Mamba Mentality” on the whiteboard on the locker room.
“You know were going to have some fun with it. But I really want everybody to just carry this tonight man,” Handy said when he wrote “Mamba Mentality” on the board in reference to Bryant. “Everybody. Whether you had a chance to know that man or not, spend some time with him, anytime he stepped on the floor he played.”
To put into context those 18 appearance in the All-Star Game by Bryant, the first one was on Feb. 8, 1998 at Madison Square Garden in New York City at age 19, the youngest to ever do it. The year before that, he won the 1997 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, which was on the heels of scoring 31 points with eight rebounds in what was called then the Rookies versus Sophomores Game in Cleveland, OH.
“It means the world to me. This is my first All-Star Game. Playing here in New York City with all these great basketball players. It’s an incredible feeling,” Bryant said then to NBC’s Jim Gray.
He shared the floor on that night with the great Michael Jordan, the man he is most compared to. His teammate for eight years that he won three straight titles with (2000-02) in Hall of Famer and current NBA on TNT studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal and former Lakers Nick Van Exel, and Eddie Jones. Fellow Hall of Famer of the Indiana Pacers and current NBA on TNT color analyst Reggie Miller. Former San Antonio Spur Tim Duncan and former Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett, and NBATV studio analyst and Hall of Famer as well Grant Hill.
“When I was a kid watching the All-Star Games I always wondered, what went on behind the scenes,” Bryant said. “What did the players do? How its like back in the locker room.”
“And to now be a part of it, I know the ins and outs and, you know how things, you know, what goes on and man, it’s fun. I’m still like a kid in a candy store when I sit back and watch so many great players.”
As great as the moments were seeing Bryant shine on the with his play at the All-Star Game, it was those small moments interacting with the likes lacing up his sneakers getting ready for the game. Sharing the team photo with his All-Star teammates or interacting with them on the bench, whether that is laughing and smiling with them, to his interactions with the legends of the game in Jordan and fellow Hall of Famers Dominque Wilkins and Bill Russell.
One time at an All-Star Game, the 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics told Bryant one amazing compliment about his play on the hardwood saying, “Couldn’t be more prouder of you if you were my own son.”
Perhaps the proudest memory of Bryant during his All-Star career was his final one in 2016 in Toronto, Ontario where we saw him right before the introduction of the teams and he was with his late daughter Gianna, who was age 6 at the time giving her a hug and kiss.
What also took place at that All-Star Game in 2016 about Bryant, which Mark Jones said during intermission of the All-Star celebrity game is that watched Bryant very “eloquently and fluently” talk answer questions from the press first in Italian for 15 minutes, then in Spanish for 20 minutes, and then in English for half an hour.
That moment Jones said brought into clear focus that Bryant’s influence and impact was not just here in the United States but the whole world.
“I just want to thank you guys for all of your support for all these years. I’ve just been extremely fortunate to be able to play the game that I love. And be in the NBA for over half my life,” Bryant said to the then Air Canada Centre, now Scotiabank Arena audience that night of Feb. 14, 2016. “It’s a thrill for me to be here in this All-Star Game. To get a chance to be around these young players here. Be able to speak to them about the game. Share some of that knowledge that I’ve learned throughout my career. And so, they can carry on the tradition of the NBA. Want to thank you guys.”
TNT studio host for “Inside the NBA” mentioned something pretty remarkable on Thursday night during the pregame show that all four three players to ever win All-Star Game MVP are no longer with us. Hall of Famers, George Mikan, Moses Malone, Wilt Chamberlin and now Kobe Bryant.
Ed Macauley, Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy, aforementioned Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Jerry Lucas, Adrian Smith, Rick Barry, Hal Greer, Willis Reed, Jerry West, Dave Cowens, Bob Lanier, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Dave Bing, Julius “Dr. J.” Erving, Randy Smith, David Thompson, George Gervin, Nate “Tiny” Archibald, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Ralph Sampson, Tom Chambers, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, John Stockton, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, Mitch Richmond, Glen Rice, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garnett, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chris Paul, Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving, Houston Rockets’ Russell Westbrook, and Lakers’ Anthony Davis have all won All-Star Game MVP.
“That’s what All-Star Weekend is like for me. It’s watching your favorite trading cards just walk around right next to each other,” Smith said on Thursday night. “It realizes how early he was taken.”
In the lead up to the 69th Annual NBA All-Star Game, the NBA announced that the All-Star trophy would be named in Kobe Bryant’s honor.
Before tip-off of the 69 unofficial mid-season classic, five-time NBA champion with the Lakers and perennial All-Star Earvin “Magic” Johnson alongside the 2020 All-Star Game participants addressed the audience about the passing of Mr. Stern and Bryant, who had a major impact on the league, the fanbase and to all communities across the US.
Mr. Johnson called David Stern one of the “greatest commissioners” that any league has ever seen.
He talked about how when Mr. Stern allowed him to play in the 1992 All-Star Game in Orlando, FL after Johnson announced he had announced he was HIV positive. Not only did that moment Johnson said “saved” his life but saved the lives of millions of others that were living with HIV across the globe.
“He allowed players like myself and all these players to be households all over the world,” Johnson said to the United Center audience. “Thank God we have his vision was to have the NBA be a global game, and now look how many international players we have playing in the NBA today. It’s made the game better because of that.”
In his reflections on Bryant, who has both his No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys hanging in the rafters of the Lakers home arena in Los Angeles, CA the Staples Center, Johnson said that we will never see another basketball player quite like him who scored 81 points in a game back in 2006, the 2nd most ever in an NBA game. Scoring 60 points in the last game of his NBA career in 2016 and led the Lakers to five NBA titles.
As great as Bryant was on the hardwood, Johnson said what he was most proud of Bryant was his dedication he had off the court in how fought every day to get millions of homeless people in L.A. a place to live, which he did with a passion.
“He was also passionate about being a great father, husband, filmmaker. The young man won an Oscar,” Johnson said.
Johnson then asked the audience and the players that were behind him to hold hands and be silent for eight seconds, in remembrance for the first jersey Bryant wore.
That was followed by a moving video tribute and musical performance by Academy Award-winning, Grammy Award-winning, and Golden Globe Award-winning artist and Chicago native Jennifer Hudson that brought the crowd to tears.
The 24 participants in Sunday’s All-Star Game all wore jerseys that dawned on the upper left corner a patch with nine stars that represented each victim of that helicopter crash that took the life of Bryant and his daughter and the aforementioned seven others. The team led captained by 16-time All-Star LeBron James had the players wore jerseys with the No. 2 in honor of Gianna, and the squad captained by four-time All-Star of the Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo wore jerseys with the No. 24 in honor of Bryant.
At the game’s conclusion, the newly named Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP, which was announced earlier in the week went to four-time All-Star of the Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard, who had 30 points and seven rebounds, going 11/18 from field, including 8 for1 4 from three-point range in helping Team LeBron reach the target score first of 157 points beating Team Giannis by that total of 157-155.
“It means a lot to me. You know, words can’t even explain just making this the first Kobe Bryant MVP trophy” Leonard said to NBA on TNT’s Ernie Johnson during the trophy ceremony. “You know, I want to thank Kobe for everything he’s done for me. All the long talks and workouts, you know? Thank you. This one’s for him.”
There were a fan in the audience that NBA on TNT showed at the conclusion of the game that had jacket in tribute to Bryant with the numbers No. 8 and 24 on the left sleeve, and the back that said, “Legends Never Die.”
The anchors and television personalities for NBATV and the NBA on TNT the microphones they used during All-Star weekend, had the numbers No. 8 or No. 24 in honor of Bryant or the No. 24 and No. 2 in honor of Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
Sideline reporter for the TNT during the All-Star Game Allie LaForce sleeves on her suit had the nine stars to pay tribute to the nine people that passed away tragically, including Bryant and his second oldest daughter in the aforementioned helicopter crash outside of Los Angeles three weeks ago Sunday.
"9 stars for #kobe4ever, Gigi, and the 7 over beautiful humans we tragically lost," LaForce said on her Twitter page @ALaForce. "That, and a game featuring hundreds of thousands of dollars going to worthy Chicago charities. Plus, REALLY good basketball players [crying and OK emoji]. Here we go CHICAGO!"
At the start of this calendar year, the NBA family lost longtime Commissioner David Stern and then 25 days later tragically lost Kobe Bryant, who spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers and his second oldest daughter Gianna along with seven others as mentioned earlier in a tragic helicopter crash.
These two proud pillars of the National Basketball Association got well deserved honors and appreciations throughout the 2020 All-Star Weekend from start to finish and while it is sad that their lives ended far too soon, their memory and the work they did in the case of David Stern off the floor and in the case of Kobe Bryant on the NBA hardwood that made the league, and the players better across the board, and given fans memories that will last forever.
Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 2/13/2020 7 p.m. TNT “NBA Tip-Off,” presented by Autotrader from the House of Blues in Chicago, IL with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal; 2/14/2020 9 p.m. “NBA Rising Stars Challenge,” on TNT, presented by State Farm with Brian Anderson, Utah Jazz first-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, Indiana Pacers’ starting center Myles Turner and Jared Greenberg; 2/16/2020 8 p.m. “69th Annual NBA All-Star Game,” on TNT, presented by State Farm with Marv Albert, Grant Hill, Reggie Miller, and Allie LaForce; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_NBA_All_Star_Game; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_NBA_All-Star_Game; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_All-Star_Game_Most_Valuable_Player_Award; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Jennifer-Hudson.
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