Aug. 23 marks Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s birthday as he would have turned 47-years-old on Saturday. His passing still does not feel real, but the legacy he left behind remains intact to this day.
As a basketball player and competitor, Bryant was a one-of-one talent and truly emptied the tank through his 20-year career in Los Angeles. The Lakers organization values championships and a player’s legacy is measured by titles. That box was checked as he brought five titles to L.A., including a three-peat through the early 2000s.
Bryant’s birthday is before his own day as Aug. 24 is celebrated annually as Mamba Day. As a precursor to Sunday, members of the Lakers family took the time to commemorate a legend as Vanessa Bryant, LeBron James, Pau Gasol, Magic Johnson, Caron Butler and Robert Horry were among those to take to social media to celebrate Kobe’s birthday.
It is always heartwarming to see current and former Lakers show love to one another. No one will know what Bryant’s life after basketball would have amounted to, but he achieved a lot in a short amount of time like becoming a best-selling author, a basketball analyst and even becoming a coach as he coached his daughter Gianna Bryant’s AAU team.
Bryant was also an avid supporter of the Lakers, so it’s unfortunate that he does not get to witness Luka Doncic in the purple and gold in the coming years.
Bryant’s birthday and Mamba Day are not the only way his legacy lives on as he currently has two numbers retired and multiple statues in front of Crypto.com Arena. Regardless, Bryant will continue to be celebrated in L.A. and across the world on his birthday every year.
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