Feature: Bryant returns to Staple Center, but he never really left

by Xinhua writer Guo Shuang

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- "Dear Basketball, From the moment/I started rolling my dad's tube socks/And shooting imaginary/Game-winning shots/In the Great Western Forum/I knew one thing was real: I fell in love with you."

From the tunnel that leads into the Lakers locker room, Kobe Bryant emerged just as this famous "Dear Basketball" concluded on the jumbotron at Staples Center, Los Angeles.

In a celebration on Monday during halftime of Laker's game against the Golden State Warriors, Bryant's Nos. 8 and 24 were retired by the Lakers. "KOBE! KOBE! M-V-P!M-V-P," the crowd chanted.

As the two jerseys were raised up in the rafters of Staples Center, Jeanie Buss, the Lakers' controlling owner and president, mentioned that she believes if the accomplishments that Bryant had while wearing each number was separated, he would still qualify for the Hall of Fame.

"Kobe, we are retiring both your numbers because if we separated [them], each of those players would qualify for the Hall of Fame," Buss said in a speech on retiring both of Kobe's numbers.

The Lakers usually retire only the jerseys of players in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Bryant isn't yet eligible for enshrinement, but the team is confident he will be inducted.

The legend superstar of Los Angeles Lakers spent all of his 20-year career with the Lakers. Throughout his stellar career, Bryant has received numerous high praises for how great he has been every time he stepped on the court.

He sported his No. 8 jersey from 1996-2006, where he won three championships, and established himself as an elite player in the league. For the following 10 seasons of his career, Bryant switched to wearing No. 24 for the remaining eight years of his career, and won two more titles, an MVP Award, and more importantly, cemented his place as an all-time great.

Bryant now is the 10th player jersey retired by the team. The others belonged to Wilt Chamberlain (13), Elgin Baylor (22), Gail Goodrich (25), Magic Johnson (32), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33), Shaquille O'Neal (34), James Worthy (42), Jerry West (44) and Jamaal Wilkes (52).

Lakers president of basketball operations and franchise legend Magic Johnson reflected on the memorable performances from the superstar and turned heads when he called Bryant the "greatest who ever wore the Purple and Gold." He exclaimed, "there will never, ever be another Kobe Bryant."

The 18-time All-Star played 20 seasons with the Lakers, winning five championships. Bryant, who retired in 2016, scored 33,643 career points, currently third on the all-time list behind Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone.

The jerseys were unveiled after Buss' speech and before Bryant took the microphone.

"Thank you so much for tonight. But it's not about my jerseys that are hanging up there for me," Bryant said to the crowd. "It's about the jerseys that were hanging up there before. Without them, I couldn't be here today. They inspired me to play the game at a higher level."

Plenty of basketball legends were in attendance.

The superstar then thanked his wife, Vanessa, as well as his daughters. A few hours prior, Bryant walked into the arena with his family, pushing his daughter Bianka in a stroller from the loading dock in the direction of the Lakers locker room.

Bryant also expressed his love for the Lakers fans and ended with "Mamba out." He hopes his legacy inspires the next generation.

"Hopefully, what you get from tonight is the understanding that those times when you get up early and you work hard, those times when you stay up late and you work hard, those times when you don't feel like working, you're too tired, you don't want to push yourself, but you do it anyway -- that is actually the dream. That's the dream. It's not the destination, it's the journey. And if you guys can understand that, then what you'll see is you won't accomplish your dreams. Your dreams won't come true. Something greater will, and if you guys can understand that, then I'm doing my job as a father," said Bryant.

Thousands of fans gathered on the street outside the Staple Center in the afternoon. Almost everyone wore Kobe No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys to pay tribute to their idol.

Fans will always remember the 81-point night against the Toronto Raptors in 2006, the 60-point performance in the final NBA game of his career in 2016.

The Lakers hosted a Kobeland street festival ahead of the game. Top 10 countdowns on the best Staples Center moments, Kobe's 50+ point games and backstage footage of his final game were shown at the event.

The street fair featured a "Kobe-inspired Ferris wheel" interactive games, a shootout game and performance from a live DJ. With five NBA championships, Bryant's time on the Lakers is often held dear by L.A. fans.

"I'm really sad that Kobe is no longer with Lakers, with us playing. But I'm excited that I'm able to be here to see that. Because I grew up watching Kobe. I think he's the goal, the greatest of all time. Even though Michael Jordan is great too, Kobe is our goal in LA. And I'm really honored I can be here today," Kobe fan Lily told Xinhua.

Since his retirement, Bryant has become an unofficial adviser to Buss and the Lakers. The team hired his long-time agent Rob Pelinka as general manager, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"I will still love the Lakers for sure. However, there is not gonna be another Kobe, but hopefully there is another player that can take his spot and rebuilt the team here," said high schooler Anthony Chavez, who has met Bryant when he was ten and then became a Lakers fan.