Dear Mamba: Kings pay tribute to fallen rival Kobe Bryant in loss to Lakers

In the summer of 1996, a 17-year-old kid from Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Penn., came to California to chase his dreams and eviscerate yours.

He was so young. He still had more than half of his life ahead of him. No one knew when he came to the Los Angeles Lakers he would forge an iconic legacy, bring so much joy to the Southland and cause so much suffering in Sacramento.

No one knew he only had 24 years left to accomplish everything a man could hope to achieve, from his brilliant basketball contributions to his beautiful family, but everybody knew this kid had big ambitions from the start. He wanted to be a champion. He wanted to be the best. He wanted to be like Mike. Before long, we just called him Kobe.

“I, Kobe Bryant … have decided to skip college and take my talents to the NBA,” he once declared.

And with those words, whether you were from California’s capital city or the City of Angels, Kobe was coming for your heart. That hit the tear ducts differently in Sacramento on Saturday — six days after Bryant died in a helicopter crash outside of Los Angeles — as the Kings honored the life and legacy of their fiercest rival before facing the Lakers at Golden 1 Center.

LeBron James had a triple-double and the Lakers beat the Kings 129-113, but all anybody could talk about was Kobe. There were tribute videos, highlight packages and “Ko-be” chants. There was a mural outside in the plaza where thousands of fans of both teams converged to leave candles, flowers, memorabilia and handwritten messages on a wall featuring photos that hearkened back to Bryant’s storied rivalry with the Kings.

“It’s been heartbreaking,” said Matt Johnson, 23, a Lakers fan from Las Vegas who purchased tickets to see the Kings game months ago. “I’ve never cried so much in my life. He was my idol. He fueled me to be the best person I could be and play basketball my whole life. Coming down here now, seeing the love from people, has been really powerful. Everybody knows about the rivalry, but I know it means a lot to Lakers fans that Sacramento would do all this for Kobe.”

Fate always had a way of bringing us all together. There was the first-round playoff series in 2000, the second-round series in 2001 and the epic 2002 Western Conference finals. The Kings organization, perhaps more than any other, is irrevocably intertwined with Bryant’s legacy, but this time we were gathered here under different circumstances.

Bryant died with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a fiery helicopter crash in the grass-covered hills of Calabasas on Sunday. There was fog. There was an explosion. Now, Kobe, Gianna and their friends are gone. Those smiling faces are forever frozen in time and we’re all here, mourning the loss of a legend who teamed with Shaquille O’Neal to torment the Kings when they were so close to greatness of their own.

The Kings were really good. They had Mike Bibby, Doug Christie, Peja Stojakovic, Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Bobby Jackson’s Bench Mob and an entire city behind them, roaring for Sacramento to “Beat L.A,” but they couldn’t do it. Not with Kobe and Shaq standing in their way.

“I can’t recall a night Kobe didn’t give it his all, whether he was scoring, whether he was defending, rebounding, diving for loose balls. He did it all,” Jackson said. “He changed the game with his ferocity and killer instinct.”

Mamba Mentality

You could trace Mamba Mentality back to that rivalry with the Kings in the early 2000s. Just ask Kings coach Luke Walton, who spent nine seasons with Bryant, helping the Lakers win back-to-back championships in 2009-10.

“Coming into this league as a rookie in ’03, that was right toward the end of that rivalry when both teams were on top of the West,” Walton said. “I would sit there and ask questions about it and hear all sorts of stories, obviously one-sided at the time, from the Lakers guys.

“Kobe knew what the rivalry was and how people felt about him up here in Sacramento, and that brought out the best in him. Even when the Kings were struggling after Vlade and Peja and that team kind of split, it didn’t matter. When he came to Sacramento, he wanted to destroy because he knew how the city felt about him.”

You might feel differently today as we cope with the unthinkable tragedy that has occurred. The world was starting to get to know Bryant as a devoted husband, a father of four little girls and a champion of women’s basketball.

“His death has shocked a lot of people and shocked the world,” Jackson said. “A lot of people are dealing with it in their own way and I’m dealing with it in my own way. Being a father of four girls, it kind of hit me a little bit harder, because I see what kind of dad he was.”

On the court, Bryant will be most remembered for his ruthless approach to every game and practice session. Few franchises felt that more than the Kings. Bryant had three 30-point games to help beat Sacramento in a five-game first-round series in 2000. The following year, he scored 48 points to complete a four-game sweep against the Kings in the conference semifinals. He averaged 32.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists in that series.

Then there was the unforgettable seven-game series in 2002. Both teams were one step away from the NBA Finals, where the New Jersey Nets were waiting to get swept. The Kings won two of the first three games. Lakers fans swore Sacramento poisoned Bryant when he got sick after eating a cheeseburger at the team hotel before Game 2. Kobe took intravenous fluids and played anyway.

Robert Horry hit a big shot to beat the Kings in Game 4. Bibby hit a big shot in Game 5 to help the Kings take a 3-2 lead in the series before they lost Game 6 in one of the most controversial games in league history. The Lakers attempted 27 free throws in the fourth quarter. They were leading by one with 11.5 seconds left when Bryant hit Bibby in the nose with an elbow smash and officials called a foul on Bibby, who had to clear his head and stop the bleeding before play resumed.

Game 7 went to overtime. Bryant had 30 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two steals. The Lakers won 112-106 and went on to sweep the Nets for their third consecutive NBA championship.

The links between Kobe and the Kings are impossible to miss. Following the 1996 draft, the Lakers acquired Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Divac, who is now the Kings general manager. Stojakovic is an assistant general manager. Jackson is an assistant coach. Christie is the team’s color commentator. Walton is their head coach.

“I’ve heard all the stories from both sides now,” Walton said. “There was not a lot of love, but boy is there a lot of respect.”

‘The whole entire world’

Over the course of his 20-year career with the Lakers, Bryant was an 18-time All-Star and a five-time NBA champion. He was named MVP in 2008 and twice earned NBA Finals MVP honors. He made the All-NBA First Team 11 times and was named to the All-Defensive First Team nine times.

“This is the guy who inspired me,” said Kings guard Buddy Hield, who idolized Bryant while growing up in the Bahamas. “This is the guy who inspired the world. Kobe didn’t just leave a mark on the American people. He left a mark on the whole entire world and that’s a blessing, man. Most guys don’t leave a mark on the whole world and he did that.”

Bryant delivered many signature moments, perhaps none more memorable than his career-high 81-point performance in a 122-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006. Walton was on that team.

“I grew up in the NBA,” said Walton, whose father, Bill, was a two-time All-Star and NBA champion. “I grew up around my heroes, so, being a player, I was never really that impressed with other players. After that 81-point game, I took a ticket to practice the next day and I asked Kobe to sign it for me. That game was just unbelievable and another one of those memories that I’ll forever cherish.”

Bryant inspired a generation of athletes with his play. In retirement, he was emerging as a teacher who had so much more to share with his daughter, the other girls he coached and young NBA players. In August, Hield and Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox attended the Mamba Pro Invitational, a multiday camp for select players organized by Bryant and Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy.

“It was definitely a great experience to get out there with Phil and Kob,” Fox said. “The attention to detail for every single step, every dribble, without wasting any movement, it was just great to get out there with those guys.”

Walton saw a different side of retirement for Bryant, who was most proud of being the father of four daughters, including Gianna, his prized pupil on the basketball court.

“He was influencing so many people and pushing for the women’s game,” Walton said. “And never having a son — you’ve seen the stories. He was so proud of those girls and he was totally fine without having a son and letting those girls be the ones to carry on his name and his tradition. He was going to do a lot more because he loved it, he was great at it and he enjoyed inspiring people, making people better. It’s sad that we won’t get to see what else he would have done.”

Dear Mamba

The most moving part of Saturday’s tribute was the memorial site the Kings constructed outside the arena. Fans were invited to leave notes on a wall adorned with more than a dozen photos, some of them showing Bryant going up against Divac, Stojakovic, Webber, Christie, Bibby and Jackson.

There were photos of Kobe and Gianna standing side by side, both in uniform. There was a photo of Bryant hugging Webber, Bryant hugging Divac and Bryant with Walton when they played for the Lakers. There was a photo of Christie guarding Bryant. There were photos of Bryant guarding Bibby and Jackson.

Each photo was accompanied by a quote.

“It was a honor to battle against you … and a privilege to call you a friend,” Webber said.

“The greatest gift he gave to the game of basketball was his attention to detail and his willingness to sacrifice in a way that I don’t think we’ll ever see again,” Christie said.

“As we all know, I don’t say much,” Bibby said. “But this hits home. From our fathers playing together in Philly to us being at the McDonald’s High School All-American game to great competitive games in the league, you inspired us all to be great.”

Fans began to fill the plaza more than three hours before tipoff. People stood there, some sobbing, some hugging each other, others just shaking their heads in disbelief. By game time, the memorial had grown exponentially to include candles, cards, flowers, a Lakers flag, Bryant jerseys and countless messages.

“Thank you Kobe for being such an amazing inspiration.”

“Truly a legend. You were one of the greatest. May you and Gigi rest in peace.”

“Thank you for inspiring me to pick up a basketball and look at me now. Love you Kobe.”

“You know you’re a legend when your archrivals pay tribute. R.I.P. to the great Sacramento loved to hate.”

“Thank you Kobe for all my childhood memories! Even though my Kings can never get passed you and the Lakers, I will always appreciate what you did for the game of basketball.”

“R.I.P. Kobe. Growing up I hated how much you would beat the Kings. It made me realize how much of a great player you were.”

“Love you Kobe. You are my hero in life and on the court.”

“You will always be with us. #MambaOut #GirlDad”