New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson has risen to become one of the best players in basketball over the past two years. The sixth-year guard was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2023-24 and finished fifth in MVP voting. But despite all that success, he vividly remembers a story about Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant from nearly a decade ago.
In 2014, Brunson was a senior in high school in Illinois and Bryant was in his first season back after tearing his Achilles tendon. It was Christmas Day and the Lakers were in Chicago to play the Bulls. Brunson was there and even though Bryant wasn’t going to play that game, he still left a lasting memory for a young fan.
The Knicks star spoke about what he remembers from that day nearly 10 years ago and what it meant to him as a young high school star, via NBA Kicks:
“Kobe didn’t play, but he had a pair of Kobe 9s that he was going to wear, the red ‘Christmas’ Kobe 9s. He literally took them out of the locker room holding them in his hand and (said) here they are.”
Brunson was so surprised to receive the sneakers that he broke a rule set by his high school so he could wear the shoes in his next game:
“Everybody was like, ‘What are you going to do with them?’ I’m going to wear them to my next game. We’re the same size. I’m wearing them. Our high school had a rule that we couldn’t wear any other colors than the team colors; I totally broke that rule. We were green and gold; I wore red. But we won the Christmas tournament; I wore those shoes. Yeah, that was a cool moment. He came out and said, ‘Here you go.’”
Moments like these were commonplace for Bryant, especially in the later stages of his career. He made it his mission to do whatever he could to inspire the next generation of athletes and make them feel like they could become stars themselves.
Bryant didn’t get to see Brunson’s rise to the top of the league, as he didn’t really start making a name for himself until the 2020-21 season. But Bryant would undoubtedly be proud of the type of player and person Brunson has become as an NBA star.
NBA Legends Wish Kobe Bryant Happy Birthday
Kobe Bryant’s birthday was Friday, and NBA legends were sure to celebrate on social media. Some of the Lakers’ big names, including Magic Johnson, Pau Gasol and LeBron James, as well as Dwyane Wade, took to social media to convey a message to the late Hall of Fame member.
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