Of course, what truly put the Lakers over the top again when the new millennium began was the arrival of Bryant, which also came in 1996.
Bryant teamed with O’Neal to lead L.A. to the first three NBA titles of the 2000s, and after that squad came apart in 2004, he stuck around and was rewarded for his perseverance with the Pau Gasol trade in 2008. Armed with a new Hall of Fame partner, Bryant drove the Purple and Gold to two more world championships in 2009 and 2010.
The Black Mamba was named ESPN’s 10th greatest athlete of the century.
“For all of the accomplishments Bryant amassed, the five championships chief among them, and all of the otherworldly scoring feats — nine straight 40-point games in 2003, four straight 50-point games in 2007, the 81-point night against Toronto, the 60-point send-off against Utah — his lasting achievement was inspiration,” wrote McMenamin. “The Lakers legend’s self-described ‘Mamba mentality’ has transcended basketball, and sports for that matter, a branded way of life that fans and admirers of Bryant aspire to reach. It promises that with enough drive, enough work, enough will and enough focus, you too can shape your existence the way Bryant did.”
While Bryant was widely hated for much of his career, he eventually earned a very strong following and an exalted sense of dignity and esteem, not only among fans but also among today’s generation of NBA players. A number of NBA stars have admitted that they see Bryant as not only an inspiration but also a mentor.