Kobe Bryant receives big ovation in Philadelphia, framed HS jersey
Kobe Bryant’s first road game since his Sunday retirement announcement always figured to be a momentous occasion, especially considering it would come against the Philadelphia 76ers, ostensibly his hometown team. Kobe has not always been the most popular player in Philly — who could forget the boos at the 2002 All-Star Game? — but the hope of many was that he would receive a warm welcome at the Wells Fargo Center for Tuesday’s tilt with the winless Philadelphia 76ers.
[Follow Dunks Don’t Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]
That’s exactly what took place when the public address announcer called Bryant’s name last among Lakers starters. Take a look:
After a hearty ovation, the Sixers played a short tribute video tying Bryant to the city and had franchise legend Julius Erving and Kobe’s high school coach Gregg Downer (who spoke to our Michael Lee on Monday) presented him with a framed No. 24 jersey from nearby Lower Merion High School, his last stop on the way to becoming the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft.
In keeping with the good vibes, Kobe scored the Lakers’ first 11 points:
Longtime Philadelphia sports fans can be forgiven for wondering why Kobe was welcomed back so positively. Despite being born in Philadelphia and spending his high school years in the suburbs after the end of his father Joe’s playing career, Bryant has never totally claimed Philadelphia as his hometown and has rarely warmed to the city. The Sixers’ video tribute in many ways comes across as an attempt to alter that history — Kobe is from Philadelphia but not necessarily of it.
On the other hand, there’s nothing wrong with recognizing a great player for his contributions to the game. Kobe is deserving of all this positive attention even if it seems a little bizarre.
Incidentally, the Sixers honored recently deceased franchise legend Moses Malone at halftime of Tuesday’s game. During the ceremony, his son Moses Jr. announced that the team will finally retire his father’s No. 2 jersey some time next year. That’s an announcement the entire city should find easy to cheer.
– – – – – – –
Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
