Mike Trout, Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp pay tribute to Kobe Bryant
On Wednesday night, the NBA will say goodbye to one of its all-time greats when Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant suits up for the final time.
It’s a story that transcends basketball, as Bryant’s legacy and legend have always extended well beyond basketball’s walls. He’s known to have amazed, entertained and influenced fans of all ages, in all parts of the world, and that includes several athletes who went on to become Major League Baseball players.
[Related: Golden State Warriors welcome Mike Trout, Angels to practice]
Some of those players decided to pay tribute to Bryant on Wednesday, sporting batting gloves and cleats that bore his No. 8 and No. 24, as well as the Lakers purple and gold. The Bryant tributes were especially prominent among California team’s, as Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout showed off these goods during the Angels win in Oakland.
One day earlier, Trout and company were hooping it up with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, but Trout’s respect for Bryant is also apparent. Maybe it’s a Philadelphia thing, as both spent part of their youth growing up in and around the City of Brotherly Love.
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Trout wasn’t alone though. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig will pay tribute as well by sporting these against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Meanwhile, former Dodgers and current San Diego Padres outfielder Matt Kemp took to Instagram to honor Bryant.
Everyone has an opinion about Kobe Bryant the person, as well as where Kobe Bryant the player ranks among the NBA’s best. It’s clear though that he’s made an impact on the lives of several athletes and earned the respect of his peers across all sports.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
