Corey Hansford https://s22928.pcdn.co/author/corey/ Lakers News Today, Rumors, Schedule & More Wed, 23 Aug 2023 22:42:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.3 https://s22928.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Los-Angeles-Official-150x150.png Corey Hansford https://s22928.pcdn.co/author/corey/ 32 32 LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Vanessa Bryant & Others Wish Lakers Legend Kobe Bryant A Happy Birthday https://s22928.pcdn.co/lebron-james-carmelo-anthony-vanessa-bryant-others-wish-lakers-legend-kobe-bryant-a-happy-birthday/ Wed, 23 Aug 2023 18:41:25 +0000 https://lakersnation.com/?p=232757 August 23 will forever be a day of celebration, remembrance and reflection, but also one of sadness and sorrow. Today, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant would have turned 45 years old, and as great as it is to remember him and everything that he did, it also hurts that he isn’t on this earth to celebrate his own birthday.

But Kobe is one of the most influential and beloved players to ever step foot on an NBA floor and his reach goes well beyond the basketball court as he was a mentor and inspiration to many across the globe.

So many people always make sure to send their birthday wishes and respects to Kobe on this day and this year was no different. Of course, Kobe’s wife Vanessa made sure to wish him a happy birthday as did his oldest daughter Natalia who took to Instagram to show her love:

 

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Of course, some current players would show their love to the Lakers legend as well. Current Lakers superstar LeBron James and recently retired forward Carmelo Anthony, a former Laker himself both took to Instagram as did current Mavericks star Kyrie Irving while Kobe’s former Lakers teammates Caron Butler, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol took to Twitter:

 

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Of course the Lakers themselves made sure to wish Kobe a happy birthday as did the official FIBA Twitter account:

Even though it remains difficult for Kobe to no longer be here on this earth, his birthday allows everyone he impacted to reflect and remember all of the positives he brought to us all.

Drake recalls first time meeting Lakers legend Kobe Bryant

Just days before Kobe Bryant’s birthday, hip-hop icon Drake was inside the arena Kobe helped make famous as part of his It’s All A Blur tour. And during his concert Drake reminisced about his first time meeting the Lakers legend.

Drake revealed that he was waiting on the tour bus of fellow hip-hop legend Lil Wayne to listen to his Carter 3 album which had yet to be released. Wayne told Drake that they had to wait for one more person to arrive and that person turned out to be the Lakers great himself, Kobe Bryant.

]]> Lakers Nation Kobe Bryant buzzer-beater against Suns on April 30, 2006. Lakers Video: Drake Recalls The First Time He Met Kobe Bryant https://lakersnation.com/lakers-video-drake-recalls-the-first-time-he-met-kobe-bryant/ Wed, 23 Aug 2023 18:34:39 +0000 https://lakersnation.com/?p=232755 Even for some of the most famous people in the world, there are certain people whom they might get nervous to meet or be around, and for many, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was someone who would fall in that category. Many have described the aura that he carried when he entered a room and will never forget the first time they met him. One person in that group is hip-hop superstar Drake.

The longtime huge basketball fan has met basically everyone there is to meet when it comes to celebrities in sports and beyond. Drake is one of the most recognized and famous people on this earth, but he will never forget the day he met the Lakers legend himself.

Drake recently performed at the Crypto.com Arena as part of his It’s All A Blur tour and the recording superstar told the crowd a story of the first time he met Kobe, waiting for him to arrive at Lil Wayne’s tour bus so they could listen to Wayne’s not yet released Carter 3 album, via Crypto.com Arena:

The image of three absolute legends like Kobe Bryant, Drake and Lil Wayne sitting on a tour bus to listen to one of the most iconic rap albums in history is something that just feels unimaginable. It’s easy to see why this is a moment that Drake would never forget.

At that point in time Drake was nowhere near the megastar that he would become with his So Far Gone mixtape released six months after Wayne’s groundbreaking Carter 3 album. So a young Drake moving to L.A. and being in a room with Kobe Bryant at his Lakers peak was something he maybe couldn’t even dream of at that time.

Considering all of the most famous people whom Drake has been around, the fact that he still vividly remembers that first time around Kobe just shows how highly the Lakers legend is viewed by his peers.

Lakers star LeBron James & son Bronny James walk Drake out at concert

Kobe Bryant wasn’t the only Lakers legend getting love at the Drake concert as current Lakers superstar LeBron James and his son, Bronny James walked with Drake out to the stage.

Drake would also show love to LeBron, noting how he showed up to a release party for his So Far Gone mixtape and showed his support well before he was the star he is today.

]]> Jayne Kamin-Oncea Nov 30, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Recording artist Drake watches the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center. Lakers won 129-122 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports Lakers Rumors: Still No Set Date On Kobe Bryant Statue Unveiling https://lakersnation.com/lakers-rumors-still-no-set-date-on-kobe-bryant-statue-unveiling/ Wed, 23 Aug 2023 18:27:49 +0000 https://lakersnation.com/?p=232754 Many have been waiting in great anticipation over when a statue of late, great Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant will be unveiled outside of the Crypto.com Arena. Ever since his tragic passing, many have wondered when he will be forever immortalized outside of the arena he made famous.

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss has continually said that once things are in place, the fans will know, but that didn’t stop rumors from popping up. The most recent one said that the statue would also involve his daughter Gianna Bryant who also perished in the crash, and would be unveiled on August 8, 2024, representing both of Kobe’s numbers that he wore throughout his Lakers career.

But it looks as if those rumors were false. According to Arash Markazi of The Messenger, there is still no set date for the unveiling of the Kobe statue and while conversations have been had, nothing is set and stone just yet:

It is unfortunate to hear as the 8/8/24 date of the unveiling makes so much sense and would be a wonderful gesture. As Markazi said, Kobe will be getting a statue one day, and it might still be on that day, but nothing between the Lakers and the Bryant estate has been agreed to just yet.

Something of this magnitude, paying respect to arguably the greatest player in Lakers franchise history, has to be done right and be perfect. There is no doubt the Lakers will exhaust all options to ensure exactly that and Kobe’s wife Vanessa and the rest of the Bryant family undoubtedly want the same.

Jeanie Buss has continually said that when the time is right, the fans will get the update and that time simply has yet to come.

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss shares favorite Kobe Bryant memories

Of course, Kobe had so many on-court memories during his time with the Lakers, and there’s a couple that stick out in the mind of Jeanie Buss.

The Lakers owner recently spoke on a couple of her favorites, noting how his famed 81-point game was not a case of him running up the score but rather doing everything he could to bring the Lakers back from a halftime deficit.

Buss then recalled arguing with then-boyfriend and Lakers coach Phil Jackson about not leaving Kobe in a few weeks earlier when he famously outscored the Dallas Mavericks through three quarters, finishing with 62 points without touching the floor for the final 12 minutes.

]]> Lakers Nation Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images Lakers News: NBA 2K24 Adds ‘LeBron Era’ To Playable Eras Mode https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-nba-2k24-adds-lebron-era-to-playable-eras-mode/ Tue, 22 Aug 2023 19:27:33 +0000 https://lakersnation.com/?p=232743 The NBA 2K series has always had to change and innovate in order to remain one of the biggest sports video game franchises in the world and NBA 2K24 plans on doing the same. One new addition they made in last year’s edition was the introduction of eras, in which the rules and presentation are changed to reflect different eras of NBA history, along with obviously the stars and rosters of that time.

There were four eras in NBA 2K23: the Magic vs. Bird era, the Jordan era, the Kobe era and the Modern era. Most of these time periods are pretty straightforward, though there does seem to be a bit of a gap between the Kobe and Modern eras and NBA 2K24 has now filled that gap with the obvious choice, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.

According to Tomer Azarly of Clutch Points, NBA 2K24 will be adding in the LeBron era, giving the game five playable eras for fans to enjoy:

What is great about this mode is that it allows players not just to play games with the look and feel of those specific eras but you can also go into season and franchise mode, take over teams and basically re-write NBA history. The LeBron era really gets going in the early 2010s with the game noting the rise of superteams and whether LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh can take over with the Miami Heat or the young Oklahoma City Thunder trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden can stay together and become a dynasty.

It is truly a fun concept and adds yet another way to enjoy the outstanding basketball series. LeBron James is clearly the right choice to plug in there as he is responsible for the player movement that has taken over the league and now fans can enjoy that time period, and maybe Lakers fans can figure out the best way to have the franchise avoid the dark period they experienced in real life.

And LeBron James, as is to be expected, was featured on the official NBA 2K24 gameplay trailer throwing down a massive dunk and doing his signature crown celebration. But he wasn’t the only Lakers player to be featured.

Rising star Austin Reaves was also on the trailer doing what he does best, drawing a foul and finishing through contact and yelling “I’m Him!” as he did during the Lakers’ playoff run this year.

]]> Lakers Nation Lakers News: LeBron James And Bronny James Walk Drake Out At Concert In Crypto.Com Arena https://lakersnation.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-and-bronny-james-walk-drake-out-at-concert-in-crypto-com-arena/ Tue, 22 Aug 2023 19:03:40 +0000 https://lakersnation.com/?p=232739 Some of the biggest entertainment superstars in the world can often be seen courtside at NBA games all over the country. The Los Angeles Lakers are famous for the number of celebrities who have come in to watch the likes of Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James amongst others. These days, arguably the biggest celebrity basketball fan is multi-platinum rap artist Drake.

Hailing from Toronto, Canada Drake is a regular at Raptors games and even at one point became the franchise’s unofficial ambassador. His love for the is unbelievable and he is friends with many of the NBA’s biggest stars, one of whom is Lakers superstar LeBron James.

Drake is currently on his It’s All A Blur Tour which on Monday made a stop at the Crypto.com Arena. And the hip-hop superstar had some special guest walk him to the stage as LeBron and his son Bronny James accompanied Drake walking out, via Crypto.com Arena Twitter:

It has to be an amazing feeling to walk out to an arena that loud and raucous. Of course LeBron has been inside the arena when it has been crazy for the Lakers, but even that likely doesn’t compare to the noise level a superstar like Drake can bring. And for Bronny to be able to experience this after his health scare was undoubtedly gratifying.

LeBron has long been one of Drake’s biggest supporters since the beginning of his career and Drake actually thanked the Lakers superstar during the concert, via Drake Direct:

It was an unforgettable night all around and Drake wearing the purple and gold suit inside the home of the Lakers was a nice extra touch as well. LeBron James and Drake are two of the biggest stars in the world and have continued to show support to each other which is beautiful to see.

Lakers star LeBron James salutes Dodgers Mookie Betts during two home-run game

LeBron has been busy lately around the L.A. area showing his support. Recently the Los Angeles Dodgers had a LeBron James bobblehead night and they also presented a $100,000 check to the LeBron James Foundation.

But the star of the night was All-Star outfielder Mookie Betts who blasted a pair of home runs in the Dodgers’ win. After the second one he would salute LeBron in the sky box with the Lakers star removing his hat and returning the favor.

]]> Gary A. Vasquez Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports