2. Kobe Bryant giving his shoes to Devin Booker
If there is another potential Kobe Bryant in the NBA at this moment, or if there will be at any point in the next decade, it is Devin Booker.
Very few players have the combined inner-fire to be great as well as the skill to back up that desire as Devin Booker does for the Phoenix Suns right now.
Well-respected and well-loved by many players around the league, and looked up to and emulated by many young players, Kobe’s final enduring image as a Laker against the Phoenix Suns is the two smiles of the aging veteran and the then rookie Booker following a 119-107 Suns win over L.A. on March 23, 2016.
Kobe was in and out of the lineup all that season and that particular game happened to be the fourth and final one of the season between the two teams. It was unfortunately the only one that Kobe was able to play in.
He finished with a respectable 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, although Booker played fantastically, carrying his Suns with a game-high 28 points, and 3 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Following the game, Booker and Bryant had an opportunity to chat both on and off the court.
In the locker room, Kobe gave Book a pair of signed sneakers (presumably the one’s he wore for that game), and among other comments, told the rook to “Be Legendary.”
Kobe Bryant signed a pair of shoes for Devin Booker and the game program. He wrote, "Be legendary." #SunsVsLakers pic.twitter.com/DR8e9r0Xk4
— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) March 24, 2016
Now in his fifth season in the NBA, it is hard to imagine Devin Booker on his way to anything but legendary – and some of the reason for that can be thanks to Kobe Bryant.