By Quierra Luck, hornets.com
Quierra Luck is a freelance sports writer who has been featured on various sites such as BSO and WRAL Sports Fan. Quierra is an NC native and the Charlotte Hornets have always been a hometown favorite. The opinions expressed here are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Hornets organization.
Kobe Bryant has been an intricate part of the NBA. Since the announcement of his retirement, fans everywhere were shocked – can one really imagine the NBA without the “Black Mamba?” Without one the league’s biggest villains? The Lakers golden boy?
Upon entering his 20th season, no one knew for sure of Kobe’s future. With his continuous injuries, Kobe looked to be slowing down. The 17-time All-Star finally realized his time was nearing and on Nov. 29, Bryant announced via The Players Tribune, that he was retiring. While fans knew Kobe couldn’t play forever, we thought his competitive nature would at least try and keep him around, but as they say, all great things must come to an end.
Since Kobe announced his retirement, every arena he visits becomes a home court advantage. It is Kobe’s name that’s being cheered. And that was the atmosphere last night in Time Warner Arena Cable. It was by no shame that Kobe was the highlight of the evening, and the Hornets had no problem giving the legend a night to remember. When reaching out to fans, it was for them to pinpoint one memory, but you can definitely tell from the looks n your face, it was fun to ride down memory lane.
“Tonight was amazing. People are here to pay homage to a living legend,” said Shaun Henderson. “The atmosphere couldn’t have been any better. Kobe played a heck of a game despite it being his retirement! He will be remembered forever, and not just for basketball but everything that has displayed as an entertainer over the past 20 years.”
As the 13th overall pick, the Charlotte Hornets chose Kobe Bryant, but sadly Bryant was already traded before he got the chance to wear the jersey. The Lakers snatched him up without hesitation, and as you know the rest is history. Kobe would be returning to where it all somewhat started, and last night he gave fans the show they wanted to see.
“As fans, of course we knew that a time would come where eventually Kobe Bryant, a basketball legend, would retire,” Raven Gibbs said. “I've watched him wide eyed since the age of six and had the opportunity to watch him again live in the place where his career technically began; Charlotte, NC.”
Kobe Bryant’s presence was felt before he stepped on the court. Since the announcement, Kobe has been a hot ticket for arenas and helping in selling out crowds. On Monday night, Time Warner Arena had a record number of fans with the highest attendance of a regular season game ever. The Kobe effect is real. Fans in the arena donned Bryant’s jersey with pride and shouted his name with her touch of the ball. Fans were stacked to the ceiling to see Kobe and he definitely showed glimpses of classic Kobe with 20 points and four rebounds. Kobe’s injuries didn’t hold him back as he said he felt better than he has in the last few days and played about 30 minutes.
Even though Kobe was the hot topic, the Hornets held no punches. The Hornets are coming off a hot win over Memphis after finally snapping their losing streak. With the return of Al Jefferson, the Hornets are looking to move back up in a wide open race for the East and with a 6-3 record over the West, the Hornets were looking for a much capable win. With the leadership of Kemba Walker, who played an outstanding game with 38 points with six rebounds, the Hornets walked away with a double-digit win of 108-98. The Hornets are looking to continue their winning streak with a home court advantage over the Clippers Wednesday evening.
Kobe, your contribution to this game is not only an accomplishment for you, but for every fan that grew up watching you play. You have provided countless memories with some epic endings. For 20 years you have graced our courts, now it’s your turn to be a fan of the game we all love so much.