On what would have been Kobe Bryant’s 44th birthday (8/23) and the day now known in many parts of Southern California as Kobe Bryant Day (8/24), the Los Angeles Lakers commemorated the legendary guard by acknowledging newborn babies at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital.
Now an annual tradition, the team provides the babies and their new parents a Kobe-themed package full of Purple and Gold blankets, No. 8 baby beanies, Kobe T-shirts, and a special note from the Lake Show and UCLA Hospital that reads:
“WELCOME TO THE WORLD! One of your family’s most special days has landed on one of our organization’s most celebrated days. On this year’s Kobe Day, here’s to your next-generation Lakers fan. They’ve already got a little of the Mamba Mentality in them. Congratulations!”
The newborns have been christened as ‘Day One’ Lakers fans and will forever be tied with Kobe Bean Bryant.