Kobe Bryant was in a great mood as the Lakers assembled in El Segundo for their 2009 media day.
And for good reason. The Lakers had just won their 15th NBA title a few months earlier and were favored to win No. 16 at the conclusion of the upcoming season (spoiler alert: they did).
The Times’ article covering that preseason kickoff event described Bryant as “beaming” as he posed for photos and filmed various promotional videos, including one intended for use at Dodger Stadium.
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At one point, Bryant stood with a baseball bat ready to take a swing. At another, he placed an oversized, blue foam finger over his hand. Throughout the process, the reigning Finals MVP wore his full Lakers uniform.
“Let’s go Dodgers!” he said into the camera.
On Thursday, the Dodgers unveiled a Bryant bobblehead that seems to have been inspired by that day nearly 16 years ago. The late Lakers legend is wearing his basketball uniform, holding a bat and standing in a batter’s stance.
And he is beaming.
The Dodgers will be giving away the bobblehead to the first 40,000 ticketed fans when they play the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 8 at Dodger Stadium.
Bryant and daughter Gianna were among the nine people who died in a Jan. 26, 2020, helicopter crash in Calabasas. During a pregame ceremony honoring Bryant on his birthday (Aug. 23) that year, every Dodgers player and coach took the foul line wearing a gold Lakers jersey featuring either No. 8 or No. 24, the two numbers he wore during his Hall of Fame career.
The team also honored Bryant by giving fans special Dodgers jerseys designed in his honor at one game each in 2023 and 2024.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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