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NBA -- Cavs fans shower Kobe with love
By Carl Tomakin
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 12 Feb 2016
CLEVELAND -- It was a special night in Cleveland, Ohio and everyone was expecting magic to happen. Not quite that "Magic" from the showtime Lakers but one from a reptilian creature, so deadly, so cold it can stop anyone dead on its tracks.
The Black Mamba was inside The Q (Quicken Loans Arena, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers) and it was as if the production started in nature with a blisteringly cold 17 degrees Fahrenheit with ghastly winds- yes, this was going to be a truly memorable evening.
A touching tribute video was on the big screen, people were cheering "KO-BE" then the hot air blasts from the big horn. Game time.
Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 35 points, LeBron James added 29 as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Lakers in a 120-111 win. Kobe scored 17 points on 5 of 16 shots but one was a memorable step back jumper over LeBron on the 3 plus a foul.
Bryant was visibly pleased with the Cleveland crowd: "I really appreciate the amount of respect the fans gave me here tonight." He also said some very nice things about LeBron: "I think his greatest strength is his ability to communicate and instill confidence in others." And on Kyrie: "He has a killer mentality, can shoot the long ball, his midrange game is excellent and he can finish at the rim."
He was received with grace and he left Cleveland with the love and respect of everyone watching. We will miss you, Kobe. Thank you for all the wonderful games you played for us.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Carl Tomakin.
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