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Kobe Bryant arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
After a surreal year that saw the unthinkable happen with the premature death of a man in his early forties last January, Saturday, May 15, 2021, is a day to celebrate the life of the late, NBA great Kobe Bryant. This afternoon, his name will be enshrined forever with those of other legends during a ceremony by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducting its 2020 Class. More on that later.
Kobe Bryant’s greatness was evident even before he reached the pro level, of course he was drafted right out of high school, after all. My colleague Shipwreckedcrew wrote earlier today about one clarifying moment in that time period that remains unforgettable to those lucky enough to witness it his unyielding workout, at 17 years old, for Jerry West of the Lakers.
On Tuesday, Bill Worrell, 76, announced this would be his last season doing television play-by-play for the Rockets though he will do some in studio work for the network next season allowing him to complete 40 years of broadcasting for the Rockets and 50 years in Houston sports.
AP Sportlight
April 25
1950 Charles Cooper, an All-American from Duquesne playing with the Harlem Globetrotters, becomes the first black to be picked in the NBA draft when he’s taken by the Boston Celtics.
1952 The Minneapolis Lakers, led by George Mikan’s 22 points, beat the New York Knicks 82-65 to win the NBA title in seven games.
1964 The Toronto Maple Leafs win their third straight Stanley Cup with a 4-0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings in the seventh game.
1965 The Boston Celtics score 42 points on a record 21 field goals in the final quarter of Game 5 to post a 129-96 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers and win their seventh consecutive NBA championship.
AP-Sportlight-Week Ahead
April 23
1903 The New York Highlanders, later renamed Yankees, win their first game as a major league team, 7-2 over the Washington Senators.
1946 Ed Head of the Brooklyn Dodgers pitches a no-hitter against the Boston Braves 5-0 at Ebbets Field.
1950 The Detroit Red Wings edge the New York Rangers 4-3 in Game 7 to win the Stanley Cup.
1950 The Minneapolis Lakers become the first team to win back-to-back NBA championships by defeating the Syracuse Nationals 110-95 in Game 6 of the finals. George Mikan leads the Lakers with 40 points in a game marred by three fights, four Minneapolis players fouling out, and Nats coach Al Cervi being ejected for complaining too vociferously about a call.