All the Los Angeles Kings players showed up to Staples Center wearing KobeBryant jerseys before the arena's first sporting event since the retired Lakers superstar's death in a helicopter crash
All the Los Angeles Kings players showed up to Staples Center wearing Kobe Bryant jerseys before the arena's first sporting event since the retired Lakers superstar'sLos Angeles players wore both the No. 8 and No. 24 versions of Bryant's jersey from his 20-year career with the Lakers. Both teams then wore tribute stickers on the backs of their helmets when the Kings hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Kings organization is historically linked to the Lakers, and not just because they shared a training complex in El Segundo until 2017. The teams have continuously shared an arena since the Kings joined the NHL in 1967, and Lakers owner Jerry Buss also owned the Kings from 1979-88. After 32 seasons together in the Forum, the Kings and Lakers have shared Staples Center along with the Los Angeles Clippers since the building opened in 1999. Bryant played the final 17 seasons of his 20-year career at the busy arena in downtown Los Angeles."He was the ultimate champion," Kopitar said. "He was known as the Black Mamba and the closer. He was here to win games and win championships, and that's the ultimate goal in sports.
For first-year Kings coach Todd McLellan, the tragedy and a subsequent game evoked memories of his tenure with the Edmonton Oilers, when his team had to play in April 2018 shortly after the Humboldt Broncos' bus crash, which killed 16 people.
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