The video tribute will likely play longer. The notable celebrities will likely become larger. The endless cheers will likely sound louder. The private gifts will likely become grander.
Yet, as Kobe Bryant has inched closer and closer toward playing his last game in a sport he has forever loved, the Lakers’ 37-year-old star insisted he has avoided becoming emotional about it. He has done so mainly because he has forced himself not to think about that moment.
That moment has come. In what Lakers coach Byron Scott predicted is “going to be bananas,” the Lakers (16-65) will host the Utah Jazz (40-41) on Wednesday at Staples Center.