For once, the loudest moment of the night did not coincide with Kobe Bryant’s starting lineup introduction. Nor did it happen when Bryant shed off rustiness with each basket he made.
Instead, the noise erupted amid the Lakers’ sluggish end to their third quarter that cemented something more than just another forgettable loss, a 101-82 defeat to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday at Staples Center. It also secured the Lakers’ 10th consecutive loss, which tied a team record set in the 1993-94 season.
Usually the names Magic Johnson and Byron Scott spark nostalgia about the Showtime Lakers and their many championships.