There have been plenty of special moments throughout the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2015-16 season and the Kobe Bryant farewell tour in regards to tributes, final matchups with friends and foes, and so on. However, one of the best parts has been seeing the interactions between Kobe and his peers.
Friday night after the Memphis Grizzlies smacked the Lakers in a game that Bryant was out of action to get some rest and heal some of his ailments, Bryant gifted a pair of Kobe XIs to Grizzlies veteran Tony Allen. Along with the autographed pair of sneakers, Kobe also delivered a message with extremely high praise of Allen, calling him “the best defender he’s ever faced:”
Considering that Kobe has been in the league for 20 years and seen generations of players come and go throughout his time with the Lakers, that’s a pretty heavy statement and Allen should undoubtedly be honored.