August 24 is Kobe Bryant Day in California’s Orange County
Los Angeles Lakers honor the nine victims from Sunday’s helicopter crash during the pregame ceremony for Kobe Bryant before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center on January 31, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines—The spirit of one of basketball’s all-time greats will be forever remembered in Orange County after its Board of Supervisors unanimously approved August 24 as Kobe Bryant Day.
Bryant wore the numbers 8 and 24 during his playing days with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA and that is why August 24 was chosen as the date to commemorate one of the leagues’ greatest players ever, the CNN reported on Thursday.
“A treasured member of our Orange County community, Kobe Bryant was the basketball legend that inspired so many young men and women to pursue their dreams and never give up,” said Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel said in the report.
Bryant lived in Newport Beach in Orange County with his family. He tragically died on January 26 in a helicopter crash along with daughter Gigi and seven others.
“I’m proposing August 24 to be dedicated to the memory of Kobe Bryant, and all that he brought to Orange County community, which is to strive, to live by his words of encouraging those around us to never give up on their dreams,” said Steel.
“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”
Bryant is a five-time champion with the Lakers, was named to 18 All-Star games, the second-most behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history with 33,643 points.
Both of his jerseys were retired in 2017 and he was set to be enshrined in the 2020 Class of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
