‘Put On a Show’: Rucker Park CMO Explains How Kobe Bryant Made Him a Lakers Fan for Life

After the season, players generally take their time to recover before getting back to work. However, Kobe Bryant was a different beast altogether. He didn’t know the concept of rest, even though he may have won the championship.

The best example of this is the time he played at the Rucker tournament. Recently, Rucker CMO, Rashon Well spoke about how Bryant putting a show in the Rucker tournament made him a live long fan.

Lakers Kobe Bryant drives past Warriors Klay Thompson in the 1st quarter at the Staples Center Friday. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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Kobe Bryant always putting on a show

The ‘Mamba’ had only just completed his three peat with the Lakers and Shaq a weeks ago. However, with very little knowledge to anyone, he pulled up at Rucker park.

“It made me a Laker fan for life.”

Rucker Park CMO Rashon Well recaps Kobe Bryant’s legendary performance at Rucker Park

(Presented by @NBA) pic.twitter.com/bI9tgKYmbk

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 19, 2021

But Kobe Bryant made his mark and Well couldn’t love it enough. He said: “My favorite memory will have to be Kobe Bean Bryant. I was about 15 or 16 years old and I remember he had just won an NBA championship. It was the third championship that he had won with LA Lakers. Never in a million years would I think the Kobe Bryant would be out here, and he said, ‘yes I won an NBA championship but my legacy is not complete till I played at the Mecca.”

He added: “If you watch the highlights, he wasn’t playing like the Kobe Bryant in the NBA. He was throwing it in both people’s hands, bouncing it off their backs, doing 360 layups. So, it was important for him not only to come out here and put on a show, but it was important for him to put on a show how we put on a show here in Harlem. So hands down, that was my greatest moment here is meeting Kobe Bryant. And how cool he was on top of it, it made me a Lakers fan for life.”

LOS ANGELES, CA. JAN. 04, 2015. Lakers’ #24 Kobe Bryant all smiles after an assist from teammate Carlos Boozer in a game vs the Pacers’ in the 1st half of the game at Staple Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 04, 2015. LA Lakers play the Indiana Pacers in a regular NBA season game. (Photo by Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Stats didn’t do justice to the ‘Mamba’s’ impact that day in 2002. He ended up with 15 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds before rain put a stop to the show. However, it was a revolutionary day at the Rucker. Since that, many NBA players showed up to compete.

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