The Kobe Bryant farewell tour makes one of it’s final stops tonite when Kobe and the Lake Show play the New Orleans Pelicans just couple hours down the road. Kobe. Universally considered one of the greats by everyone and considered the greatest of all time by youngsters like myself who grew up playing hoops in the parks of Los Angeles in the shadow of the glorious Staples Center. I grew up minutes from the stage in which Kobe created basketball magic. The Staples Center. The Home of the Lake Show. The place where Kobe did his MichaelJordan impression. An impression so good, it earned him 5 NBAChampionships, a legendary 81 point performance, and countless clutch memories. All of this magic and all of these legendary moments were happening just minutes from my home, thus I never once saw my favorite player on my favorite team live and in color. Not one time.
I grew up in a single parent home. Going out to a Laker game where my saint of a mother would have to fork over hundreds on tickets, parking and food just was not in the cards. Then as an adult still living only a few miles down the 5 Freeway from the Black Mamba’s house, I still never willed myself to buy a ticket to watch Kobe play live. Why? Maybe because I was superstitious. Maybe because I was saving for Wrestlemania tickets. Or maybe because in the back of my own mind I thought that I just was not worthy of such an honor; the honor of watching the best basketball player ever play the sport live and in front of me. Alan Michael Tuszynski.
Tonite is my last opportunity to finally accomplish this; to check my bucket list and say “I saw Kobe Bryant play live.” Even if it’s against the lowly Pelicans, the competition of this game will be off the charts. The Lake Show is awful and the Pels D-League roster always gives it 110%. Tickets are going for $130 a pop minimum to sit in the nosebleeds, the Bob Uecker seats right now. Do I have that kind of cash? Sure. I live in a big house on the big side of town. I drive a brand new Honda Rousey. Unlike when I was a kid and my beautiful mother was workin’ to the bone to feed me and my brother, money is not an issue when it comes to me getting to see Kobe play now. I am not going to see Kobe play live tonite though. It’s not the distance. I enjoy that ride to the Crescent City. It’s not the fact that it’s a sad farewell tour filled with losing either. It’s simply because KobeBryant is the greatest basketball player I’ve ever seen and quite frankly I am just not worthy.