Kobe Bryant draws cheers in Boston

How do you act? You don’t really feel the culture and our history.

After the game Kobe left applauding and bumping his chest towards the Boston crowd, a clear sign that the future Hall of Famer respects his most bitter rival. Bryant finished with a team-high 20 points in the Lakers 108-98 loss and said that he was moved by the cheers from the crowd. Fans bickered with each other about how to behave. “I think what the fans are doing everywhere we go so far are just showing their appreciation”. At the end of the game, nearly nobody exited right away.

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant drives past Boston Celtics’ Avery Bradley during the second …

It was both nauseating and nice.

“It was great man. It was great”, said Bryant. Should the 76ers win, it would improve the odds of LA “catching” them for last place, which would make the Lakers keeping their pick more likely. “Those three songs, even when they come on the radio I still kind of get that cold sweat going”.

Now, by that, I do not mean that I hate Kobe Bryant the person because I don’t know the man. But I sure do hate Kobe Bryant the basketball player. “But I think he’s a hell of a player….”

That’s classic Bryant, isn’t it? The Celtics were forced to play a rotation of Rasheed Wallace and Glenn Davis at the five spot, and despite their best efforts, the team lost a heartbreaker in game seven.

In fact, Bryant wholeheartedly believes he’ll be back in Boston once he’s retired. “I hope you’re at peace because you deserve what you’re getting, ‘” Lin said via the Los Angeles Times. “Their roster was a mixture of young players, veteran players, nasty, tough players. And then we commented, as I recall, on how reminiscent he was of Michael”. “I don’t want to spend all my time talking about him because we have prepare to try and beat these guys”. Philadelphia is now 3-31 on overall and 2-19 on the road. He said his teammates were all sitting there, thinking “this can’t be happening again” when he started laughing. He reminded them all they needed to do was go home and win two games. And it’s a weird feeling, walking across the center court, looking down at that logo. Nowadays, the slightest of pushes would get you a technical foul.

It was his final stamp in the Celtics/Lakers rivalry, and it was in impressionable one. “I can’t stress that enough”. Their Big Three has scattered with Kevin Garnett back in Minnesota, Paul Pierce on the West Coast with the Los Angeles Clippers and Ray Allen no longer in the league.

Before his final game in Boston, a 112-104 Lakers victory, he spent considerable time dwelling on the embarrassing loss to the Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals. After the draft Charlotte traded Bryant to the Lakers for Vlade Divac.

Maybe he heard Phil Collins inside his head. The 1984 Finals series will always be remembered as Showdown ’84.

“Just tried to cherish it as much as possible”, he said. “It’s just a great atmosphere and I’m happy to be a part of it”. I wanted them to be able to see this and experience this. It’s always cool when I come here. His second thought: “I can’t mess this up”. “I’ll take a 1-1 draw”. “2008 on, though, that wasn’t going to happen”.

Upon his pregame introduction, Celtics fans greeted Bryant with many cheers, as well as a few audible boos.

Bass arrived on the scene in Boston in December 2011 from a Magic team that underutilized him.

Rivalries only live when they feature worthy competitors.