NBA fans need no introduction to the rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Clippers. The neighbors have been sharing the arena for years, which adds fuel to the rivalry among the fans. No one arguably understood the conflict better than lifelong Laker Kobe Bryant, even though he came very close to joining the rivals multiple times. As the summer league is underway, an interesting fact about Bryant has shockingly made the Lakers fans show their love for a Clippers rookie.

If everything goes according to the plan, the upcoming season will most likely be the final year the Clippers share the same arena with the Lakers. The Clippers’ new arena, the Inuit Dome, with a capacity of 18,000 seats is under construction in Inglewood. The team is all set to move to the arena for the 2024-25 season.

Clippers rookie confirms Kobe Bryant connection

It is very rare for an NBA superstar to play his whole career for a single team. But Kobe Bryant was lucky enough to be a one-club man with the Lakers. However, it was not without difficulties. Notably, the 5x NBA champion was once close to a move to the Los Angeles Clippers. Amidst Kobe’s beef with Shaquille O’Neal, the Lakers had to make a decision on who to side with.

With tensions rising, there were reports linking Bryant to the Clippers. However, the Lakers’ front office decided to build their team around the young star and parted ways with O’Neal. This put an end to the Clippers’ pursuit of Bryant. Notably, the Clippers had decided not to draft him after a pre-draft workout. Interestingly, years later, they have their own Kobe now with rookie Kobe Brown.

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The Clippers drafted Kobe Brown as the 30th overall pick and he has been playing at a high level in the summer league. In the recent game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Brown erupted for 35 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals. However, he got the attention of the Lakers fans for a different reason.

After the impressive game, Brown confirmed that he was indeed named after the legendary Kobe Bryant. And Lakers fans had no problem showing their love even though he plays for the Clippers.

Fans showed their love for Kobe Brown

The video clip of Kobe Brown’s confirmation about being named after Kobe Bryant got some traction on social media. NBA fans flooded the comment section to express their love. One fan wrote, “He’s named after Kobe Bryant so he is destined for greatness in the future.”?Here are some reactions:

One fan stated that anyone born after Kobe got drafted has to be named after him. He wrote, “Anyone born after 1996 named Kobe is 100% named after him.”

However, Brown was applauded for his impressive performance as well. One fan commented, “I witnessed the future of basketball”.

Another fan went as far as to say that Brown reminded him of the Black Mamba.

With the Clippers having a great eye for talent, do you think Brown can emulate Kobe Bryant’s success in the NBA? Or is it too much of a burden to put on a 23-year-old? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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