LeBron James closed the Lakers' pregame tribute to the late Kobe Bryant on Friday night with a short speech to the Staples Center crowd and everyone watching on ESPN.
In the four or so minutes he was on the microphone, after he ditched prepared remarks, he spoke for fans of Bryant worldwide.
"Lakers nation, man, I'd be selling y'all short if I read off this s—, so I'm (going to) go straight from the heart," James said to applause inside Staples Center.
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James acknowledged the strong family aspect of the organization and the pain that everyone is feeling. He then transitioned to a tribute of Bryant.
"Now I know at some point we will have a memorial for Kobe, but I look at this, I look at this as a celebration tonight," James said. "This is a celebration of the 20 years of the blood, the sweat, the tears, the broken-down body, the getting up, the sitting down, the everything, the countless hours, the determination to be as great as he could be.
"Tonight, we celebrate the kid that came here at 18 years of age, retired at 38 and became probably the best dad that we've seen over the last three years, man."
James closed with a look forward, to what's ahead for him and the rest of the Lakers.
"I want to continue along with my teammates, to continue his legacy not only for this year, but as long as we can play the game of basketball that we love because that's what Kobe Bryant would want. So in the words of Kobe Bryant, 'Mamba out.' But in the words of us, 'Not forgotten.' Live on, brother."
