Remembering “Mamba Day”

Game 82. April 13th, 2016. Mamba Day. Mamba Day wasn’t only for Lakers fans. It was for the the fans who grew up taking every shot in church league, no matter how much your teammates despised you. It was for the fans who yell, “Kobe!” after throwing a wadded up piece of paper at a trash can in your cubicle (I prefer “Jimmer!”) It was for the 2K gamers who only play with the Warriors, because the Lakers suck in that game.

WARNING: The video below can be hard to watch for some Jazz fans. Just lookin’ out for you, dudez.

No, Mamba Day wasn’t only for the Lakers fans, it was for the fans of all teams... except for one. Our Utah Jazz. It was hard to enjoy the end of a legendary career when your playoff hopes were crushed by Houston and the #KANGZ only a few hours earlier, and your team was being used as the Washington Generals IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE BASKETBALL WATCHING WORLD.

We are facing the Lakers yet again, but this time, the basketball gods will not be in the building, and neither will Kobe Bryant. There is a youth movement going on in Los Angeles, headlined by D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and the #2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Brandon Ingram.

Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Almost a la the Millsap/Jefferson departure, the Lakers are moving from the Kobe era, to an era of the unknown. It’s their team now. Can these young fellas play? We’re about to find out.

Young guns vs. the Rockets on Wednesday:

D’Angelo Russell - 20 PTS / 3 AST / 1 REB / 1 STL

Jordan Clarkson - 25 PTS / 1 AST / 3 REB / 3 STL

Julius Randle - 18 PTS / 6 AST / 7 REB / 1 BLK

Brandon Ingram - 9 PTS / 0 AST / 3 REB / 0 STL

Could one of these players be the next great Laker? Only time (and basketball) will tell!

**me watching that Kobe video**

GIPHY