SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — It was a bit of a challenge finding Los Angeles Lakers fans in Golden State Warriors territory Monday in San Francisco.
Kobe has an overall 51-16 record versus the Dubs.
Even so, huge Warriors fan and owner of MoMo’s American Bar and Grill Scott Morton has enormous respect for Kobe Bryant.
“If you’re a fan of basketball you have to respect someone like Kobe Bryant,” Morton said. “One of the greatest of all time. Five time champion. 3-peat from 2000 to 2002. On some incredible teams. Did some incredible stuff with the Olympics. Two-time gold medalist. His second act of life was just getting started. Lot of successful stuff with the arts, movies, theater and things like that. Won an Academy Award. Jack of all trades and gone too soon.”
Now the owner of Local Tap Bar and Grill Paul Cardinale is a bit of a unicorn.
He is a hardcore Lakers fan
“You know they were my team. Magic Johnson. James Worthy. Kareem. Then the next generation came with Shaq & Kobe,” Cardinale said. “Kobe was just this 17-year-old kid and just came in and blew it out. He was amazing. The next Michael Jordan. It is just sad to see what happened.”
Anna Haase is from Bryant’s hometown of Philadelphia.
She says his untimely passing is hitting folks hard back home.
She went to the same high school as Bryant.
“I went to Lower Merion High School. I am from Philly,” she said. “It’s devastating for all of us. It feels like we lost a piece of our home and our heart. He was a huge part of the community. We were all huge basketball fans and he built that community and it’s devastating.”