NBA News Update: LeBron James remembers the promise he made to Kobe Bryant after his death, Jeff Van Gundy closing in on Houston Rockets job
LeBron James led the LA Lakers to their 17th NBA championship last week in the Orlando bubble. The victory marks the franchise's first NBA title in 10 years. The last time they won an NBA championship was under the leadership of Kobe Bryant in 2010. Earlier today, King James remembered the late LA Lakers' legend and talked about a promise he made to the Mamba after his demise. In this article, we'll take a look at what LeBron James said, along with other NBA news updates.
NBA News Update: LeBron James remembers LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant after winning 2020 title
Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant and 7 other passengers died in a tragic helicopter crash in January 2020. Following his shocking death, LeBron James talked about the 41-year-old via an Instagram post and made a promise to him the very next day. The post read:
"I promise you I'll continue your legacy man! You mean so much to us all here especially #LakerNation and it's my responsibility to put this s--t on my back and keep it going!!"
The LA Lakers went on to have a historically dominant season in 2020 and won the NBA championship by beating the Miami Heat in an emphatic manner. Today, LeBron James took the time to remember the 'Black Mamba' on Instagram and reminded fans about the promise he made back in January.
LeBron James and Kobe Bryant played together in the NBA from 2003-2016 and also represented the US men's basketball team in the Olympics.
NBA News Update: Jeff Van Gundy closing in on Houston Rockets' coaching job
It was recently reported that NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy is among the front-runners to fill the coaching vacancy in the Houston Rockets. The Rockets parted ways with Mike D'Antoni following a disappointing playoffs exit and are looking for someone to take the franchise ahead in the right direction.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Jeff Van Gundy met the Rockets' management today and will continue to have talks with the front-office on Thursday.
It's interesting to note that Jeff Van Gundy had already coached the Houston Rockets' from 2003-2007 but failed to deliver results in the postseason. The next few days will shed light on whether he gets a second chance to be the Rockets' head coach going into the 2020-21 NBA season.
Also read: NBA News Update: Jared Dudley opens up on LeBron James' life in the bubble, Frank Vogel on LA Lakers missing out on Kawhi Leonard