L.A. Diaries: Catching up with Kobe Bryant
By Homer D. Sayson
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 03 Apr 2015
LOS ANGELES -- The smell of bread burning in the toaster rocked me out of my rum-induced haze as I sauntered inside the dining room of the Howard Johnson hotel where guests were treated to a complimentary breakfast.
Not a breakfast person, I toyed with a bagel and lathered it with butter and grape jelly. I ignored the juices but grabbed a blood red apple which I nibbled in the car while running personal errands on Day 3 of my L.A. saga.
My sidekick, Anthony, a health nut with a black belt in jetkundo, asked me to join him at nearby Fitness M for a quick workout. I played deaf and showed a polite disinterest toward the invitation. Really, the only exercise I'd like to do is to run to the buffet table.
After another delightful lunch at Good-Ha Express, I spent the rest of the afternoon in the hotel room to do some editing work for PhilBoxing's NBA page while dusting up my exclusive Manny Pacquiao interview feature which will post soon at NBA.com Philippines.
At about 6:30 pm, my rented Nissan Altima was cruising along Vermont avenue. After a slight left turn on Pico boulevard and another left turn at Figueroa street, Anthony and I arrived at Staples Center, a manageable trip which my phone's GPS calculated to be 2.8 miles and 12 minutes long.
The Chick Hearn press room is one of the nicest press rooms around the league. Named in honor of the longtime Lakers broadcaster, the media hive is incredibly spacious, beautifully well-lit and adorned with flat screen TVs all over.
The food at media dining was terrific --- tacos, salads, hotdogs and an impressive array of drinks. I jousted with a plate of salad and had a hotdog for a main course. And I'm proud to say I resisted the temptation of raiding the ice cream bar.
Although the Lakers have long been eliminated from playoffs contention with a sorry 20-54 record, they still managed to pull in a thick crowd of 17,165 loyal fans. From my assigned seat at section 117 it was impossible not to notice that the arena was crawling with beautiful women, which is why I sustained a stiff neck.
After leading the half 60-49, the New Orleans Pelicans put the Lakers out of their misery with a third quarter spurt that extended their lead to 84-64. The Lakers, who were led by Fil-Am Jordan Clarkson's 18 points and 10 assists, offered little resistance after that and eventually succumbed, 113-92.
All-Star Anthony Davis had 20 points for the Pelicans, who shot a blistering 56.4 percent from the field (41 of 78) and a high 56.3 percent from the great beyond (56.3 percent).
The highlight, though, at least for me, was the brief chat I had with Kobe Bryant.
Although inactive for the rest of the season following a right rotator cuff surgery, Kobe showed up at the game and cheered on his teammates. He did not do any interviews but Kobe kindly obliged when I approached him.
"Hey, how are you?" the Laker legend asked.
While I have interviewed Kobe so many times over the years, I still melt in his presence. But I did somehow manage to croak, "I'm fine, thanks for your time."
We spoke for a couple minutes on a topic that he asked I keep private for now. As we exchanged pleasantries, I told him that his millions of fans in the Philippines are rooting for his spectacular return next season. After flashing an appreciative smile, the Black Mamba gave me a fist bump before slithering towards the private players' parking lot.
I'm not in a hurry to leave this green Earth, but meeting Kobe feels like heaven.
Photos: The author talking with the great Kobe Bryant (top) and with Chris Duan, a Filipino from Canada and his wife Diana Fong, came to L.A. just to watch the Lakers (above)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Homer D. Sayson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
TICKET NEWS: EUBANK JR-BENN II ON SALE FROM THIS WEDNESDAY
Wed, 17 Sep 2025“Night of Champions” Returns to Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando on September 19
Wed, 17 Sep 2025Canelo-Crawford: The Consolidation of Boxing’s New Commercial Empire
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 17 Sep 2025A New Era for Boxing: Canelo vs. Crawford Shatters Global Viewership Records on Netflix
By Dong Secuya, Wed, 17 Sep 2025Crawford Not the First Lightweight to Distinguish Himself at Super Middleweight
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Wed, 17 Sep 2025Kurt Scoby and Josh Popper Headline Boxing Insider Card September 19 in Times Square
Wed, 17 Sep 2025Green and Gold 2025: Amateur Boxing’s International Gathering in Bolivia
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 17 Sep 2025Pakistan's Sameer Khan Set to Battle for UBO Youth World Title in Brico Santig’s Sep 27 Show in Thailand
By Carlos Costa, Tue, 16 Sep 2025SAMBO Pilipinas is Southern NSA of the Year 2025
By Lito delos Reyes, Tue, 16 Sep 2025Kingsley “The Black Lion” Ibeh To headline historic “Legacy Nights” Inaugural Pro Boxing event in El Salvador
Tue, 16 Sep 2025Smarts over power
By Joaquin Henson, Tue, 16 Sep 2025HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION RICKY HATTON
Tue, 16 Sep 2025Kazakhstan tops the medal table at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 thanks to victory in the final bout of the competition
Tue, 16 Sep 2025THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 13: JOE FRAZIER’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN AMATEUR FIGHTER
By Maloney L. Samaco, Mon, 15 Sep 2025A New King, A New Challenger: Turki Alalshikh Proposes Crawford-Benavidez While Canelo Alvarez Faces Defeat with Humility
By Dong Secuya, Mon, 15 Sep 2025