Back In The Day NBA

Kobe Bryant Gets Referenced After Dodgers Defeat Yankees In World Series

Shandel Richardson

The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after beating the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the World Series at Yankee Stadium.
The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after beating the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the World Series at Yankee Stadium. / Robert Deutsch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In this story:

Kobe Bryant was one of the most celebrated sports figures in the Los Angeles during his playing days and post-career.

Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter accident in 2020, remains one of the most beloved athletes in all of sports. His wife, Vanessa, made sure to let fans know how Bryant supported the Los Angeles Dodgers after they defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series.

It was the eighth title in franchise history. It also occurred in 2024, causing Vanessa Bryant to make a reference to her late husband.

Mrs. Bryant posted "8 in 24" on social media. It referred to the jersey numbers worn by Bryant during his days with the Los Angeles Lakers. He began his career wearing No. 8 before later switching to No. 24. After the Dodgers win, Nike released a shirt with the phrase.

G.O.A.T TERM WAS COINED BY RAPPER

You can't have a sports debate without the term "G.O.A.T" being mentioned. LL Cool J was the first to use it as the title of his album in 2000. Last month the rapper was asked about it by Metro. He said it was a mix of Muhammad Ali's famous "I Am The Greatest" quote and the nickname for playground legend Earl "The Goat" Manigault."

"To be able to touch the world through my art like that is pretty dope," the rapper said. "What it says to me is that I can do more creatively. It says to me, if I’m capable of creating terminology for the entire globe, I can do some big things."

For sports fans, it's hard to go a day without hearing the term. It's become part of the NBA.

"It’s pretty wild that it turned out how it did," he said. "I had no idea it was gonna become a worldwide phrase and statement." 

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Days On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

Follow our updates on Facebook

X: @BackInTheDayNBA

Published
Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com