Even Before He Was A Laker, Jalen Hood-Schifino Had A Lakers Tattoo

Really cool moment for him!

Sometimes fate works in mysterious ways. Jalen Hood-Schifino was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in this weeks NBA Draft and the young guard couldn't have been happier. Not only was he going to get to live out his dream of becoming a NBA player but growing up, his favorite player was the late Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant. 

Hood-Schifino spoke about this after being drafted, admitting that he has a tattoo of the former Laker. Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times has the scoop:

"Regardless of the Celtics green, his joy to be the newest member of the Lakers couldn’t be questioned," Woike writes. "On his arm, he has a tattoo of Kobe Bryant."

Even with his favorite color being green, it seems that this was meant to be. Weird things like this happen for a reason and Hood-Schifino will now get to wear the purple and gold that he grew up watching. Like many, he was a big fan of Bryant but not everyone gets to wear the Laker jersey. It's a special moment to put on that jersey and he will get the chance this fall. 

He added on and spoke about what Bryant meant to him and how growing up, he watched the Lakers so this was a special moment. 

“It’s honestly really crazy and kind of hard to say how I feel because growing up I was a big Kobe fan. I was always watching his videos, watching the Lakers,” Hood-Schifino said. “For me to get drafted by the Lakers is kind of surreal and kind of crazy.”

Laker fans have to already love this kid. Not only will he likely help them win next season but talking about Bryant means something. It means that he understands the importance of being a Laker and what Bryant means to the city of Los Angeles. His film speaks for itself but this is just an added bonus. 

The more film that I watch of Jalen Hood-Schifino, the more impressed I am

Great pick by the #LakeShow

— Matthew Levine (@Levine1445) June 23, 2023

Hood-Schifino should be fun to watch in summer league coming up here in a few weeks. He should provide the Lakers with a big, versatile point guard that they lacked last season. And he should give them a nice spark off the bench. This was a great pick for LA and I can't wait to see him play. 

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