Abetted by the news media, the public invariably mythologizes its sports heroes, but in doing what we do, we typically overdo. In death, Bryant was…
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Tag: Bryant, Kobe
He Bonded With Kobe as a Competitor, Then as Another #GirlDad
MacKenly might have been the 6-foot-tall daughter of a former 6-foot-9 N.B.A. star, but Bryant promised nothing. She was not granted a starting spot right…
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From Kobe to LeBron: Tragedy and Triumph in the N.B.A.
Stein: I know Bucks fans are upset, but I don’t think the league’s decision to strip their team of a second-round pick in 2022 in…
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In 2020, Sports Was About Staying Safe and Speaking Out
The troubled, truncated 2020 sports season will be remembered as the Year of the Bubble. As a pandemic raged and protests of systemic racism rocked…
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Diego Maradona Loved Basketball. Its Stars Loved Him, Too.
Alex English arrived in Naples in southern Italy in 1991 with one N.B.A. scoring title from a Hall of Fame run with the Denver Nuggets,…
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The Lakers’ Winding Path Ends With a Championship
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — It was not a season. For the Los Angeles Lakers, it was an obstacle course. It was 12 months packed…
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N.B.A. Season Like No Other: ‘One of the Worst, Strangest Years’
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — It was a perfect moment for an imperfect season. Anthony Davis rose for a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in Game 2 of…
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Secrets of the Most Thankless N.B.A. Job: Referee
The referee Zach Zarba had spent, by his count, roughly 23 nights a month away from home during the N.B.A.’s regular season for the past…
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Sabrina Ionescu Opens Up About Kobe Bryant and Rookie Year Woes
Want more basketball in your inbox? Sign up for Marc Stein’s weekly N.B.A. newsletter here. Sabrina Ionescu could spend a considerable amount of time, if…
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Candace Parker Wants You to Know She’s Not Done Yet
Candace Parker had just recorded her W.N.B.A.-leading 10th double-double of the season, with 19 points and 10 rebounds in her final game before the playoffs.…
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