As one of the biggest NBA teams, the Los Angeles Lakers have fans around the world, including many celebrities. One of their most notable supporters is rapper and business mogul Ice Cube. The LA native grew up when the Lakers were at their peak. He understands more than anyone the impact Kobe Bryant had on the community.
Advertisement
Some of the greatest players in NBA history have worn the purple and gold. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James have all accomplished tremendous feats with the franchise. But none of them can stand beside Kobe Bryant when it comes to fan appreciation.
The 6-foot-6 guard spent 20 seasons in the NBA, all with the Lakers, bringing the city five NBA championships. Ice Cube felt Kobe’s impact on a personal level.
“I don’t have too many heroes that’s younger than me, and [Bryant] was one of them. It’s profound,” said the founder of the Big3.
Cube has expressed his admiration of Bryant on numerous occasions, so it seemed a no-brainer that the rapper would include the Mamba on his Mount Rushmore of LA athletes. That’s why the GOAT-candidate’s exclusion came as such a shock.
“I would say Magic. Marcus Allen. So hockey, come on, Wayne Gretzky. Baseball, let me go [with] Fernando Valenzuela,” Cube said on Games With Names.
Ice Cube provided one athlete from each of the four major American sports leagues to represent on his Mount Rushmore. When it came to basketball, he surprisingly chose Magic Johnson over Kobe Bryant.
The decision to side with the dynamic point guard isn’t completely out of left field. After all, Johnson revolutionized basketball through his role on the Showtime Lakers. Basketball became a key form of entertainment thanks to Johnson’s flashy passes and antics in transition.
One thing all the athletes Ice Cube mentioned have in common is that they are all champions. Although he didn’t clarify his criteria, by the looks of it, Bryant certainly met the requirements.
Although Kobe isn’t on Cube’s Mount Rushmore, that doesn’t mean his love for the 18-time All-Star has vanished. Whenever Cube gets the opportunity to speak of Bryant, he still does so with extremely high regard.
