“Kobe Bryant was crying in the shower after winning the 2001 Championship!”: The reason behind the Lakers’ legend’s outburst after winning back-to-back championships

Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant was spotted tearing up in the shower with the Larry O’Brien trophy after winning the 2001 championship.

The start of the new millennia marked the resurgence of the Los Angeles Lakers. Ever since Magic Johnson retired, the Lakers never could achieve the level of success they were accustomed to.

However, they signed Shaquille O’Neal in 1996. This didn’t immediately make an impact but was a step in the direction. In 1999, the Lakers signed Phil Jackson as their new head coach.

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During the 1999-2000 season, the pairing of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant started to blossom, leading to their first championship together. They went on to win another championship in the 2000-01 season, and then the 2001-02 season.

In 2001, they took down the MVP Allen Iverson and his Philadelphia 76ers in 5 games. After winning his 2nd championship on a trot, Kobe was seen crying in the shower with the Larry O’Brien trophy. People assumed they were tears of joy, but the actual reason was far from the same.

Kobe Bryant was crying in the shower because of his parents

Kobe Bean Bryant was born and brought up in Philadelphia. In 1996, Kobe got drafted into the NBA straight out of high school. Even though he moved to LA for his team, his parents stayed back in Philly.

In 2000, 21-year-old Kobe got engaged with an 18-year-old Vanessa Laine. Kobe’s dad, Joe did not approve of their relationship, as Vanessa was a ‘Latina’. Joe wanted Kobe to marry an African-American girl, but Kobe was committed to Vanessa, and that caused a rift between Kobe and his parents.

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In 2001, when the Lakers were taking on the Sixers in the Finals, Kobe’s parents weren’t in attendance. This was the real reason the Mamba was seen crying in the shower, just after winning his second championship.