PHILADELPHIA >> Even before Kobe Bryant heard the entire question, his eyes lit up in earnestness.
What significance does Bryant attach to playing tonight when the Lakers (2-14) visit the Philadelphia 76ers (0-18) on Wells Fargo Center, in what will mark his final NBA game in his hometown?
“It means a lot,” Bryant told Los Angeles News Group. “Just going home and playing in front of Philadelphia fans and that relationship that we had and my entire career. I’m really appreciative of everything.”
That relationship does not fit the ones most athletes experience with their hometown, however.