LOS ANGELES -- Even as the Los Angeles City Council paused to honor Kobe Bryant and reflect on everything he has done since he arrived in the city 20 years ago it was evident that Bryant's mind was elsewhere, looking ahead, consumed with what comes next.
Wednesday was Kobe Bryant Day in L.A., by official proclamation. And after some awkward bits of democracy -- when citizens used the open microphone to decry city expenditures, say "Go Lakers!" and hurl expletives and racial slurs -- the council got down to honoring Bryant's basketball accomplishments and civic contributions in his two-decade career with the Los Angeles Lakers as purple-and-gold clad fans filled council chambers chanting "Ko-be" and "M-V-P.