They came out to see Kobe Bryant’s last game in Atlanta.
They came in droves.
Philips Arena was at near capacity Friday night with the Lakers in town and Bryant days removed from announcing this will be his last NBA season. The Hawks home court had the feel of Los Angeles’ Staples Center with a clear majority of fans decked out in purple and gold and cheering for Bryant.
Fans chanted “Ko-be! Ko-be!” before and, especially, in the closing minutes of the Hawks 100-87 win. The future Hall of Famer was given a standing ovation during a lengthy tribute following the first quarter. The crowd cheered every time he touched the ball – even as he shot 4 of 19 from the field – on his way to 14 points. When he hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the third quarter that pulled the Lakers within seven points, the cheers were ear-piercing. He received a standing ovation during an in-game video tribute.
“We got some great fans too,” Thabo Sefolosha said from the Hawks locker room after the win. “There were a lot of yellow jerseys out there too. I understand that we played against a legend tonight. It feels good to beat them. It’s great that the fans were behind us at the end and were happy we won. Everybody in this locker room is happy we won too.”
There have been other occasions when an opposing player or team hasn’t had to face the full effect of a home-court advantage in Atlanta. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade have plenty of support. But not like Bryant’s last appearance.
The Georgia Dome has been the site of an opposing fan takeover during plenty of Falcons games when teams like the Steelers and their towel-waving fans invade.
As one Hawks player said of the difficulty of playing in front of so many opposing fans, “It’s not the first time.”
The Hawks spoke briefly about what to expect before the game after Bryant had much fanfare in Philadelphia and Washington this week.
“We have a loyal base,” Paul Millsap said. “He has a loyal fan base. Obviously, his fan base overrode ours tonight. Out of respect, a lot of people came out to support him and give him a farewell. … You can’t take it personal. You’ve got one of the best players to ever play out there. Respect it.”
The Hawks intended an on-court presentation to honor Bryant in his Atlanta farewell. He declined. He does not want a season of rocking chair tributes. Bryant did acknowledge the fan reception several times. He walked on the court following the video tribute and waved to the crowd. He returned and again waved to each side of Philips Arena following the game to a chorus of cheers.
“What’s been going on with the video tributes and the response from the fans and players as well, to me that’s the most special,” Bryant said of not wanting special presentations. “That’s more special than any gift.”
He added of his final trip to Atlanta: “It’s fun to get out there and play. Even though my body is sore, this moment is not coming again. Pulling up to the arena, getting ready for the game. It’s not going to happen again. Walking down the tunnel and so forth. It’s important to enjoy these moments as much as possible.”
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said following the game he was unaware of the pro-Byrant cheers. He might have been the only one.
“When you are in the heat of the game you don’t really hear stuff like that much,” Budenholzer said when asked how he handled a difficult situation. “I didn’t really pick up on it. We didn’t say anything. Our guys just wanted to get stops and get a win. You just ignore it – if you even notice it to be honest with you.”
Al Horford said the crowd reaction was indeed heard and was discussed, albeit briefly, prior to the game. Despite of the reaction, the Hawks got a needed win and that’s what was most important.
“You hear it,” Horford said. “We were expecting it especially what’s been happening in Philly and Washington and leading up to here. You kind of accept it and you just play. We briefly addressed it before the game. We said go out there and play our game and that’s what we did.”
The cheering has ended for now. Bryant has left the building.
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