A sea of light flashed the dimmed coliseum as thousands of fans lit up their phones as a tribute to the NBA legend Kobe Bryant on Sunday evening.
10,000 Filipino fans attended the event of Day 1 of Bryant's Mamba Mentality Tour at the Araneta Coliseum, despite queuing from long lines outside the coliseum against the humid weather.
Bryant's recent visit in Manila is his first after his retirement from a glorious 20-year career in the NBA playing for LA Lakers. Mamba Mentality Tour is a Nike-sponsored event wherein Bryant is to conduct basketball training to selected players with the #MambaMentality mindset.
Aaron Atayde, host of the Araneta event, only has praise for Kobe. “With everything that Kobe has done for each and every one of us, I need everyone who has ever cheered for Kobe to take out your phone and turn on your flashlight,” said Atayde, guiding the crowd on the phone lighting activity.
Cheers erupted as thousands of phone lights switched on, lighting the dimmed arena.
With the phone lights still trained on Bryant, the attention of the fans was brought to the rafters, where a banner of the iconic Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight 'The Thrilla in Manila' hung. Across this banner, a new addition to the gallery was unveiled, showing an image of Kobe Bryant walking towards the locker room, with the words "Mamba Mentality Tour Manila" printed on the bottom.
The crowd roared as Bryant addressed the tarpaulin present.
“I just want to say thank you so much for inspiring me on this journey,” Bryant said, visibly touched. "Thank you so much, I'm deeply honored by that. I'm speechless about it. I love you. I will see you soon."
Bryant, who came to Manila for the fifth time, hinted more visits to the baskeball crazy country.
"I retired professionally as a basketball player but I have not retired of coming to Manila," he said. "The Black Mamba is now retired, but now I've passed that on to all of you, to be Mambas in your own right."
Photo: ABS-CBN GMA
Source: CNN Philippines GMA News
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