There's dedication and then there's insanity. Two Italian Kobe Bryant fans fall into the latter category.
A pair of Black Mamba fans from Italy plunked down $8,500 to fly to Philadelphia and watch Bryant and the Lakers battle the 76ers in what was the five-time NBA champion's final trip to the City of Brotherly Love.
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Both fans sported Bryant jerseys and a sign that detailed their $2,500 plane tickets, $6,000 floor seats to the game and the "priceless" experience they shared in seeing Bryant at the Wells Fargo Center one final time. Oh, and adding to the insanity, the two super fans actually quit their jobs in order to be able to spend a Tuesday night with their hero in Philadelphia. Bryant was born in Philly and has spent many years in Italy, where it appears they adore him.
Two guys sitting courtside at Lakers-Sixers game tonight flew in from Italy pic.twitter.com/MCfoOyQnGd
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 2, 2015
Unfortunately for the two supporters, it wasn't a great night for the Lakers. Los Angeles dropped the game, 103-91, and fell to just 2-15 on the season.
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Perhaps even more embarrassing, the Lakers handed the 76ers (1-18) their first victory of the season, allowing the Sixers to ward off the distinction of being in sole possession of the worst record to start an NBA season in league history.
Fortunately for the brave duo, their hero did manage to put up a team-high 20 points in his first road contest since announcing his retirement on the Players' Tribune in a poem on Sunday.
"You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream
And I'll always love you for it.
But I can't love you obsessively for much longer.
This season is all I have left to give.
My heart can take the pounding
My mind can handle the grind
But my body knows it's time to say goodbye."
Bryant's final season seems to be going out with a whimper with the Lakers looking as though they'll set a franchise record for losses for the third straight year unless a massive turnaround is looming.
As for his two fans, they seemed just happy to be able to watch Bryant play in Philadelphia one last time. You'd think the Black Mama would at least hook them up with a place to stay after the game as the sign they had read, "Can we crash at someone's place tonight?"
Those two fans are nuts, but they will likely never forget the journey they took to Philadelphia to watch Bryant one final time.
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