Dori ☘️☘️

My Lakers Memory: “Kobe Bryant Final Game Day Tour from Tokyo, Japan” The game itself was incredible, but the entire journey felt like a dream. #LakersGFOAT #promotion On Wednesday, April 13, 2016, after finishing work at my office in Tokyo, I rushed to Haneda Airport and took a direct flight to Los Angeles. I arrived at LAX just 90 minutes before tipoff. As I rode in a taxi to Staples Center (as it was known at the time), my heart was pounding with excitement. From my seat in Section 210, I watched Kobe take the court for his final battle. Down by 10 points in the final few minutes, he single-handedly scored basket after basket. The energy in the arena kept building, and finally, he led the team to a comeback victory. The crowd erupted into deafening cheers, and I struggled to hold back my tears. His legendary 60-point farewell game felt like we had just won a championship. After the game, what really stuck with me was when Kobe said: “I’m more proud about … It is not about the championships, it is about the down years. I mean we did it the right way, we got our championships.” Then, he left the court with his iconic words: “Mamba Out.” I walked out of the arena in a daze, still processing what I had just witnessed. Outside, the streets were filled with people chanting “Ko-be! Ko-be!”—the atmosphere felt like a championship parade. Originally, I had no plans to attend this game. Work was too busy, and I knew I would not be able to take enough time off to travel to LA. I had traveled to see Kobe in January, but he was injured and didn’t play. I thought I had missed my last chance. But as the season drew to a close, I couldn’t shake the desire to witness his final game in person. When I checked the flight schedules, I realized that a one-day round trip was actually possible. I immediately requested a one-day leave, booked my flight, and set off on this once-in-a-lifetime ‘Day Tour to Los Angeles.’ When filling out my customs declaration form, I wrote “Hotel: Staples Center.” The officer asked, “Why?” and I replied, “I’m here to watch Kobe’s last game, and then I’m flying straight back to Tokyo.” That moment still makes me smile. In fact, right after the game, I went straight back to LAX. Two hours later, I was in the air over the Pacific. I landed in Tokyo on Friday morning at 5 AM—just in time to go straight to the office. (lol) Later, Kobe said “That’s the dream. It’s not the DESTINATION, it’s the JOURNEY.” Watching his final game with my own eyes was my dream, and it was my strong determination that made it come true. That day, Kobe taught me the true power of believing in your dreams. Even now, when I look at the photos from that night, the excitement comes rushing back, my body heats up, and I feel like crying all over again. I’m so grateful that I was there, in that moment, in that place. This is my favorite Lakers memory. No, actually—this is the greatest memory of my life.