An All-Star Tournament

by Sean Ceglinsky It was a day to remember, a day in which the Los Angeles Lakers practice facility, the Toyota Sports Center, transformed from a state-of-the-art basketball complex into a makeshift arcade. And you will never guess who the mastermind behind the aesthetic change was… Kobe Bryant. For all intents and purposes, Bryant runs the City of Angels, and thus, can do just about whatever he pleases, without many repercussions. No one is going to argue the motives of the Black Mamba. His reasons, however, for the dramatic makeover were genuine, extremely admirable. Bryant helped launch NBA 2K10 on Tuesday by holding a video game tournament with the proceeds from the event being donated to a charity he holds very close to his heart, the After-School All-Stars, a Los Angeles-based program designed to keep inner-city youths off the streets. “It’s all about giving back to the community,‘’ said Bryant, who graces the cover of NBA 2K10. “When I got together with the people over ...