Not Your Average Mitch: L.A. Lakers’ Mitch Kupchak Is the NBA’s Top GM

On May 30, 2007, pro basketball in Los Angeles frantically fell flat on its face, leaving Angelenos wondering, "Will we ever rebound?"

Following a third straight forgettable season -- the latest of which resulted in a repeat first-round exit at the mercy of the Phoenix Suns in the 2007 playoffs -- the Lakers were arguably the second-best NBA team in Southern California.

It was on the aforementioned date that Kobe Bryant began a barrage of banter -- not about bringing home another banner, or another back-and-forth episode with the Big Fella.

Instead, the Black Mamba struck in a way that no Lakers' fan thought he would, a way that pierced the thick-skinned hearts of those very same fans who stood by his side ...

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