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Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes took home their third straight Big Ten Tournament championship this season by taking down Nebraska in overtime. To commemorate the three-peat, Iowa’s star recreated an iconic basketball photo.
Kobe Bryant famously won the 2001 NBA Title, helping the Lakers sweep through the Western Conference before downing the 76ers in the Finals.
Los Angeles was nearly perfect in that postseason run, going 15-1 over the course of four rounds. After the series clinching win against Philadelphia, Bryant was photographed letting out a sigh of relief with title trophy in hand.
More on that emotional moment from Essentially Sports:
Bryant had had a falling out with his parents. They did not approve of his choice to marry Vanessa Laine (now Vanessa Bryant) since they had multiple differences. As a result, they didn’t attend their son’s wedding. Because of these differences between them, Kobe’s father Joe Bryant didn’t attend a single game during the Finals.
The series was played in his hometown, Philly. But keeping his emotions aside like the master he was, Bryant did his best on the court.
After the game, those bottled-up emotions bled out as he’d finally attained his season-long goal of being a champion. The result? An unforgettable image.
Caitlin Clark recreated Kobe’s photo after Iowa’s B1G championship.
The Hawkeyes put a bow on a third straight Big Ten Tournament title, outlasting Nebraska in the final. The win capped a 2023-24 season in which Iowa finished 29-4.
It’s been a season of history for the team’s star, who became the sport’s all-time leading scorer in her final regular season game.
After her most recent outing, she commemorated a year of accomplishments with that Kobe recreation.
pt. 2 🏆 pic.twitter.com/tRJr8N9vLE
— Bri Lewerke (@brilewerke) March 10, 2024
An awesome tribute from one all-time great to another. But as Kobe would be the first to tell Caitlin Clark, “The job’s not finished.”
Iowa will soon suit up for NCAA Tournament in hopes of making another deep run. The Hawkeyes made the national championship game last season before falling to LSU. They’ll look to close things out with a win this year.