Winning Time: Was Kobe Bryant At The Lakers' 1979 Opening Game?

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Kobe Bryant appears in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty episode 5 as a baby, raising questions about whether or not he was really in attendance for the Los Angeles Lakers' 1979 opening game. HBO's 2022 TV show chronicles a franchise-changing era for the California-based NBA team after Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) buys the team and drafts Earvin 'Magic' Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) with the first overall pick. This is the beginning of the Lakers becoming an NBA dynasty with Magic and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Solomon Hughes) throughout the 1980s, and Winning Time continues to play with what really happened to craft its narrative.

While Winning Time features two of the greatest Los Angeles Lakers players ever in Magic and Kareem, there are plenty of other legendary players to wear the purple and gold who will be left out. Based on the 1980s setting, it was expected that Kobe Bryant would be among those not featured. However, the show delivers a surprise in that regard, as Kobe is not only mentioned as part of Spencer Haywood's storyline, but a baby Kobe Bryant is also present in Winning Time episode 5. This comes during the Los Angeles Lakers' opening game in 1979 against the San Diego Clippers. But was Kobe really at Magic Johnson's first NBA game?

Related: Winning Time: Why The Lakers Couldn’t Draft Larry Bird In 1979

There is no direct confirmation that Kobe Bryant was at the Lakers' 1979 opening game in real life. However, there is a strong case to be made that he would've been at the game. Kobe Bryant's father Joe 'Jellybean' Bryant played for the San Diego Clippers that season, as Winning Time episode 5 shows shots of his jersey a few times. It would make sense then if a baby Kobe Bryant was in attendance for the