Rams & Titans Delayed Announcing Trade to Avoid Stealing Kobe Bryant's Spotlight
The National Football League rarely shies away from grabbing the spotlight any chance it gets, but out of respect for a legend, the league delayed announcing a huge transaction for a day.
On Wednesday night, the Golden State Warriors set the single-season wins record (73) and Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant played in the final game of his 20-year career, meaning it was the biggest night of regular-season games in recent memory for the NBA. However, the NFL could have stolen some of the buzz.
The Los Angeles Rams and the Tennessee Titans shook up the NFL world Thursday morning by announcing a blockbuster trade that involved the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. ESPN's Adam Schefter later reported that the teams had agreed upon the deal Wednesday night—but they decided to keep it under wraps for the evening.
Kobe has earned that respect.
The Rams and Titans easily could have broken the news when they agreed to terms, which happened about an hour before Bryant was set to take the court one final time. Rather than steal the spotlight (and possibly face some backlash regarding the timing), the teams decided to give the Lakers legend his moment.
It wasn't "necessary" for the teams to do that, but it certainly was the right thing to do, especially now that the NFL has a team in Los Angeles.
