Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa Bryant reshares Lakers legend's iconic 2009 game-winner on Heat after 41-pt blowout loss 

Lakers legend Kobe Bryant's wife, Vanessa Bryant, gave the Purple and Gold faithful something to cheer about after Wednesday's 41-point loss to the Miami Heat. Vanessa shared a throwback video of her late husband's iconic game-winner over the Heat, which came 15 years ago.

With the clock winding down and LA trailing by two, Kobe banked a surreal 3-point jumper over former Heat superstar Dwyane Wade to give the Lakers an improbable 108-107 win. Here's the video that Vanessa shared:

(Image Source: Vanessa Bryant's Instagram)

Kobe Bryant tallied 33 points, seven rebounds and three steals on 12 of 25 shots that night. The Lakers won despite a hard-fought battle between the teams, winning behind Kobe's impeccable offensive possession.

15 years since the exact day, the Lakers suffered one of their worst losses ever to the same team, as the Heat thrashed them 134-93. LeBron James and Co. put up their worst performance of the season.

---

Kobe Bryant's former agent and current Lakers GM Rob Pelinka heavily criticized

Kobe Bryant's former agent and current Lakers GM, Rob Pelinka, is under immense scrutiny after the Lakers' latest loss. Pelinka, who enjoyed a successful tenure as a player agent, hasn't had it easy as an executive. After winning the title in his first year with LA in 2019-20, his work hasn't been as stellar.

The Lakers gambled after an injury-riddled 2020-21 season by acquiring Russell Westbrook and parting with one of their four remaining first-round picks and key pieces like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma. Bringing on a then-max player like Westbrook also meant losing a key free agent like Alex Caruso.

The former All-Star guard wasn't a great fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis throughout his Lakers tenure. The Lakers went from being one of the deepest rosters to one of the weakest in no time, failing to make the playoffs in 2021-22.

They revived themselves with midseason trades in 2022-23 for Rui Hachimura, D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba and made the conference finals in 2023. However, Rob Pelinka again failed to improve the roster where needed.

The Lakers suffered a first-round exit in 2023-24. Pelinka stayed put throughout the 2024 offseason despite needing glaring roster fixes. After the Lakers fell to 12-10, the executive has faced the brunt of the criticism online.

Fans rage against Kobe Bryant's former agent Rob Pelinka

The Lakers desperately need moves to avoid another collapse like they suffered against the Heat. With several players available for trades after Dec. 15, LA is expected to be the most active team on the market.