LOS ANGELES -- Early in the Los Angeles Lakers' 92-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday at Staples Center, Lakers rookie forward Larry Nance Jr. said he heard a huge roar from the crowd.
Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who was sitting out with a sore right shoulder, was walking toward the Lakers' bench.
"I was just minding my own business, watching the game, and all of the sudden, I hear, ‘Nance! Nance! Get up!'" Nance recalled after the game.
At first, Nance looked at the coaches, thinking he was going into the game. But that wasn't the case. Bryant needed a place to sit. Nance was happy to oblige and quickly got up.
"At that point, it's not a [situation] like, 'No, I'm a man, and you can't have my [seat],'" Nance said, "It's out of respect. It's out of respect. You've earned that. C'mon, now. If there's anybody that deserves to do that, it would be him."
Nance sat on the floor at first but said he was then told it was against NBA rules to sit there, so he had to find a different spot on the Lakers' bench.