Job finished.
It’s a succinct way of phrasing what the World Series-champion Dodgers accomplished this season, after years of regular-season dominance followed by postseason disappointment.
It’s also appropriate because of the Mamba Mentality they showed along the way.
Vanessa Bryant posted the phrase “Job finished” on her Instagram Stories on Wednesday night after the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 of the World Series to clinch their eighth championship.
It’s a rewording of a quote from her husband, late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
Bryant famously uttered the words, “Job’s not finished,” following Game 2 of the 2009 NBA Finals, when a reporter asked him why he didn’t look happy even though the Lakers had claimed a 2-0 lead over the Orlando Magic in the best-of-seven series.
After winning the World Series in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the Dodgers posted 100-plus wins the next three years, only to fall short of the Fall Classic each time. After signing Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani and others last offseason, L.A. again had championship hopes. Pushing through a slew of injuries to key players throughout the season, the Dodgers won an MLB-best 98 games.
Another early postseason exit appeared imminent, however, when the Dodgers fell behind the San Diego Padres 2-1 in the best-of-five National League Division Series. After staving off elimination in Game 4, the Dodgers had a quote displayed on a screen in their clubhouse before the series’ decisive game:
“‘Job’s not finished’ — Kobe Bryant”
Vanessa Bryant posted a shot of that screen on Instagram the same day. The Dodgers held on for a 2-0 win that night to advance to the NL Championship Series, where they beat the New York Mets in six games.
Going into the World Series, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts discussed why the team turned to Bryant for inspiration.
“To pull from what Kobe did, what he said, I think it rings true to a lot of people,” Roberts said. “And so for us to use some of his quotes, I believe in him, what he would say — there’s work to be done. The thing about him is, not only being uber-talented, but he was a killer. And the job’s not done. And I understand that, and I know our guys understand too.”
Following the Dodgers’ come-from-behind victory Wednesday, Vanessa Bryant filled her Instagram Stories with celebratory slides, including a video of her husband cheering wildly at a Dodgers game. In the clip, Kobe Bryant is wearing a No. 8 Manny Machado-Dodgers jersey. Machado wore that number during his stint with the Dodgers in honor of Bryant, who wore No. 8 for his first 10 years with the Lakers.
Vanessa Bryant also posted a graphic commemorating the triumph, with the year 2024 displayed in such a way that the numbers 2 and 24 were highlighted. Kobe Bryant wore No. 24 during the second decade of his Lakers career, and their daughter, Gianna, wore No. 2 as a youth basketball player. Kobe and Gianna Bryant and seven others died in a helicopter crash Jan. 26, 2020, in Calabasas.
In other slides, Vanessa Bryant displayed the phrase “8 in 24” in her Instagram Stories — a nod to the number of titles the Dodgers have won and the year they reached that number, which also happen to be both of her husband’s jersey numbers with the Lakers.
The Bryant family has a close relationship with the Dodgers, who are co-owned by another Lakers legend, Magic Johnson. The Dodgers have honored Kobe Bryant during a late-summer game the past two seasons, giving away special jerseys in honor of the beloved L.A. icon each time. Natalia Bryant — the oldest of Kobe and Vanessa’s four daughters — threw out the ceremonial first pitch at last year’s game, while her little sister, Bianka, 7, did so this year.