When people speak of the greatest NBA players of all time there is no denying that the now retired Kobe Bean Bryant will be up in many top tens. Game 1,346 turned out to be the Laker legend’s last game and he failed to disappoint.
Last Wednesday, the 18-time AllStar selection went back to his glory days and dropped 60 points against the Utah Jazz. While Bryant ended up taking 50 total shots, the 5-time NBA champion looked like he was 27 instead of 37, as he continually drove past defenders and was able to successfully hit trademark step back on multiple occasions.
The lead up to Bryant’s final game had more of a playoff atmosphere surrounding it as the cheapest resale tickets on Stubhub were $750. There were many festivities outside the Lakers’ home arena, Staples Center, to mark the occasion, while many celebrities, including regular fan Jack Nicholson, came out to see the legends last game. Finally, the Lakers produced three tribute videos of Kobe’s career highlights that were shown prior to the game.
No one knew what to expect from the aging Bryant, who had struggled the past few years with injury and old age to find his scoring touch. However, Kobe dispelled any doubt of his showmanship as he scored 22 points in the first half. The fourth quarter was where Bryant really shined when he scored 23 points and hit two clutch threes in the final minute to finish off a comeback victory for Los Angeles.
In a rather forgetful season for the Lakers in which they have posted the most regular season losses in franchise history, Bryant’s last season has provided an escape for fans to rally behind. Every road trip that the Lakers took this year was a another chance for NBA fans to congratulate and watch the NBA great one last time.
Bryant finished his career third all-time in career points with 33,643, a five-time NBA champion, a two-time Finals MVP, eighteen All-Star selections, four All-Star Game MVPs and eleven selections to the All-NBA First Team. While Kobe only won the regular season award MVP once in 2008, there is no denying the accomplishments that the kid from Lower Merion High School has done. With nothing left to prove, Bryant summarized his finale the best way he could when addressing the crowd, “Mamba Out.