It was a Kobe Carnival; every jumbo-tron showing a never ending highlight reel of his greatest plays, fans posing with cardboard cutouts of Bryant, a rock climbing wall, and the Laker Girls. Plouffe made a trip to Staples Center this year to watch Bryant live one last time in a game against Houston. “I had so many signatures to give and pictures to take that I had to tell myself just go with it and enjoy the moment”, Kobe chuckles. The outpour and love from the hip-hop community towards Kobe has been ongoing this season since Lakers’ superstar guard announced his plans of retirement in November of 2015.
Advertisement
Bryant, 37, closes out his 20-year career with five NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVP Awards, 18 All-Star Game appearances and one MVP Award (2008).
Kobe came up with the fifth highest-scoring game of his career. However, when asked whether he would like to leave the game in such a grand fashion, he politely said no. “I don’t think I’m going to have this whole tour where everybody knows I’m going to retire”, he said.
Kobe Bryant, of course, is now retired after his 20 National Basketball Association seasons and is free to do anything he pleases him. Despite the poor shooting year and physical limitations there is no denying the overall success and impact he has had in the National Basketball Association the last twenty years. Prior to the start of the game Magic Johnson called Kobe Bryant the greatest player to ever wear the purple and gold jersey in the LA Lakers history.
Advertisement
The Lakers trailed by 15 points at halftime and were down 10 with 3 minutes, 15 seconds to play. He wanted to end his career on a high note, and he certainly did. “This is my dream job, and obviously, you want the opportunity to turn it all around, and you hope you get that”. Kobe Bryant wasn’t flawless person, but he was a beast on the court and deserves all the props that he got Wednesday night. “Being drafted and being traded to this organization and to spend 20 years here, I mean, you can’t write something better than this”.
