Along with the merchandise mania, the recently retired Bryant set some other records during his final game at the Staples Center, including scoring 60 points for a player of his age at his final National Basketball Association game. The game was a vintage Kobe that fans haven’t seen all year. Minutes later, Kobe found his shot. Kobe Bryant wasn’t ideal person, but he was a beast on the court and deserves all the props that he got Wednesday night. He plays against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2016 playoffs. A mark he hadn’t reached in years.
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In a sense, Kobe Bryant’s career is comparable to the Beatles. Kobe scored 38 of his 60 points in the final 2 quarters.
“He’ll go down as one of the greatest and up there with the best in the game”. And while the Lakers had all kinds of Kobe merchandise for sale, there was one thing they might have overlooked selling-a bag of air from the game itself. Bryant said in his poem “This season is all I have left to give”.
Bryant took 50 shots and made 22 of them, and also was 6-of-21 from 3-point range and 10-of-12 from the free throw line, and also picked up four assists and four rebounds.
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Bryant is such a legend he’s conquered fans outside of basketball. “Thank you guys for all the years of support”. Kobe ended his farewell speech with, “Mamba out”. Before the game last night, Lakers President Jeanie Buss presented Bryant and his wife Vanessa with special retirement rings, adding to the 5 championship rings he already possesses. At 37, he has built a resume very few in the game will experience. Magic Johnson started the tribute with a video montage that saw several of the NBA’s biggest stars — LeBron James, Stephen Curry, etc — wishing Bryant well. What a career it has been.
