It was a notable game for Kobe, too – his last in Cleveland and his final matchup with non-rival LeBron James, whom he surprisingly avoided in the 2009 and 2010 NBA Finals. He averaged 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 37 games of his final season. The Lakers fell to LeBron’s Cleveland Cavaliers 120-111.
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Love injured his left shoulder-the same shoulder Kelly Olynyk infamously shredded up during the NBA Playoffs last spring-while trying to work Kobe Bryant over in the post.
His exit overshadowed Bryant’s final appearance in Cleveland.
Lou Williams scored 28 to lead the Lakers. “It was in the amusing bone in your elbow, fire running down my arm”.
“When I first got to the league, I was finishing my pregame workout and he came out of the locker room and walked past our bench to their end”, Green said.
Love left the game in the second quarter’s final minute with a shoulder injury, the same shoulder on which he had surgery previous year after dislocating it during the play-offs against the Boston Celtics. The loss of Love disrupted the Cavs’ title chase and raised questions about whether he would fully recover. The two won three championships together in their famously combustible relationship that ended with O’Neal getting traded to Miami in 2004. Bryant patted his chest in appreciation as Cleveland’s crowd broke into chants of “Ko-be, Ko-be”. In addition, it is expected that Bryant will be honored by the National Basketball Association and his peers.
Michael Jordan never had an emoji, so Bryant has already one-upped “his Airness” in the number of All-Star emojis category.In more relevant basketball categories, Bryant holds the All-Star Game records for most consecutive selections, most games started, most points and most field goals made.
Take a look at the video below, and you’ll see Bryant jam Love up on the block…
“We’ve been close. We talk on the phone probably more than people know”, Bryant said. I just wanted to win the (darn) thing. Not like a Magic and Bird sort of thing. “I think that was the most important piece of advice I could’ve given to him”.
Bryant and James shared a heartfelt hug before the Lakers’ superstar left with 40 seconds left to a rousing ovation. “Well, it’s like a big brother, or a grandfather”, Bryant cracked. “Just knowing that it’s past year on this stage, I will be a part of it. That’s kind of a cool feeling”. James rifled a pass intended for Iman Shumpert but hit D’Angelo Russell in the groin in the third quarter. Right now they’re on track to make it back to the Finals but still have a long way to go if they want to compete with the Warriors or Spurs. The Lakers have lost eight of nine on the road.
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For James, there has been no player of his era quite like Bryant. It was mostly an opportunity for writers to compare the two over the years, and try to pinpoint the moment it became James’ league while Bryant became the second best player (was he ever the best?), falling quickly down the rankings. “They’re both the same”, he said. That’s the competitive Kobe we will forever miss. “LeBron is more by example”. “‘I know it’s going to be very taxing on you”.
