Chicago Bulls’ E’Twaun Moore (55), celebrates after making a three-point shot during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016, in Chicago.
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His affable tone was typical for his farewell tour.
When Kobe Bryant announced back in November that he’d be retiring at the end of this season, my first thought wasn’t about his legacy, or what he’s meant to the game of basketball.
But the history the Bulls are most focused on is erasing the effects of their recent 5-14 stretch.
Gasol, who played 6 1/2 years with Bryant in Los Angeles before signing with Chicago prior to last season, barely missed a triple-double Friday with 18 points, 11 boards and nine assists in a 116-106 home win over Toronto that snapped the Bulls’ five-game skid. I think the young guards for LA shock Chicago and walk out with a victory. “Can I represent Chicago the way it should be represented in his honor?’ Just a tremendous, tremendous amount of influence”.
But it is Gasol’s former teammate Bryant who will be the centre of attention.
Kobe on Pau leaving LA: “I tried everything under the sun to get him to stay.
Absolutely not”, Bryant said when asked if he ever envisioned receiving these types of receptions on the road.
During a Saturday practice session, Popovich guarded Bryant, who threw an elbow as he drove to the basket. “He’s a great competitor over the years, but this wasn’t about him”.
Bryant’s unrelenting drive and astounding work ethic was the stuff of legend and it showed. “That’s weird, man. Unless we play pick-up ball in Barcelona somewhere, play 1-on-1”.
As of Saturday night, tickets on StubHub were 6 for standing room only while courtside seats ran $7,383 each.
While Bryant pointed out how he and Jordan had different motivations en route to achieving greatness – himself driven more by the “process” and Jordan pushed by the “challenges right in front of him” – Bryant talked freely of how much influence Jordan had on himself and his game. “I was born here in Chicago but I’ve always been a Kobe fan first”. “He wants to play, that’s him in a nutshell”. He hasn’t been the same since tearing his Achilles tendon in April 2013.
The Spurs led 60-49 at the break despite being outshot by the Lakers 57.1 percent to 55.3 percent from the field.
That didn’t really matter though, because all eyes were glued to Bryant with every shot and possession.
Lakers rookie D’Angelo Russell moved back into the starting lineup and coach Byron Scott said after the game Russell will start the rest of the season. The future Hall-of-Famer has been giving vintage performances of late and did not disappoint with 25 points in 29 minutes on Friday. Even Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson were among those clapping when Bryant checked out with 45.3 seconds left.
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“If that trade had happened”, Bryant said before the game in a news conference broadcast on Time Warner Cable SportsNet, “and I’d be here, it’s not a pressure situation to live up to what (Jordan’s) done”.
