Kobe Bryant spent the first morning of his life after the Los Angeles Lakers in his office, working on his unspecified ambitions outside basketball. What we did know was that Kobe would do it his own way, it’s what he’s always done. He had rocky times in Los Angeles, from his sexual assault charge in Colorado in 2003 to his feud with Shaquille O’Neal, who watched the finale at courtside.
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As Bryant went 22-of-50 shooting in 42 minutes, Metta World Peace “had a headache from screaming so loud and jumping so high”.
Bryant found a rhythm then, finishing the first quarter with 15 points on 13 shots. Popularly known as “Black Mamba”, Bryant made a living by making the seemingly impossible possible for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bryant’s performance saw him finish with a record. After the game officially ended, Kobe addressed the crowd, saying, “I cant believe how fast 20 years went by, this is insane, this is absolutely insane”. They needed him to carry the team into victory.
It was Bryant’s twinkle in a year when Stephen Curry has been a galaxy. In comparison, there is nothing relaxing about Bryant’s game. Or maybe Bryant was taking advantage of one last opportunity to show his distaste for Young, who, apart from being signed to Adidas, has a goofy personality that is said to have often rubbed the uber-intense Mamba the wrong way. He is the oldest player in National Basketball Association history to score 60 points. The extraordinary feat was one that was not lost on Bryant himself. As Russell said, “for him to leave on a 60-point night is the best way to go out”. “This is kind of insane to me. I’m still in shock about it”.
Including online sales, AEG, Bryant, the Lakers and Maingate sold more than $2 million in merchandise on Thursday, with the arena portion being the most significant because sales don’t have to be shared with the rest of the teams in the league. I just thought it and waited till the vets came in.
After the game EVERYONE wanted a piece of Kobe. He hit another with 31 seconds to play, putting the Lakers ahead 97-96.
Having strained every last sinew of his body, Kobe Bryant had completed the one thing that defined his career: winning.
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“What’s keeping you going?”
