Posted on 04/14/2016 6:14:45 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kobe Bryant went out with a Hollywood ending to his remarkable career.
Bryant scored 60 points in his final game Wednesday night, wrapping up 20 years in the NBA with an unbelievable offensive showcase in the Los Angeles Lakers' 101-96 victory over the Utah Jazz.
He scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, posting his first 50-point game since February 2009 and rallying the Lakers from a 15-point deficit to win the final game of the worst season in franchise history.
The entire night was a tribute to Bryant, who is retiring after 20 seasons, five championship rings and 18 All-Star selections with the Lakers, who honored him before and after the game. Bryant is just the fifth player in NBA history to play 20 seasons, and the first with just one team.
"It's hard to believe it happened this way," Bryant said. "I'm still shocked about it."
With the entire Staples Center crowd standing, Bryant drained a 3-pointer with 59 seconds left. He hit another with 31 seconds to play, putting the Lakers ahead 97-96. He finished with an assist before checking out for good with 4.1 seconds left in just the Lakers' 17th win.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
“five championship rings”...plus the big rock he had to buy his wife after the incident in Colorado.
It helps when the opposing coach has his three best players sit on the bench as a “courtesy.”
Yep. As great as he was - he will always have that asterisk on his career.
The Jazz could have made the playoffs. But Houston won so that was that. Going into the Lakers game - the Jazz had nothing to win or lose by letting Kobe have his final shot at glory.
Yeah...what a guy. It was a gift from the opposing team. The Jazz coach put 2nd string players on the court when Kobe was out there. It happens in every sport. In baseball, the opposing pitcher will serve up meatballs to a retiring slugger on his last game.
HOORAY Kobe. Congratulations on a tremendous career in basketball.
Taints it, as far as I am concerned.
Oh, please. Chamberlain played in a time where defense was non-existent.
To compare the NBA today to what was going on 50-60 years ago is like apples and oranges.
Kobe usually has five guys trying to steal the ball from him when he drives to the basket, and four of them are his teammates.
If he can still play like that why is he retiring????
“If he can still play like that why is he retiring????”
Well, it did take him 50 shots.....
Yep! Plus his team mates kept giving him the ball to shoot. The NBA wanted this feel good story.
Where was Kobe for the last two seasons? It takes the final game for him to come alive? /sarc
I guess you never heard of some guys named Bill Russell and Nate Thurmond. Wilt, in his prime, would have no problems averaging 35 ppg and 15-20 rbs today. No center today could stop him.
The shot clock was instituted in 1954. Five years before Wilt began his career.
Athletes today are better on average, but there is nobody today with Chamberlain’s athletic gifts.
Thank you for the correction on the3 shot clock.
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