Thank you Kobe for a wonderful ride... gone but never forgotten _________________ “God knew they couldn’t be on this Earth without each other. He had to bring them home to have them together.” – Vanessa Bryant
It was spectacular. It was so self-indulgent. It was so ... Kobe.
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Kobe Bryant went out in the most Kobefied way possible. Sixty points on 50 shots. FIFTY SHOTS. He shot shot shot to the very end. He either defied his critics or proved them right. You're welcome to choose. There will be no more parsing of Kobe Bryant to be done around these parts. No more narratives because there's nothing left to write. No more arguing about how he should do it, or how his way compares to others. This is how he did it. Past tense. If the methods were debatable, the results were undeniable, and now finalized. They will hang his jersey on the wall in Staples Center and they will erect a statue of him in the plaza outside because of the way he did it.
And they will talk about this finale for a long, long time.
Thank you Kobe for all the wonderful memories, for the 20 years, the 5 rings, for all the triumphs and heartbreaks.
Thank you for the incredible journey. It’s all a Lakers fan can ask for. You will be forever in our hearts.
It was an honor and a privilege to watch you play. Thank you for playing for my favorite team for your entire career and for representing it the way it should be represented for the last 20 years. For the 5 championships you helped us win, for scoring over 33k points, logging in over 48k minutes, for all the game winners ,clutch shots and for all those unforgettable memories, for being one of the reasons that made me fell in love with this beautiful game and most importantly for being one of my muses, THANK YOU. You will always be remembered like you wanted to be remembered , as a competitor who maximized his talents and has worked extremely hard to exceed the expectations and prove the pundits wrong and of course as a 'champion'.
Kobe scores 60 points in unbelievable farewell victory
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Kobe Bryant scored 60 incredible points. He carried a miserable Los Angeles Lakers team to an improbable comeback victory.
And with sweat and confetti all over his gold uniform for the final time, he expressed humble thanks to his fans and family for their loving support over two decades.
"What else can I say?" Bryant asked. "Mamba out."
Now that's a Hollywood ending to a remarkable career.
Coincidentally, I got into watching basketball, at the same time Kobe came into the league as a rookie. Didn't have a favorite team, just liked watching games, until I saw the Lakers vs Jazz, 1997 playoffs, game 5. Saw the game go down to the wire, and skinny rookie Kobe, with the game on the line, put up 4 airballs.....4! I had never seen anything like it, and the Lakers and Kobe captivated me ever since.
Like Kobe said, "words can't describe". It's been an pleasure, and an honor to have been able to see the whole arc of Kobe's NBA career, the ups and downs. An era has gone, and I'm sad. Best wishes to Kobe, and his family, going forward into the future!
Joined: 14 Jul 2006 Posts: 18738 Location: L.A County, 26 miles away from Staples Center
Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 9:25 pm Post subject:
I know I'm literally 24 hours late posting this but damn it's just been a dream ever since that final buzzer rang.
Kobe is officially a retired NBA legend.
I've been reminiscing on all the great Mamba videos and articles through social media the whole day. Just seriously a big celebration more so over being sad. This guy bled purple and gold even before he was drafted. This guy played through countless of injuries were as he should of just been on ice. This guy played his heart out especially after the fallout of Shaq every single damn night until he brought the championship back to Los Angeles. There will never be another Kobe Bryant. Fact!
Thank you for 20 years of excellence. Thank You for the 5 World Titles you brought to Los Angeles.
Thank you for your heart and dedication in being the most competitive driven professional athlete I've ever witnessed on a nightly basis.
Thank You for being a true Laker Lifer.
Thank You Kobe.
Kobe's last game was indeed a microcosm of his career. His 0-5 start mirrored his many air balls against Utah in the playoffs of his rookie year. Then getting hot and the team riding his hot hand. But still behind on the scoreboard. Finally, Kobe willing his team to victory by scoring 23 points in the 4th quarter. Rallying the Lakers to come from 10 points down with a couple minutes to go. Scoring the Lakers penultimate 17 points and then a last assist to JC before exiting to a standing ovation. Inspiring his young teammates to play intense, playoff level defense to help secure the victory. This is what Kobe's entire career was about. Five championships and so many victorious last shots that shot a dagger through the opponent's heart.
I still have a hard time accepting that Kobe's career is all in the past tense. It's now in the realm of history. Thankfully we have his entire career documented somewhere. We will all console ourselves in the days and weeks ahead by watching "old" highlights of Kobe on the court. Especially his EPIC and LEGENDARY last game!
Kobe's last game was indeed a microcosm of his career. His 0-5 start mirrored his many air balls against Utah in the playoffs of his rookie year. Then getting hot and the team riding his hot hand. But still behind on the scoreboard. Finally, Kobe willing his team to victory by scoring 23 points in the 4th quarter. Rallying the Lakers to come from 10 points down with a couple minutes to go. Scoring the Lakers penultimate 17 points and then a last assist to JC before exiting to a standing ovation. Inspiring his young teammates to play intense, playoff level defense to help secure the victory. This is what Kobe's entire career was about. Five championships and so many victorious last shots that shot a dagger through the opponent's heart.
You said exactly how I've been thinking about this game _________________ Kobe
Lakers Teammates Describe Kobe Bryant's Final Game
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From the locker room, to the court, to the bench and back into the locker room, Bryant's 14 teammates offered stories and privileged insights into the final night of the great, great basketball player.
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