LOS ANGELES — The last game of Kobe Bryant’s career—arguably the most lionized in NBA history—began like just about every other game this season: with the Los Angeles Lakers stuck at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, handicapped by a flimsy screen-door defense and a predictable offensive attack.
But for one unforgettable, mind-boggling night, Bryant washed a season’s worth of negativity under a rug. The final points of his illustrious career were two game-sealing free throws to give himself 60 points (on a career-high 50 shots) and the Lakers a 101-96 victory over the Utah Jazz. It was all a fever dream, 48 minutes of unprecedented glory in front of a hyperventilating Staples Center crowd that didn't know what to do with itself.
None of it made sense, and none of it had to.
The festivities got off to a slow start. After missing his first five shots, Bryant drove left, pump-faked his defender into the air and launched a crescent-moon floater that nearly kissed the shot clock before falling through the rim. His next four shots were picture perfect, each b ...
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Article written by Michael Pina
Kobe Bryant Puts Exclamation Point on Career with Surreal, Epic Finale
April 13th, 2016 by Michael Pina Leave a reply »
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