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Kobe Bryant: 'I gave my soul to this game'
Kobe Bryant is reflective in a media conference after scoring 60 points in his final NBA game.
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He didn't walk away, he flew away, on the wings of legend, through the clouds of Hollywood, with a final act unmatched in Los Angeles sports history.
In a retirement party for the ages Wednesday night, Kobe Bryant just wouldn't quit.
He shot. He shot some more. He kept shooting. Shots from the courtside seats, from underneath the basket, on wild drives, off crazy dribbles, back to the basket, feet in the air, hands in his face, shooting forever.
Legendary end: Kobe Bryant smiles during the post-game media conference. Photo: Getty Images
He scored. He scored some more. Swishes, rim-rattlers, layups, three-pointers, fallaways, runners, one hand, finger rolls, scoring forever.
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For almost three hours in front of a Staples Center crowd that screamed and chanted every time he touched the ball, Kobe Bryant played the last game of his 20-year career like it was his first, leaving fans hoarse and numb while leading his Lakers to a 101-96 comeback victory over the Utah Jazz.
Sixty points. Not a misprint. Fifty shots. Seriously. Twenty-three points in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers back from a 14-point deficit in the final 10 minutes. Are you kidding me?
Touched: fans reach out as Kobe Bryant walks off court after his last game. Photo: Mark J. Terrill
He clanked his first five shots, made his next five shots, and spent the rest of the game drawing oohs and aahs and gasps and unadulterated screams from a crowd that wanted him to keep firing.
He was putting on a show for fans who had paid thousands for their tickets, just like he's always done, and if you were here, you know the prices were worth it.
When his shots sank, he posed and growled. When his shots missed, he scowled, and actually froze and cursed loudly after one particularly crazy miss.
Parting shot: Los Angeles Lakers legend lines-up a final free throw. Photo: Mark J. Terrill
He patted his chest, gritted his teeth, stared to the sky, scuffed at the wood. He barked at officials, haughtily shook his head in ordering his teammates to get out of the way, threw a behind-the-back pass, blocked a shot, and basically pulled out every wonderfully reckless trick that he's shown for two decades.
No matter where you were in the city, if you listened close, you could hear the fans chanting, "Ko-be, Ko-be, Ko-be" until those chants dissolved into a solid roar that may never end. If you listened extremely close in the final minutes, you heard your faithful correspondent stand up in his press seat and scream. Professionalism be darned. This was Kobe Bryant, wearing the Lakers uniform for the last time, setting that jersey on fire. This was a legendary end to a legend.
For the record, the final basket of Bryant's career was a 20-foot jumper with 32 seconds remaining to give the Lakers the lead. He wonderfully stalked off the court with his jaw jutting like he was a kid again.
Also for the record, his last official statistic was a floor-length pass to Jordan Clarkson for a dunk. That's probably the most amazing part of an amazing night, right? Kobe Bryant's last stat was an assist!
He was 37 going on 27 going on 17, and when he was finally removed from the game, he clapped for the screaming crowd and gave them a weary wave. Then he completed perhaps the Kobe-iest night ever by finishing his career in a perfect full circle.
He walked to the sidelines, found former nemesis Shaquille O'Neal, and hugged him.
Then, after the game ended, he stepped back on the court and addressed the crowd with all the wonder just witnessed.
"Man!" he shouted into the microphone, pausing for another roar.
He added, "You know ... I can't believe how fast 20 years went by, this is crazy, this is absolutely crazy ... We've been through our ups and been through our downs, the most important part is that we all stayed together throughout. To spend 20 years here, you can't write something better than this."
Could anyone have written something better than this ending?
"The thing that had me cracking up all night long, I go through 20 years of everybody screaming for me to pass the ball and the last night they're like, don't pass it," Bryant shouted to a laughing crowd.
He finished by saying, "God, I love you guys."
And, then, of course, "What can I say? Mamba out!"
He blew a kiss and he was gone, but, as he later showed, he will be Kobe forever. Meeting with the media, he was asked if this was a perfect ending.
"A perfect ending would have been a championship," he said.
But then he added that he just couldn't help himself.
"I just gave myself up today," he said. "This is cool. This is fun. Just let it ride. Just enjoy it."
On the final night of his professional basketball life, it was the ride of a lifetime.
Los Angeles Times
