Kobe Bryant was unarguably one of the best players to ever step foot on a basketball court. The Mamba spent 20 years in the league and achieved everything a player could imagine. From winning NBA Championships to winning regular-season MVPs, you name it.
However, when Bryant entered the league, he was a teenager. There were of course hints of stardom during his rookie season, but he had a pretty awful start to his career. In his first-ever game in the league, Kobe failed to score even a single point!
He was on the court for a little over 6 minutes and during those minutes he had 0 points, 1 rebound, 0 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, and 1 personal foul. Moreover, he only took one shot in the match and obviously failed to put it in the hoop.
While Kobe’s first game in the league was as forgettable as it gets, the Lakers didn’t give up on him. He remained a Los Angeles Lakers player throughout his career and became a true legend for the franchise.
Although Kobe’s first game of his career was simply awful, he made sure to give fans a memorable last memory of him as an NBA player. When he retired in 2016, Kobe went on to score 60 points in his last match!
This time around, he stuffed the stat line with 60 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block. Moreover, he shot 22-50 from the field in the match, including 6 three-pointers.
Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s debut in the NBA, and NBA Buzz posted a graphic on Instagram comparing the debut and final game of the Lakers legend in the league.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CV0uZNxrJr-
It amazingly summarised the journey from Kobe in the NBA. Upon seeing the post, many fans reacted to it, and here are some of the best comments on the graphic:
adjust04: “I will forever remember that look he gave his Wife and Kids that night. It’s ingrained in my head. Of love and accomplishment, like he was just so glad he could give them this last performance of greatness. Just a great moment in basketball!”
nick_rackz: “I remember that last game like it was yesterday Kobe was determined.”
doobieguaps: “0-60 like a cobra.”
noahwill: “This man went 0 to 60.”
hbk_karii: “And y’all trippin on cade…Lamelo first game was even terrible…”
basketboricua: “Who cried when he scored 60pts in his retire game? Kobe may not be our favorite player but his legacy for the game is amazing!!”
conordowdell: “Still can’t believe he’s gone.”
teezee44: “The guy took the most shots in NBA history on his last game. 50 shots. That’s the most FGA ever. Imagine if Curry or Klay or KD took that. And I was there at that game. Utah was playing 0 def on him and Kobe demanded the ball every time. Stop making this accomplishment out to be something special when it was the epitome of ball hogging.”
marlojk17: “Getting goosebumps watching this!!!”
therealmartinbaker: “Rip Kobe.”
Kobe’s legacy in the league can never be forgotten by any NBA fan. He will always remain in the heart of fans for what he has done throughout his career. Be it winning five championships or his amazing mamba mentality.
To finish things off, here is a video of Kobe from his rookie season. It shows then-Los Angeles Lakers player Byron Scott already labeling Kobe as an unbelievable player. Scott was right about Kobe being unbelievable and he proved that time and time again in his two-decades-long career.
