Perhaps one of Kobe Bryant’s greatest feats was his very last game, in which he dropped a whopping 60 points to close out a 20-year career.
To put on that kind of show at 38-years-old, with so much mileage on his body, was insanely impressive, and exactly the kind of swan-song ending Bryant deserved.
Of course, that doesn’t mean it didn’t come with a couple of assists. In a recent interview with Bill Oram of The Athletic, Jordan Clarkson (who was on that Lakers team at the time), revealed that the team may have been allowed to bend some rules for the sake of letting Kobe go out with a bang.
(via The Athletic’s Bill Oram)
The Lakers ultimately had no trouble getting Bryant shots, thanks in part to some overzealous screens set by Randle to free up the outgoing legend.
“Oh, it was illegal as s—,” Clarkson said, laughing. “I think the whole world is Kobe fans. Either you love or you hate him, but at the end of the day, you’re still a fan of what he does. I think the refs even let some things slide during that game.”
It sounds suspicious at first, but when you consider that the Jazz (the opponents that night) were already eliminated from postseason contention, it’s not hard to see why the officials might overlook a few illegal plays by the Lakers.
Honestly, it’s amazing (almost beautiful) how committed everyone was to seeing Bryant go out strong. Nothing and nobody was going to spoil that night, even if it meant turning a blind eye to some things.
Looking back, it was all worth it. Kobe, the NBA, and the fans all got a night they could cherish and celebrate forever.
