- Myles Turner’s rookie season was Kobe Bryant’s last in the NBA
- Turner recounted Pacers fans rooting for Kobe when they played in Indiana
- Boos erupted after the Pacers beat the Lakers
On 8th February 2016, Indiana Pacers fans were actively rooting against their own team, all because of one Kobe Bryant. The 2015-16 season saw Kobe’s farewell tour, as he had announced he’d be retiring, and Myles Turner recounted the crazy atmosphere in the arena when Bryant played in Indiana.
“I remember we were playing against Kobe Bryant my rookie year,” Turner said on the Run Your Race podcast. “… We were up the entire game, anytime Kobe touches the ball (it’s like) ‘Ahhh’ every single time.”
Turner revealed that Bryant then led a comeback, and the crowd went wild.
“It’s like crunch time now and we’re starting to get down and Kobe leads an entire comeback by himself,” Turner continued. “It’s a single-digit game, we’re up double-digits the entire game. He scores like 4 or 5 possessions in a row, crowd’s going crazy, (like) ‘Ahhh!'”
When Paul George hit a big shot for the Pacers, Turner stated that the fans started booing, despite it being an important game in the playoff race.
“PG comes up, hits a crazy three,” Turner added. “‘Boooooo!’ Our own f***ing crowd, bro. Hits a crazy three. I think it’s like a big game in the season, trying to be in the playoffs. And then Kobe, he had missed a fadeaway, he had missed not a game-winner but a game-tying (shot). Bro, we won the game, the entire arena, even our own fans booing. They wanted the Lakers to win so bad, bro.”
Myles Turner on the time Pacers fans booed the team for beating Kobe Bryant during his farewell tour, per @TidalLeague.
(via Run Your Race Pod, https://t.co/ZhPo990v5J) pic.twitter.com/sTzBvjRdDv
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 14, 2023
It’s not all that surprising that fans reacted in that fashion. It was Kobe’s last game in Indiana, and they’d have wanted to see him go out with a bang.
Bryant struggled for much of the game, but the crowd got to see vintage Kobe in the fourth quarter. He scored 11 points in the period to put the Lakers in a position to win, but they’d come up just short in the end, as the Pacers beat them 89-87. Bryant finished with 19 points and 5 rebounds in his final game in Indiana.
Kobe’s Farewell Tour
Bryant had announced his retirement a few weeks into the 2015-16 season, and he was honored by fans at basically every arena he played at. Kobe was really the only reason to watch the Lakers that season, as the rest of the roster was rather mediocre.
There were some great performances from Kobe along the way, but nothing too spectacular until the final game of his career. Bryant famously scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz in his last outing, with 23 of those coming in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers would win 101-96, and it was a fitting end to a remarkable career. Bryant finished that season with averages of 17.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game.
What Next For Myles Turner?
For a while, it seemed inevitable that Turner’s future wouldn’t be with the Pacers, but he is still with the team now. All the rumors linking him with the Lakers seem to have died down for good.
The 27-year-old is now tasked with being one of the leaders of a relatively young Pacers squad. Turner played well in the 2022-23 season, as he averaged 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game, but it wasn’t enough to get them to the playoffs.
The Pacers finished 35-47, and it was certainly a bit of a disappointment. With Tyrese Haliburton emerging as a star, expectations are now rising in Indiana and Turner would be hoping that he and his star point guard can get the team back to the postseason.
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