On April 13, 2016, Kobe Bean Bryant suited up one final time for the Lakers. As the final page of an epic 20-year career in Los Angeles, it was a special night for Bryant and the entire NBA community.
Today, on the six-year anniversary of that game, fans took a moment to reflect on Kobe, his career, and that legendary finale.
On Instagram, one post from “Team Bryant” even went viral. It showed a photo timeline from before and after Kobe’s last game, and it’s pretty cool to see. Check it out:
Kobe’s final game is probably the best final game from any player in NBA history. In 42 minutes of play, he dropped 60 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in a 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz.
His former teammate Shaquille O’Neal, who was in the stands that day, recalls what he told Bryant before the game.
Exactly 6 years ago, Bryant played his final game in the NBA in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. And right on the sideline, sitting courtside, was none other than his former teammate in Shaq. As the famous story goes, Shaq challenged Kobe to score 50 points in the last game of his career and Bryant responded in a way that summed him up best by dropping 60.
“I challenged him to get 50 and the motherf***er got 60.”
It was a beautiful and iconic ending for the basketball legend, but just one of many great moments he had throughout his career.
Over 20 years, Bryant captured 5 Championships, 2 Scoring Titles, and 18 All-Star appearances. He averaged 25 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game for his career.
By the time he retired in 2016, the guy was right up there as one of the best to ever play the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leFVCYaTDvE
