The final day of Kobe Bryant’s NBA career is finally upon us. The Los Angeles Lakers legend is lacing up his sneakers one last time on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz in front of the Purple and Gold faithful of STAPLES Center. It will be a bittersweet moment for the curtain call of one of the greatest performers in NBA history as it will finish a marvelous career but serve as a reminder of the many memorable moments he provided.
Over twenty seasons donning that iconic uniform, Bryant showcased his skills and abilities in a variety of ways, using athleticism, shooting, footwork, and every single little nuance of the game to cement himself as an all-time great.
It started in his rookie season with the slam dunk contest. Playing few minutes on the Lakers as an 18-year-old rookie, All-Star Weekend was the perfect setting for Kobe to announce his presence in the league. The dunks themselves do not necessarily stand the time but the manner in which they are completed do. Bryant exerted the same confidence and cockiness that became a signature of his career in that contest, walking with exaggerated swagger and mean-mugging the crowd even as a skinny kid that had not proven anything in the league.
As Bryant became older, he became an even larger part of the Lakers organization. With Shaq as his side, Kobe helped create a dynamic duo – among the best in league history – that helped stack together three consecutive championships. Shaq was the alpha-dog on those teams. But Bryant became the perfect foil and in the rare instances when the big man was off his game or could not continue to play due to foul trouble, it was Kobe who led the team with phenomenal playoff performances – unreal stretches of play for a player of his young age.
When the super-team version of the Lakers in 2004 ended in disappointment, Bryant gave a glimpse into his unmatched work ethic, immediately and without second though expressing his desire to get back to the gym and work harder than ever before to get back on top. The kind of stuff legends are made of.
With the Shaq era ending, the toughest stretch of Bryant’s career began. But it was also the stretch that in many ways created his legacy. Kobe put aside everything when he was on the basketball court. He put aside the Shaq feud, the off-court legal problems, and the anger towards the Lakers for creating a less-than-talented team around their star. Instead, he just played. And he performed in ways no one had seen before.
81 points. 62 in three quarters to outscore the Mavericks. 35 points per game over an entire season. Bryant’s play was legendary in those stretches, willing Lakers teams to victories with his rampant scoring and game-winners. The legend of the Black Mamba was born.
It was during this time that even the most ardent of Lakers haters came to respect Kobe – even if it often came in the form of hate and vitriol. The work ethic and relentless style of play made him an almost mythical figure in the league.
Growing up as a fan of the NBA with no real affiliation was easy as a young person. There was a lot to like about the NBA in the early 2000’s. Allen Iverson was a star and someone every kid wanted to be, Vince Carter was throwing down thunderous dunks that made you lose your mind and there was a bunch of solid teams in the league but no one, no team compared to the dynastic Los Angeles Lakers. It was Kobe and Shaq on top for four years and every year I found myself rooting against the Lakers. No matter who played them in the NBA finals, the 76ers, Pacers, Nets or even the Pistons, I was always rooting against the Los Angeles Lakers. Why? I just didn’t like how good they were. It sucked because as a Knicks fan, I wanted the Knicks to win and if the Knicks couldn’t win, I definitely didn’t want the Lakers to win every year. That was until 2004-05 season when I realized to stop being a hater and I started to appreciate sports and what these athletes had to offer. It was the first year that Kobe Bryant was alone in LA, just what he wanted but what came with it, wasn’t an ideal situation for him.
As a fan, you appreciated what Kobe did with those atrociously bad Lakers teams in the mid-2000’s. It was Kobe’s will to win that carried them to any kind of success. It was one faithful night when I attended a Lakers vs 76ers game in Philly along with some of my middle school basketball teammates and we witnessed a pretty pedestrian game to most but to me, it was everything. It was supposed to be a Kobe and AI battle but it quickly became relevant that Iverson was dominating so instead the Kobe vs AI duel became a battle with involving a different AI, Andre Iguodala. The young wing out of Arizona battled Bryant and they went dunk for dunk at one point in the game in the first half and along with my teammates, we exploded at these rim-rattling slams. It was that game that made me realize that Kobe always took on the challenge, even if it was in a losing effort, he still fought and battled someone, someway, somehow. That night it was Iguodala and through out his career it was the Celtics, Magic, Steve Nash and the Suns, LeBron, Melo, Wade and many more. Kobe Bryant was a constant competitor whether it be on or off the court, Kobe battled.
His dunks, big shots, championships will all be remembered but for me, it was that odd night in Philadelphia that started me down the road as a Kobe fan. Those secondary moments that make Kobe memorable to me are the ones I will always remember. His scowl, the time he hit the game-winner in the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns and even the missed shots he had against the Utah Jazz to start his career, only to come back and battle through adversity and triumph just about every competitor.
From a Knicks fan, thank you Kobe. I appreciate what you have done for the NBA throughout the years and I wish you nothing but success in your post-career endeavors.
Soon came the trade that brought Pau Gasol to Laker-land where he joined Kobe in the quest for two more championships. 2008 saw a return to the Finals that ultimately ended in disappointment as the Lakers lost to their hated rivals in Boston.
But they came back in ‘09 to win the title – Kobe’s first without Shaq. And they repeated in 2010 against those same Celtics, exacting sweet revenge and adding another story to a long and memorable rivalry.
Those championships came with incredible performances from Bryant, from memorable game winners to playing through dislocated and broken fingers. Those two years were encapsulations of Bryant’s career as a whole showing the effort he would play with just to be a winner.
Because I had the disadvantage of living on the other side of the pond, I didn’t get to see my first NBA Finals until 2008. Probably the worst time in Kobe’s career. Losing to the Celtics. But then we go to 2010, the rematch. And I was hit by pure heat. Watching Kobe get his fifth ring was a great moment for me as a basketball fan trying to find places in England that’ll show it. When he hopped onto that table and opened himself up to the Laker Nation, I was mesmerised. It’s one of my favourite sports photos ever and it’s my favourite Kobe moment.
I may not have been lucky enough to see as much Kobe as most of you, but I got lucky and that’s all I needed.
There were disappointments in the years following the 2010 title but none were bigger than the infamous 2012-13 Lakers squad that was deemed a super-team before it even started. That team was on a rocky journey from the beginning, but Kobe willed them to the postseason with one of the best statistical years of his career at the ripe age of 34. Like wine, he was better with age. Vino.
But the season ultimately ended with catastrophe. Bryant tore his Achilles in the third to last game of the season and the Lakers lost any chance of becoming upset specialists in the playoffs.
But while that moment was one of torture for most Lakers fans as it effectively ended the legend’s career, after a few years it became my favorite memory of the only athlete I ever considered a true idol.
When Kobe returned to the court after a timeout and shot those two free throws, left foot hovering in the air to avoid putting pressure on the tear, it was the final chapter to a stellar career. It was everything Kobe had become: an all-time great competitor who faced every challenge, who ignored adversity and injury, who did everything possible to win, and who laid it all on the line for the love of the game.
Kobe swished in those two free throws. The Lakers won by two.
Kobe Bryant had given the Lakers one last victory.
