Photo: Los Angeles Times
Kobe Bryant etched his name among the stars on April 13, a personified legend whose reach has transcended the boundaries of a hardwood basketball court and into the hearts of an endearing fanbase for two decades.
In what marks the single greatest scoring outburst in basketball sports history – Bryant has closed the curtain on what will be a Hall-of-Fame career — a ‘Cinderella story’ that fans across the globe wouldn’t have wanted any other way.
For what largely seemed like a night that had a team show-out like its 16-65 record, the Los Angeles Lakers thrived under the leadership of Bryant late into the second half, a shine of luster on an otherwise abysmal 2016 season.
On a night when the Utah Jazz were numerically eliminated from the 2016 NBA Playoffs, a city and its hero gathered one final time to pay tribute to the legacy of a man that captured the hearts of Los Angeles.
What a display of heart, tenacity and voracious vitality it was.
Bryant capitalized on a career of extraordinary show of bombastic delivery, hoisting an improbable 50 field goal attempts and connecting on 22 of those shots.
Critics will be quick to dismay in response to a record-breaking scoreline for a 37-year-old player, revering in the outlandish display that was outlined by the 50 field goal average.
This was a career high for the future Hall-of-Famer, beating out Michael Jordan’s 49 FGA in the 1985-86 season.
However, the story lies not within the come-from-behind 60-point throttling from the 20-year veteran, but rather the sheer will the Laker legend displayed: an outpouring of every last drop of sweat, heart and emotion to a youthful team of Lakers that needed every point.
For a player that has suffered three-season ending injuries within three years, it serves as a testament for fans and players around the world to commemorate the tenacity of a player who showed a resolve as grandiose and spectacular as his last game.
Thank you, Kobe.
