Kobe Bryant's last game

[JoshMKB24]

Anyone else going? If not going anyone else going to be around the LA Live area before/after the game?

Its gonna be a crazy night. I've been a fan of the Lakers my whole life and Kobe as well. It makes me feel really old, because he is the 1st athlete I watched from start to finish and am able to remember it all. Growing up in the LA area I remember parts of Magic in the late 80s and obviously was lucky enough to see a lot of Jordan as well..........but Kobe was the 1st guy I got to watch from start to finish.

 

[S.B.G]

I've always liked watching the Lakers play, but rarely ever see them since I live in Michigan. If I see a game is on network television I'll catch it or if they're playing the Pistons. Kobe is certainly one of the best players the league has ever had and I've enjoyed watching him play over the years.

 

[rhett7660]

Not a fan of either the Lakers or Kobe, however he is a really good, "really good" player. I will watch the game though, either at the local sports bar or in my home.

 

[BeeGood]

I'm not really a basketball fan, but I do find Kobe's "farewell tour" intriguing, and I struggle to formulate an opinion on it.

On one hand, it seems like a crime that a storied franchise like the Lakers, and almost definitely it's best player are hobbling together (the Lakers performance-wise and Kobe physically) to the finish line. It's a little painful honestly to read about Kobe shooting 20-30% from the field every night and getting destroyed. It just doesn't feel right.

On the other hand, this season is really of their own making. The Lakers had no business giving Kobe such a lucrative contract in his sunset years and Kobe probably should have hung it up a couple years ago. That's obviously easy for an armchair quarterback like me to say, but I honestly hate the fact that this morbid season will be the last thing I remember about an all-time great and I blame the Lakers and Kobe jointly.

In any event, it's about to be all said and done. Kobe's place in history is set in stone and the Lakers will be fine in a few years most likely. I'll always be able to go to YouTube and watch his 81 point performance and reminisce.

 

[MacNut]

Not a fan of either the Lakers or Kobe, however he is a really good, "really good" player. I will watch the game though, either at the local sports bar or in my home.

He was a really good player. Now he is old on a horrible team.

 

[JoshMKB24]

I'm not really a basketball fan, but I do find Kobe's "farewell tour" intriguing, and I struggle to formulate an opinion on it.

On one hand, it seems like a crime that a storied franchise like the Lakers, and almost definitely it's best player are hobbling together (the Lakers performance-wise and Kobe physically) to the finish line. It's a little painful honestly to read about Kobe shooting 20-30% from the field every night and getting destroyed. It just doesn't feel right.

On the other hand, this season is really of their own making. The Lakers had no business giving Kobe such a lucrative contract in his sunset years and Kobe probably should have hung it up a couple years ago. That's obviously easy for an armchair quarterback like me to say, but I honestly hate the fact that this morbid season will be the last thing I remember about an all-time great and I blame the Lakers and Kobe jointly.

In any event, it's about to be all said and done. Kobe's place in history is set in stone and the Lakers will be fine in a few years most likely. I'll always be able to go to YouTube and watch his 81 point performance and reminisce.

As a Lakers fan it also is really intriguing...............because of the whole Kobe thing going on, a lot of us fans have sort of overlooked how bad this team really is. This team has the most losses in Lakers history. It will be interesting to see what happens next year if the Lakers don't keep their pick if it falls out of the top 3 and goes to Philly. I think Russell will be good, video snap chat drama and all, but I don't think Clarkson will be better than 6th man on a good team. I feel the same way about Randle. If the Lakers can somehow get Ben Simmons I think next year will have a lot of hope and the Lakers fans won't mind some growing pains. I can't imagine suffering through another season though without Simmons and no Kobe retirement to distract us.

I live in the Midwest now since school so I don't get to quite as many games as I once did. I'll still go to see them play in Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and once in awhile Indianapolis. I have League Pass, so I've been able to watch them there as well. Its been some bad basketball to watch, but I try to force myself to watch at least part of the game since I knew it would be Kobe's final season haha

 

[BenTrovato]

If you are a Lakers fan... this season hasn't been as bad as it should be because of the entertainment of Kobe's farewell tour. Black mamba was still very good 3 seasons ago, the last time he played close to 80 games. Since then, injuries and age have caught up to him. I know there's nostalgia but the few games I watched of his this year haven't been special at all - which I know is highlighted by how horrible the Lakers are.

 

[tomtendo]

The game got bumped from ESPN to ESPN2 at 10:30et Wednesday. Lets all salute this once in a lifetime basketball player.

 

[sdilley14]

Nothing but respect for Kobe...but I'm looking forward to this farewell tour coming to an end. I've seen way too much media/social media coverage on Kobe all year. Not to mention the Lakers basically set their entire franchise back several years by re-signing Kobe at that ridiculous contract...doing it as an "honor/respect" gesture based on previous years service, knowing full well he was going to have health and performance issues for the rest of his playing years. They should have just cut him or let him walk when they had the chance. I understand it wouldn't have been a popular choice at the time...but NBA teams are in the business of winning and making money, not making "honorable" gestures to their players. They would probably already have Carmelo, or Kevin Love, or could have kept Dwight Howard, or who knows how many other high caliber players that would have joined the Lakers but chose not to because they didn't want to play "under" Kobe.

 

[JoshMKB24]

Nothing but respect for Kobe...but I'm looking forward to this farewell tour coming to an end. I've seen way too much media/social media coverage on Kobe all year. Not to mention the Lakers basically set their entire franchise back several years by re-signing Kobe at that ridiculous contract...doing it as an "honor/respect" gesture based on previous years service, knowing full well he was going to have health and performance issues for the rest of his playing years. They should have just cut him or let him walk when they had the chance. I understand it wouldn't have been a popular choice at the time...but NBA teams are in the business of winning and making money, not making "honorable" gestures to their players. They would probably already have Carmelo, or Kevin Love, or could have kept Dwight Howard, or who knows how many other high caliber players that would have joined the Lakers but chose not to because they didn't want to play "under" Kobe.

I agree they definitely set their franchise back by giving him the huge contract as kind of a legacy payment........however the guys you mentioned, Melo, Love, D12.........none of those guys really excite me much. D12 definitely did when he was an athletic freak flying around the court. In person its pretty impressive........besides Lebron, no one that size can handle a switch on a pick and roll and chase the wing down the lane and then get back out if the wing passes it to the pick man. D12 has lost all his explosiveness and has worn out his welcome everywhere, so I'm not that broken up about that.


I can't wait though for the game. I bought some of the special commemorative gear when it went on the Lakers store online before it sold out and I bought enough I'll resell some of it. Definitely will be a fun night. I'm sure security will be crazy to get into the arena that night. It honestly will be weird to know this is the last time I'll see Kobe live on the court in person.

 

[Goatllama]

Anyone else going? If not going anyone else going to be around the LA Live area before/after the game?

Its gonna be a crazy night. I've been a fan of the Lakers my whole life and Kobe as well. It makes me feel really old, because he is the 1st athlete I watched from start to finish and am able to remember it all. Growing up in the LA area I remember parts of Magic in the late 80s and obviously was lucky enough to see a lot of Jordan as well..........but Kobe was the 1st guy I got to watch from start to finish.

Can't say I know much about sports but Kobe is an exceptional enough player that this thread caught my eye.

Now, more importantly, @JoshMKB24, have you only had one toaster your whole life and it still works???

 

[AustinIllini]

This should have been about 2 seasons ago, but congrats to Kobe on a great career and congrats to the Lakers for being able to end this garbage parade.

 

[JamesMike]

I will be watching, he is an excellent player.

 

[AustinIllini]

I will be watching, he is an excellent player.

Was an excellent player. Now he's a clown show, honestly. He makes the Lakers worse.

 

[ThinkDifferent24]

I don't know if it's just me, but for some reason, it's hard for me to watch live events. I always catch the re-run at a later time or watch some clips on youtube. I guess it's part of the on demand generation.

 

[Savor]

I respect Kobe Bryant over the years even though I still am a Laker hater and hated Kobe during his prime. But I would rather watch the Warrior get 73 than his last game. I don't remember MJ having such a huge hoopla. Or Shaq. I doubt Duncan will get one either and nobody even talks about KG anymore. So much hype watching Kobe and his team play badly? Too many people wearing nostalgic glasses when they are all playing garbage right now.

I hate how the media turns around. During his prime, writers hated him. Fans from other arenas hated them. Now it becomes a lovefest? We should be celebrating more of Steph Curry. Now he is a UNIQUE player. A true one in a lifetime while MJ is more once, ever. Kobe Bryant was the biggest and best Michael Jordan wannabe who's range and accuracy isn't even close to Curry's and never caught MJ's true greatness which was measured in the PLAYOFFS and FINALS. People like LeBron James has already had a GREATER career than Kobe even with less rings.

I doubt the LA media hype will care and LeBron is at least outspoken with his political beliefs that never came from either MJ or Kobe. Commerce over conscience, right Kareem? I can't believe we celebrate competitive nature, MJ copycat, and selfishness when Kobe Bryant is one of ths biggest ball hogs we have ever seen right up there with his idol he had tried to emulate and Iverson. LeBron's unselfishness goes beyond the court. MJ and Kobe was always about THEMSELVES.

BTW, Michael Jordan is my favorite athlete of all-time. He is GOAT. But for every good or bad I can point out about MJ can apply everything to to Kobe. Now Kobe set his franchise back because he couldn't take a paycut like Dirk and Tim did to their teams and we keep honoring this man for the garbage play. He worked hard, I get that. He has a heart of a lion just like MJ. But don't give him a pass for not taking a paycut and for taking too many shots or thinking too much about KoMe.

 

[loby]

I'm not really a basketball fan, but I do find Kobe's "farewell tour" intriguing, and I struggle to formulate an opinion on it.

On one hand, it seems like a crime that a storied franchise like the Lakers, and almost definitely it's best player are hobbling together (the Lakers performance-wise and Kobe physically) to the finish line. It's a little painful honestly to read about Kobe shooting 20-30% from the field every night and getting destroyed. It just doesn't feel right.

On the other hand, this season is really of their own making. The Lakers had no business giving Kobe such a lucrative contract in his sunset years and Kobe probably should have hung it up a couple years ago. That's obviously easy for an armchair quarterback like me to say, but I honestly hate the fact that this morbid season will be the last thing I remember about an all-time great and I blame the Lakers and Kobe jointly.

In any event, it's about to be all said and done. Kobe's place in history is set in stone and the Lakers will be fine in a few years most likely. I'll always be able to go to YouTube and watch his 81 point performance and reminisce.

I agree they definitely set their franchise back by giving him the huge contract as kind of a legacy payment........however the guys you mentioned, Melo, Love, D12.........none of those guys really excite me much. D12 definitely did when he was an athletic freak flying around the court. In person its pretty impressive........besides Lebron, no one that size can handle a switch on a pick and roll and chase the wing down the lane and then get back out if the wing passes it to the pick man. D12 has lost all his explosiveness and has worn out his welcome everywhere, so I'm not that broken up about that.


I can't wait though for the game. I bought some of the special commemorative gear when it went on the Lakers store online before it sold out and I bought enough I'll resell some of it. Definitely will be a fun night. I'm sure security will be crazy to get into the arena that night. It honestly will be weird to know this is the last time I'll see Kobe live on the court in person.

Yes, it is hard to believe that time has come for Kobe to retire. Amazing player and I was privilege to see him live in his prime a few times. The one time I had floor setting to watch a game through work, witness a game that still lives in basketball history with the dunk in your face to giant "yow-Ming" (spelling) Incredible to watch and right there to see it live, along with the other laker greats on the floor, double overtime game with Fisher's half court game winning shot......amazing if you are a basketball fan. At least that is how I remember it....

But...ending this way is a shame for such a great player. The lakers suck, probably the worse ever, Kobe a broken, washed up "old man" as far as the game is concerned. A shame that people will probably remember his end game which odds are will be a terrible game for Kobe and the Lakers. Then in ten years, many may say, "Kobe who?" While he is sitting in a wheelchair watching another young "Kobe" as his injuries take hold of his aging body. Ashame, but I guess that is the business....

 

[JoshMKB24]

I don't know if it's just me, but for some reason, it's hard for me to watch live events. I always catch the re-run at a later time or watch some clips on youtube. I guess it's part of the on demand generation.

Hah, that might just be you! Sports contracts with tv networks keep growing and growing, because its really the only thing these days people watch live, so its the only time they really in theory have to sit through commercials!

 

[maflynn]

I was never a fan of Kobe, he always seem way too arrogant to me.

Funny thing is, I recall just a week or so ago, the coach of the Lakers bemoaning the fact that the team is doing so poorly for Kobe and they can't send him off like a true future hall of famer. The thing is, the Lakers are a product of Kobe's arrogance. More then once highly talented players opted to avoid the lakers as they'd not want to play second fiddle to an aging player who was not producing any longer. The team's management also seemed to tip toe around Kobe and how best to improve the team.

Also he should have called it quits years ago. He's just another superstar that tried to keep playing even though his body gave out years previously. Brett Farve (whom I'm a fan of), was another one who couldn't accept the inevitable. That's why I give Manning so much credit, while it was a stuggle for him to come to the conclusion, it was time for him to ride off.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

I'm actually surprised at many of the responses in this thread. A quick internet search of "top NBA players of all time" has many lists with Kobe between 10 and 15. Far better than "really good." Better even than "great." I think that some may be forgetting the first ten years of this millennium. 15 time All-NBA selection is just really good? Nahhhh...no way.

And I'm not even really a fan of his.

 

[0007776]

I don't know if it's just me, but for some reason, it's hard for me to watch live events. I always catch the re-run at a later time or watch some clips on youtube. I guess it's part of the on demand generation.

I don't watch a lot of sports, but when I do it's the one thing I'm willing to watch live. Otherwise if I'm interested I'll just look at the score and be done with it.

 

[2298754]

Tomorrow is a sad day for basketball fans everywhere! Kobe is the closest we ever got to a MJ 2.0

 

[Abstract]

I was never a fan of Kobe, he always seem way too arrogant to me.

Funny thing is, I recall just a week or so ago, the coach of the Lakers bemoaning the fact that the team is doing so poorly for Kobe and they can't send him off like a true future hall of famer. The thing is, the Lakers are a product of Kobe's arrogance. More then once highly talented players opted to avoid the lakers as they'd not want to play second fiddle to an aging player who was not producing any longer. The team's management also seemed to tip toe around Kobe and how best to improve the team.

Also he should have called it quits years ago. He's just another superstar that tried to keep playing even though his body gave out years previously. Brett Farve (whom I'm a fan of), was another one who couldn't accept the inevitable. That's why I give Manning so much credit, while it was a stuggle for him to come to the conclusion, it was time for him to ride off.

I know! Byron Scott was complaining about how poorly the Lakers are playing for Kobe. Um....it's a team sport, and Kobe is the most inefficient starter in your lineup. Stop playing him like he's a starter, and maybe your team would suck less.

And this "farewell tour" is a joke. I know Kobe didn't start this himself, but as an event, it's ridiculous that it's even happening. It won't happen for other stars at this size and scale. I guess because this is the first time any player has received an 82 game farewell party, it will also be the biggest spectacle. Future "tours" won't be this big, hopefully. Even if Lebron retires in the same way, I don't know if he's as big a star as Kobe.

 

[Savor]

Kobe Bryant deserves the coddling he can get but I can't wait when this overhyped farewell season for him finally is over and we can finally move on. I go on ESPN right now and I see like four articles on his final game while barely nothing for the Warriors going 73. So much hype for a regular season finale. I grew up on MJ back in 1991 and watching his '98 shot in Utah had far more anticpation and meaning for me because a perfect record in the Finals and championship was on the line.

Kobe Bryant has always fooled fans with HERO BALL. At least when MJ dropped a double nick in MSG, he passed up the game winner to Bill Wennington. Or the pass went to Steve Kerr in the 1997 Finals. With Kobe, it has always been about HIM. Fueding with teammates. Demanding a trade. The guy was an All-Star starter at 19 scoring 15ppg off the bench. This man has been spoiled and coddled all his life, good or bad at what he has done. Sometimes I find him Justin Bieber overrated by his dillusional, younger fans who missed out on the Jordan era and needed someone to emulate his style and greatness.

I know some Lakers fans can't wait until this is all over and the Kobe fans can get off their bandwagon and go idolize someone else. The rebuilding process can go alot smoother when their selfish, highly worshipped HERO BALL HOG leader finally calls it quits and will no longer stunt his teammates growth by taking most of the shots and missing 2/3 of them. .

Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players of all-time. Perhaps a more explosive scorer than Michael Jordan at times although that is in regular season. MJ destroys him across the board in the Playoffs esp the Finals. Kobe has more RANGE which is nothing when he can only hit it 1-2% higher than MJ. But MJ owns Kobe in accolades, stats, and pure athleticism like speed and hops. And MJ was just smarter beating people with simple fundamentals. Big hands that can slash to the basket if the J isn't falling. Better moving without the ball. No flashy dribbles or hurling it from 30 feet away while fading away.

Kobe Bryant athleticism is a cross between the Michael Jordan of the 2nd threepeat and the Wizards era with greater range but worse on trusting teammates and leadership. I want Kobe to be coddled. He deserved it after 20 seasons. Then I can't wait to finally move on from this stupid media circus thanks to the LA market about another athlete who passed his prime and is just another has been.

 

[MacNut]

ESPN went a little over board with this tonight. Lets not forget his past activities.