Mamba Out
- netrom88
- Apr 14, 2016
- 3 min read
Tonight was a great night for people who love basketball. The last few games of the 2015/2016 regular season games were played in the NBA, and records were broken all over the place. The Golden State Warriors went on to have the greatest regular season ever by winning 73 out of their 82 games. On top of that, their golden boy Steph Curry set a new record of made 3's in a season. But all of that was overshadowed by another event.
Tonight marked the last game of professional basketball that Kobe Bryant will ever participate in. And what a send-off it turned out to be.
But let's go back in time and look at why this is such a remarkable occasion.
Kobe Bryant was actually drafted by the Charlotte Hornets way back in 1996, but he was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He never left the team, but his ride with the franchise was not without bumps along the way.
It all could have ended when Bryant was accused of rape in 2003. The case was eventually dropped, but his image had changed forever. This is when he abandoned his quest of being liked by everyone and embraced his inner villain. He went from being the second coming of Michael Jordan to becoming The Black Mamba. A lethal snake who would not hesitate to kill his opponents on the court.
He was not liked. He did not want to be liked. The hatred people had towards him became his motivation. It drove him to work even harder, and it eventually drove him to greatness.
He went on to win five NBA championships, as well as several personal awards. But more importantly, he won the respect of the fans. All the proof you need is the reception he has been getting at every NBA arena since he announced his retirement. His opponents gave him gifts and their fans gave him standing ovations.
That leads us back to tonight. It has not been a great season for the Lakers, but it seemed like they wanted to play this game against the Utah Jazz the right way since it was such a special game. They kept giving Kobe the ball, and he did not disappoint.
Suddenly, the Black Mamba had 40 points. Then 50. But even though he kept scoring, so did the Jazz. They were ahead for most of the game and it seemed like it was going to be another typical 2015/2016 game for the Lakers. Another loss.
Kobe wouldn't have it. No way was his last game ever going to be a loss. He is a winner. He wanted to go out with a W. So he went to work. He went into full Mamba-mode. The Lakers got a few stops defensively and kept giving the ball to Kobe. He went on to do his thing; launching jumpers from all over the floor, and they went in. The Lakers got closer and closer to the Jazz, and with less than a minute remaining, Kobe nailed the shot to put the Lakers in front. They didn't let go of their lead, and the Mamba got the send-off he wanted, given the circumstances.
Kobe ended up with 60 points in his final game. Sixty.
I can tell from personal experience that it was impossible to not root for this guys when the minutes were winding down. I have never been a Kobe-fan, but I was one for those last minutes. I had a huge smile on my face when he started sinking those jumpers towards the end of the game, and I couldn't be happier for the Mamba himself.
He provided us with 20 years of great basketball, and he is a sure deal for the Hall of Fame in a few years. Tonight, he provided us with one more game of greatness. And you could tell how excited he was after the game. He was smiling and laughing when he addressed the crowd. He thanked the people who helped him throughout his career, and finished it all off with
"Mamba out"
Comments