With the 2015-16 NBA season officially in the books, the time has come to reflect on what a truly historic year. From the Golden State Warriors breaking a seemingly impossible record to the Cavaliers bringing the city of Cleveland a championship for the first time since 1964.
However, despite these incredible feats, this season just might be most remembered as the year Kobe Bryant walked away from the game of basketball. Bryant capped off his magical 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers with a show-stopping 60-point performance leaving fans and fellow players alike in awe. Although he’s gone from the NBA, Kobe still seems to be on players’ minds. Just ask New York Knicks’ forward Carmelo Anthony who showed the five-time NBA champion some love on Twitter.
Respect the legends that changed the game forever @KobeBryant #Legendary pic.twitter.com/U2ypkMJ0X0
— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) June 21, 2016
Kobe Bryant and Carmelo have always shared a close relationship as competitors on the court while being a pair savvy businessmen off of it. Many might remember the two battling in the Western Conference playoffs during Melo’s days as a Denver Nugget, where Kobe said he had earned his respect. They eventually became teammates on Team USA during the Olympics in Beijing and London, where they took home a pair of gold medals.
Although they came into the league under different circumstances, the two have shown very similar traits during their careers. Both are dominant scorers on two of the biggest franchises the league and most recently, have had to endure some tough seasons. The only difference was Kobe’s ability to translate his scoring ways into winning championships, something Anthony hopes to figure out soon.