In his 20th and final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant has enjoyed his farewell tour and has been able to reflect on his future Hall of Fame career. While there is not much to talk about with his team at the bottom of the standings, Bryant has been able to share his favorite memories as he plays his final game in every road arena.
During his prime, Bryant was one of the most dangerous offensive players the league has ever seen — highlighted by his 81 points against the Toronto Raptors and 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks. After the loss against the Milwaukee Bucks, Bryant was asked who the toughest player to guard in the NBA is now according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:
Who's the toughest NBA player to guard right now? Kobe: "It has to be Steph Curry. Has to be." Moves so well w/o the ball, great in isos.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) February 23, 2016
After dealing with ankle injuries early in his career, Curry has established himself as the face of the NBA after winning the Most Valuable Player award and championship last season. With a rare combination of shooting and ball handling abilities, Curry is one of the most difficult players to guard along with LeBron James and Kevin Durant to name a few players.
With Bryant in his final season, he has been smiling more on the court and sharing his experiences with other players. Since most actually grew up watching him, players like Curry have shown the five-time champion plenty of respect this season, highlighted by the All-Star Game in Toronto.