After recently receiving the Icon Award at this year’s ESPY’s, fans were reminded of Kobe Bryant’s marvelous career which he capped off with an unforgettable 60-point performance in his final game for the Los Angeles Lakers.
A purely bittersweet moment for Bryant was replaced with joyous cheers as Kobe was able to turn back the clock just one more time. The 60-point performance helped numb the pain in the hearts of not just Lakers fans, but fans all over the world. Bryant recently opened up to Variety about his thoughts regarding the fans heading into that last game.
“There was such a sadness that was kind of coating the Staples Center. I didn’t want to have that. I didn’t want people to be sad because I wasn’t sad. I was happy. And I wanted to make sure I gave them something to celebrate versus be sad over.”
.@kobebryant on his final NBA game: "I didn't want people to be sad." (Watch) #SportsAndEnt https://t.co/LJEDm2KRLJ
— Variety (@Variety) July 14, 2016
Many fans of the storied Los Angeles franchise have never seen a Lakers squad that didn’t feature Kobe. And although the purple and gold had gone through a stretch of nightmarish seasons, watching Kobe go was the biggest blow of all. But what better way to watch their five-time champion and third-highest scoring player in NBA history go than to witness him score 13 straight points to not only give him 60 on the night but also to win the game over the Utah Jazz.
Now it has been revealed that he wasn’t inspired by a championship or another career milestone, this time, he was motivated solely by Lakers fans. The NBA will always have superstars as will the city of Los Angeles, but there simply will never be another like Kobe Bryant.