Kobe bows out with a fairy tale ending

Los Angeles, April 14

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On a night of searing emotion at a packed Staples Center, the 37-year-old signed off with a mammoth 60 points, including a final burst of scoring to inspire a 101-96 victory over the Utah Jazz.

A galaxy of A-list celebrities — from Jack Nicholson to David Beckham — roared their approval from courtside as Bryant exited with a perfectly scripted finale.

“Man, I can’t believe how fast 20 years went by, this is crazy,” Bryant said after the victory in an address to the crowd.

“To be standing on centre court with you guys, my teammates behind me, appreciating all this, the journey we’ve been on. I grew up a die-hard Laker fan — I mean a die-hard Laker fan — so to be drafted and traded here and spend 20 years here, you can’t write something better than this.

“No words can describe how I feel about you guys, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. What can I say? Mamba out.”

A sell-out crowd of 19,060 fans had packed into the Staples Center to watch Bryant lace up for the 1,566th and last time.

Tickets were the most expensive in basketball history, according to online exchange StubHub.com, which sold one pair of tickets for a staggering $27,500 each.

Lakers legend Magic Johnson had acted as master of ceremonies for a lengthy pre-game tribute that featured video messages from some of the NBA’s most recognisable figures. “We are here to celebrate greatness for 20 years,” Johnson told the crowd. “He’s not only a great and unbelievable sports icon but he’s already the greatest to wear the purple and gold.” 

‘Melancholy’ Nicholson

Oscar-winning actor Nicholson — a regular presence at courtside during the Bryant era — wrapped up a montage of video messages.

“Kobe, goodbye, I think I might retire with you, I’m not sure,” said Nicholson. 

Nicholson later described Bryant’s retirement as a “melancholy” moment. “It’s like anything — you don’t know what you had until you don’t have it,” Nicholson said. “Fortunately we do know what we had and he’s been great all the way.” 

Bryant’s tribute video was a virtual who’s who of the NBA, with Shaquille O’Neal, Lamar Odom, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and several other coaches and players featured.

Excitement for Bryant’s farewell game had built throughout the day, with the streets surrounding the Staples Center transformed into a sea of purple and gold as thousands of fans thronged the area.

Los Angeles transport officials meanwhile got into the spirit of celebration, renaming a metro station near the Staples Center “Kobe Station” for the day. As day gave way to dusk, Los Angeles City Hall was lit up in the Lakers’ iconic colors of purple and gold.

Cut of beef

Named Kobe by his parents after they spotted the popular Japanese cut of beef on a restaurant menu shortly before his birth, Bryant is a five-time NBA champion having won titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010.  

He was drafted out of high school with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets but was traded shortly after to the Lakers for Serbian Vlade Divac. 

He has appeared in 18 All-Star games, was named the Most Valuable Player for the 2007-08 regular season and landed MVP honors in the 2009 and 2010 Finals when he led the Lakers to consecutive championships. Bryant has also won gold medals with the US basketball team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. — AFP, Reuters