Apr 8, 2016 My favorite basketball player of all time is finally hanging it up next week. Use this thread to share pics, highlights, and your favorite memories of the man they call The Black Mamba. Final Game - 4/13/2016 60 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 game winner Magic Johnson & other NBA greats pay Tribute to Kobe Final Introduction Highlights Post Game Speech Presser
Apr 8, 2016 Greatest of his era, been a privilege to watch since I became a fan in 2002, watched about 90% of his games since then maybe even more. Only 5 days till the grand finale, d---...Basketball will truly never be the same to me, I'll still be a fan of course but it'll just be different. I was watching highlights of this classic Kobe game I forgot about last night, man he was on fire especially in the 3rd quarter. He hit 11 straight shots at one point in a 30 point 3rd quarter, had 52 overall and I know he was 18/24 at one point near the end but can't remember if that's what he finished at or not. They took him out with 30 something seconds left in the 3rd, could have tied the record of 33 in a quarter but it was still amazing. At this point he was coming back from knee surgery and still recovering a little from that, this was his first break out game after the surgery and it was against a Utah team that was (believe it or not) best in the league at the time, although it was only late November. He was playing with a starting lineup of total scrubs at that point too lol, it was Smush Parker, Kwame Brown, Luke Walton and Lamar Odom in the f---in STARTING LINEUP lol, those are hardly even NBA caliber players really besides Odom of course. Anyways it was a great game especially that 3rd quarter where he just couldn't miss.
Apr 8, 2016 It's crazy to think Kobe could have easily had 3 or 4 70+ point games if he had played the 4th quarter, maybe even 2 80+ games lol. Kobe was the greatest scorer I have ever seen, when he gets it going it's just absolutely ridiculous and not even great defense can stop him. But to me at least it's the right thing to do in those situations, no need to play someone just for stats when the game has been decided. It's too risky and the season's too long for that, the coach would catch major s--- if a star player were to ever get hurt during something like that.
Apr 8, 2016 That Dallas game comes to mind. I remember B Shaw was like "dude you could get 70" and Kobe's like nah I'll get it another time. Little did we know it'd be that season. Single greatest scoring assault season in NBA history.
Apr 9, 2016 i'll always remember him for his work ethic. its what i admire most about him. things like height you really have no control over, but everyone has control over their work ethic and how much time and effort they put into succeeding at something and kobe really put in the work to be great. you combine that, along with how talented he obviously is and you get kobe bryant, the type of player the league will never see again
Apr 9, 2016 Read the first sentence of your description and was like Utah- November 30, 2006. I remember that game vividly. It was the first real explosion after starting off the regular season pretty slow due to off season knee surgery. I literally am in disbelief that that was nearly 10 years ago. As far as his retirement goes it'll be neat but to me his real retirement was April 12, 2013. That made me emotional because I knew it was a wrap but I honestly don't think Wednesday will. All in all I'm a Mamba Stan in every sense of the word and have tries to model my own craft like Kobe did. It's insane how much somebody I've never met can shape my life the way he did.
Apr 9, 2016 Followed VC, Nash and Duncan throughout the 2000s and only really started following his career in 2008. I remember the year prior he dropped 81(?) on the Raptors. I think it was 2010 where he had a few game winners, tbh older Kobe was great to see, reminded me of old Jordan, who I watched on TV when I was young. I really loved 2009 in the NBA. Bulls vs Celtics was incredible. Bad time for the 6 though I feel like his injuries could have been prevented tbh he was run into the ground a lot but that's his own doing in many ways. I have him as the gatekeeper of my top 10,, sitting right at 10.
Apr 9, 2016 @M Solo , did I tell you I'm going to Kobe's last game? I agree with you that the real Kobe basically ended on that night in 2013, other than a few rare flashes he's been pretty awful. But it'll still be a big moment and a real sad one for me having watched Kobe all these years. Even if he's not the same anymore, it'll still be a special moment seeing him on that court for the very last game, can't believe it's just a few days away. I'm gonna watch the next couple games before it too, try to catch Kobe while I still can.
Apr 10, 2016 Kobe had 15 in the 1st quarter, 14 in the 3rd and didn't play in the 2nd quarter. He ended the 3rd with this one, great vintage Kobe performance today, might be his last one.
Apr 11, 2016 That would be David Stern's fault. Stern doesn't veto the VP3 trade and it's Kobe, D12 and VP3 with Jackson coaching. That tram would not be playing Kobe 48 minutes a night giving his all to get that 8th seed. Man, I will never, ever get over "basketball reasons". @Kon you agree? Awesome about the last game btw. Try to get some pics and video to share here. Especially during warm ups. Ma, I remember the first time I saw hI'm playing person in April 2006. Him coming out of the tunnel with a laser like focus meticulously warming up was one of the greatest things I've ever seen.
Apr 11, 2016 Not gonna lie, as a C's fan, I was so happy they denied that trade, because that was an easy NBA Title for yall and that would've tied the C's. Props to Stern on that BS, but don't feel bad, NBA been screwing the C's for years in the lottery bruh Could've had Duncan In all honesty, I'm gonna miss Kobe. I remember in 2006, when Celtic fans were chanting MVP to Kobe when we s----d lol.
Apr 11, 2016 It's been sad watching him this season and knowing he's going to be hanging it up. Crazy how fast time flies. I saw Jordan play in his prime but missed the early years of MJ. But I saw Kobe from a rookie to his last year and it will be the same for LBJ. Kobe is the closest thing to Michael Jeffery Jordan. LeBron has the talent but his missing the "it" factor that MJ and Kobe just naturally had night in and night out. I will miss Bryant in the NBA, but thanks for the greatness.
Apr 12, 2016 Kobe was definitely run into the ground. Dantoni knew he was a dead man walking, so he Kobe d--- near 48 minutes a night, desperate to get a playoff berth, and of course Kobe delivered. Such a shame his career had to end like that. A CP3/Kobe/D-12 core would do some serious damage and could've recruited anybody to come play with them. The combo of CP3/Kobe would've forced Dwight to man up instead of running off to Houston. Like I said before it's truly hard to believe it's all coming to an end tomorrow.
Apr 12, 2016 This touches on that 7 final game stretch of 2013. It was D'Antoni's fault. Either way this is a long read but it's the best Kobe article I've ever read. A must read on the anniversary of the achillies injury.... http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/15186931/last-true-days-kobe-bryant?sf24193602=1
Apr 12, 2016 I'm actually in the middle of reading it right now. I guess it was D'Antoni's fault but didn't seem like Kobe was doing him any favors. Probably stating the obvious but if Phil was around I'm sure Kobe would've listened. I remember this time pretty vividly, it was crazy but I never expected it to result in an injury that severe.
Apr 12, 2016 d--- yeah that was a crazy article, that stretch was ridiculous. Not surprised it was Kobe's idea to play that much, but feel like it wouldn't have been necessary if the team was playing better. There's just flat out no way a team that talented should be fighting for a playoff spot that late in the year, that year went very wrong from the beginning.
