Playing in the last game of his 20-year career, Kobe Bryant put on a show for a sold-out Staples Center crowd one final time, pouring in a season-high 60 points and steering his team to a 101-96 comeback win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
After outscoring the Jazz by himself 23-21 in the fourth quarter, Bryant checked out with 4.1 seconds left, serenaded by “Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!” chants.
“I can’t believe how fast 20 years went by. Man, this is crazy,” Bryant, an 18-time All-Star, said while addressing the crowd after the game. “This is absolutely crazy … and to be standing at center court with you guys, my teammates behind me, appreciating the journey that we’ve been on — we’ve been through our ups, been through our downs. I think the most important part is we all stayed together throughout.”
Bryant spoke about growing up a “die-hard Laker fan” and the trade that led to him spending 20 years with the organization and winning five NBA championships.
“You can’t write something better than this,” he said.
