Kobe Bryant‘s final game in the NBA was nothing short of a spectacle in the best possible way. Though his body is nothing like what it used to be, Bryant played the final 30 minutes of Wednesday’s game against the Utah Jazz and scored an astounding 60 points, including the crucial go-ahead shot, in a 101-96 victory.
kobe and shaq pic.twitter.com/dLlrkh2i9S
— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) April 14, 2016
Yes, Bryant attempted 50 field goals, which is hilarious in and of itself, but he was brilliant, signature Kobe when he absolutely had to be making his last five shots and free throws in a win.
And, of course, his final play was an assist. Go figure.
“What an exit for #24! You couldn’t have written this!” https://t.co/jYz8hsxdYb
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 14, 2016
You couldn’t have scripted a better finale. The truth is, I don’t know that anybody could believe what they were seeing. It was almost too perfect, save for the fact that the Lakers are still a 17-win team. Naturally, reactions began pouring in during Kobe’s final moments as an NBA player. The long list of celebrities there to witness it all had some of the best reactions:
https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/720479266970984448
Watching Mamba rn like… 😮 pic.twitter.com/Ig7XdS30e5
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 14, 2016
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) April 14, 2016
Related: Ranking Kobe Bryant’s Five Greatest Games
Of course, fellow players had to give some major props, as well:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEK0WrMKi3r/
That's my dogggggg #besttodoit
— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) April 14, 2016
This is a DREAM.😩😩😩😩😩
— DeMarre Carroll (@DeMarreCarroll1) April 14, 2016
73 wins and one dude shooting 50 shots in one game on the same night. Has that ever happened before? #awesome
— Chris Bosh (@chrisbosh) April 14, 2016
This has been the best night of basketball in a while. Warriors get a record and Kobe does this!! Wow!!!
— Kyle Lowry (@Klow7) April 14, 2016
Congrats @kobebryant … a fitting 60-piece and W to end an amazing career!!
— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) April 14, 2016
https://twitter.com/kevinarnovitz/status/720487213109223424
Wow
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) April 14, 2016
https://twitter.com/Isaiah_Thomas/status/720475204254900224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
This is like watching a movie….#Kobe
— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) April 14, 2016
60 points and a win. Amazing. Fans in LA got their money's worth tonight. #MambaDay #ThankYouKobe
— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) April 14, 2016
Love me or Hate me but at the end of the day u will RESPECT me!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 14, 2016
Kobe Bean!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 14, 2016
60 for the 🐍. Vintage!
— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) April 14, 2016
Who cares if he took 50 shots…. Just respect the greatness. @kobebryant one of the greatest ever!! @MikeAndMike
— Jay Williams (@RealJayWilliams) April 14, 2016
Rodney Hood on Kobe's 60: “I’m in still in shock. Obviously you don’t want it to be against you, but that’s a hell of a way to go out.”
— tribjazz (@tribjazz) April 14, 2016
This dude is not real at 37 years old! #mambaday
— DeAndre Jordan 🐺 (@DeAndre) April 14, 2016
Just spoke to Shaq – he said "I challenged him to get 50 and the mother****er got 60"
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) April 14, 2016
That's my dogggggg #besttodoit
— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) April 14, 2016
Suns watching Kobe be Kobe. pic.twitter.com/TMpknItNEZ
— #WeArePHX (@Suns) April 14, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Steph Curry jokes that he might have kept going had he known Kobe was out scoring him: "Somebody should have told me!"
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) April 14, 2016
Kobe’s teammates, Nick Young and Roy Hibbert, needed to capture the moment:
#KobeBryant @kobebryant #60Ball mind is blown. pic.twitter.com/RFaVESq5Ts
— Roy Hibbert (@Roy_Meets_World) April 14, 2016
Surely, one of the people most surprised by Kobe’s performance was Lakers head coach Byron Scott, who admitted afterward Kobe had defied Father Time for one last game to go out on top:
Byron said he and Lakers trainer Gary Vitti offered three words afterwards about Kobe's game: "I'm not surprised."
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) April 14, 2016
Byron Scott said he's still numb. "It's almost like he turned back the clock one last time."
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 14, 2016
Then there was the historical perspective of what Kobe accomplished in his final game and throughout his career:
Who needs 50-40-90 when you can create your own 60-50-W club. What a surreal finish.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 14, 2016
"Mamba out." pic.twitter.com/0LVuS7NnZW
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) April 14, 2016
Kobe Bryant broke the record for most points in the final game of an NBA career by scoring more points (60) than the previous record-holder.
— Perd Hapley (@PerdHapleyNBA) April 14, 2016
60. 🐍
The most points all-time by a player in the final game of his career. #History pic.twitter.com/m1jTX8UHMs
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 14, 2016
And, oh by the way, #Kobe’s 60 points tonight was the highest scoring game of the season, eclipsing Anthony Davis’ 59. #Lakers #MambaDay
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) April 14, 2016
Kobe’s first NBA point was a free throw at Madison Square Garden. His last NBA point was a free throw at Staples Center. #ThankYouKobe
— Alan Hahn (@alanhahn) April 14, 2016
This officially concludes the '96 draft class. pic.twitter.com/3AeuLoz3DH
— Glenn (@b0rn_villain) April 14, 2016
I can't even take a real picture. Whoever made this so fast … my cap is tipped pic.twitter.com/Y17vghx7nn
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 14, 2016
Kobe’s farewell speech was memorable, as well. After thanking the fans, teammates and his family for all that’s transpired over the last two decades, Bryant ended with “Mamba out,” which is already looking like it will go down as one of the all-time exits from the game.
How good of a businessman is Kobe? Last line of postgame speech is "Mamba Out." T-shirts hit his website! pic.twitter.com/rrUoHGfwGo
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 14, 2016
Mamba out. pic.twitter.com/CYq0aO6kE2
— Nike Basketball (@nikebasketball) April 14, 2016
https://twitter.com/tonestradamus/status/720486230153105408
As for Kobe himself, it sounds like he’s already done dwelling on the game. As for his ice-cold, end-of-game performance? No big deal, according to him.
Kobe reiterated that he's waking up early tomorrow so he can work out + get to work with his company, Kobe Inc.
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) April 14, 2016
Kobe laughs that his kids saw him play like he once did. "I used to do this pretty often. YouTube it."
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 14, 2016
#MambaOut, indeed.
