15 best NBA moments from 2016
By Adam McGee
2. Mamba Out
Tim Duncan went out on his terms, and so did Kobe Bryant. After a couple seasons of frequent injury problems and looking like a shadow of his former self when he was healthy, for many Kobe’s retirement had started to feel like something of a relief.
Sure, it’s always sad when an all-time great calls time on his career, but at the same time nobody likes to see a legacy gradually tarnished. While that had become a real concern for fans of Bryant, he was thankfully able to deliver the goods one last time for his big finale.
As the Jazz visited the Staples Center to close out the season, Kobe’s young Lakers’ teammates got out of the way and allowed their veteran leader to get to work in a way that only he was capable of.
Attempting 50 field goals and boasting a usage percentage of 62.4, Bryant closed the book on one of the greatest Lakers’ careers of all-time with a 60-point showing. More than that, he even helped his team to edge their way to a win in a close-fought game.
When all was said and done on the night, Bryant was able to say that he went out just as he’d played the rest of his career.