Playing professional sports for an extended period inevitably takes a toll on one’s body. Even the greatest players of all time eventually lose out to Father Time, and are forced to play their final few seasons as a shell of themselves. An elite few, however, get to leave at the top of their game. Kobe Bryant was among those few.
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The Black Mamba closed out his Hall of Fame career with an impressive 60-point outburst in his farewell game, leaving fans with one more iconic moment to cherish. On April 13th, 2016, when Bryant suited up one last time, he knew that he was going to have a special night.
Lou Williams, who was on the bench for the Lakers that night, revealed that the five-time champion had declared beforehand that he was going for 60 on his final night in the NBA.
“He was going around telling everybody, like, ‘I’m going for 60. I’m going to take 60 shots, I’m going out guns blazing,’” Williams shared on ‘Run It Back’.
Kobe called his last 60 point game 🔥@TeamLou23 shares an incredible story from Kobe’s last game, that summed up why he was truly one of the greats!@ChandlerParsons | @MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/tPK13EVxsH
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 3, 2024
Ultimately, Bryant would attempt 50 shots during his farewell game, scoring 60 points and helping the Lakers to one last win under his tenure. Though, it did help Bryant that their opponents had nothing to gain on the final night of the season.
Utah’s playoff elimination took away their stakes
Heading into the final night of the season, the Jazz were just one game away from securing a playoff berth. But on the night of Bryant’s final game, the Houston Rockets had clinched the final spot in the Western Conference, effectively ending Utah’s season.
Gordon Hayward, who was the star player in Salt Lake City at the time, reflected on being a part of Bryant’s farewell night earlier this year.
“I’m a big Kobe fan as well so I don’t wanna like, put that last game down, or for you, but we learned right before game time that the game didn’t matter…I don’t think he was that good throughout most of the game. Now, the last three minutes, he was special,” Hayward shared.
In the final four minutes, LA faced a ten-point deficit against the Jazz, prompting Kobe to take over. He scored 15 straight points for the Purple and Gold in the fourth quarter, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
It was one last classic performance from the Black Mamba, who had carried the Lakers to hundreds of wins over his 20-season career. In fitting fashion, he left Staples Center the way he spent most of his career there; with his head held high and with a win for his team.
