It’s always a sobering feeling, seeing a part of your childhood come to an end, and the end of Kobe Bryant’s career was exactly that for me. He has been playing basketball for my favorite team for literally longer than I can remember. I grew up watching him play, cheering him on, yelling his name after taking a shot or before throwing a piece of trash in the garbage. There is no way to measure how much I idolized this man, especially during his prime years when scoring 50 points seemed like an almost nightly routine for him.
Going to Kobe Bryant’s final game was one of the most bitter-sweet moments of my life. A passionate fan like me should be ecstatic that he would be able to see his favorite team and player in person, instead, I spent the early parts of that day depressed as I watched old highlight and tribute videos of him, knowing all of this was in the past and I would never be able to witness his greatness again after that night. As I was able to shake my sadness off throughout the day I thought I could hold back the tears when I was at the game, however I was not able, and I am genuinely glad I did not go with any friends because I would not have wanted anyone I know to have seen me cry like I did. Fortunately, as the game got underway I was able to live in the moment, and enjoy the moment in history that I was witnessing, because I, and ever Laker fan got everything they wanted and more on that fateful night in Los Angeles.
From the moment I walked up to the Staples Center and saw his pictures gracing the outside walls, until hours after the game had already ended, there was no mistaking what this game was all about. The crowd began chanting his name at least four separate times before the game even started. They wasted no time in making it known that this day, this game, hell even this whole godforsaken season, was about one man, Kobe “Bean” Bryant. At a normal game it is typical to see a few fans from the opposing team, wearing their jerseys, but of course, this was no ordinary game. Every single jersey in the 19,000 person sellout crowd at Staples Center had Kobe Bryant’s name on it. Every single sign in the arena had his name on it. Every single conversation in the building had his name in it. His numbers, 24 and 8, were painted on either side of the court. The number 24 hung in lights in the rafters. From beginning to end, everything was about Kobe, and everyone, in the crowd, especially me, loved it.
The atmosphere of Kobe’s final game, in reality, did not resemble that of a game, rather a celebration. Fans were there not to celebrate the game, or a win, but a man named Kobe Bryant, and his career which every single fan in the building revered and was endlessly thankful for. Before the game and during every game timeout, the big screen played video tributes from NBA players, former teammates and celebrities, thanking him for what he’s done and celebrating his greatness. The aura of a celebration transcended into the actual game, which itself resembled a celebration of Kobe as well.
Two minutes into the game I could hear a fan screaming “How dare you play defense on Kobe Bryant in his last game you son of a bitch!” Throughout all of Kobe’s 50 shots, and 60 points, the arena erupted every time he made a shot no matter how impressive or unimpressive it was. Meanwhile, other Lakers who completed highlight reel alley-oops and put back dunks barely received half of the response given to a standard 15-foot jumper from Kobe. After being out off the court for less than five minutes the crowd began chanting “We want Kobe!”, and midway through the third quarter the crowd fiercely booed a Utah Jazz player simply for blocking one of Kobe’s shots.
Never have I ever experienced any of these occurrences in a sports game, each ridiculous in the context of a regular game. However, this was not a mere game, but a celebration of one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game. The only time it did seem like an actual game, was in the 4th quarter. With both of these teams out of the playoffs, a win meant nothing to them, but to the fans a win meant a perfect ending to Kobe’s illustrious career, and the celebration of that career. Our yearning desire for Kobe to score and for him to win made the atmosphere during the 4thquarter in Staples Center absolutely electric as everyone realized they were witnessing an iconic moment in sports history. During his quintessential clutch fourth quarter scoring frenzy which gave the Lakers a come from behind win, the energy in the stadium resembled that of an NBA Finals game. I got out of my seat and started dancing because I needed some way to exert the energy that my excited happiness caused within me. Every fan was literally on their feet and metaphorically on the edge of their seat as Kobe delivered his beautiful swan song.
After Kobe essentially hit the game-winning bucket and walked off the court a winner one last time, the stadium erupted as if the Lakers had just won the NBA championship, with balloons and confetti falling from above. I truly believe one could not tell a difference in the reaction of the crowds at the end of Kobe’s final game, compared to the Lakers game 7 victory over the Boston Celtics in 2010. It didn’t matter that the Lakers missed the playoffs for the third year in a row. It didn’t matter that the Lakers just finished their worst season in franchise history. Anything negative at all ceased to be relevant, and all of my sadness at seeing a piece of my childhood end, took a backseat in this amazing moment. In the end, all that mattered was that I, and every other fan got exactly what they came for…..Kobe Bryant, in all his glory, one last time.
