Wednesday, April 14, 2016 was probably one of the saddest days of my life. It was the last NBA game that Kobe Bryant played in. It was the last time we would get to see his greatness shine on the court. It was the last time we got to witness the Black Mamba dominate. It was the end of an era: The Black Mamba Era. He went out with a bang: 60 FREAKING POINTS! And the dude is old; He’s 37 years old and he was still able to go out with a bang and dominate the game just like when he first joined the league as a young 18-year-old. Ending his career with a total of 33,643 career points, 7.047 Rebounds, and 6,306 assists, he leaves some big shoes to fill for the next kid who wants to take on his legacy.
Kobe Bryant, aka the Black Mamba, is one of the greatest and most talented players that not only the NBA ,but all of basketball has ever seen. Drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996, he was the 13th pick in the first round draft pick straight out of high school. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers where he played for the rest of his career. Kobe was probably the most loyal player to ever play in the NBA. He was the first and so far, the only player to stay with the same team for a total of 20 consecutive years in the NBA. He was loyal to his team, his fans, and most importantly, his craft.
Remember when he scored a career-high 81 points in 2006? Yeah, so he scored the highest number of points scored by any player in his era. He was cocky and showed no mercy. That’s why we loved him. He knew he was good and he didn’t play any less than his hardest. Pushing through a multitude of broken bones and torn ligaments.
Back in the day, when the Dynamic Duo of Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal were in their prime, they were unstoppable. They didn’t get along at all... actually, they hated each other. But aside from that, together, they were able to win three consecutive NBA championships. Kobe in total has 5 rings and NBA trophies. FIVE. That is a lot, and a lot more than most NBA players have. Two out of the five times that he won NBA Championships, he earned the title of Finals MVP. He is legendary. He brought us two gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. He was also an 18-time All-Star for the NBA. AT 34 years old, he became te youngest player in league history to reach 30,000 career points.
So let’s talk about it. People love to hate on Kobe because he was so great. He is such a successful player and his career was like no other. People love to say “Oh, Kobe is so cocky.” Or “Oh, the Lakers are the worst team in the NBA.” I love when people say stuff like this because it just opens the door for me to list Kobe’s untouchable statistics. Yeah, he was a cocky kid, bus so what? He deserved the right to be as cocky as he wants. The stats tell it all. He was great, and he is probably the best player of this era.
Thank you, Kobe, for all you have done for us Laker Fans and for Basketball fans all over. You were great, and you will always be great. We thank you for all the NBA Titles, Olympic Gold Medals, and overall good basketball that entertained us for 20 years, you are our hero, and you will never be forgotten. Thank you.
