Kobe Bryant's final game was the perfect ending to a 20-year Hall of Fame career, as the Los Angeles Lakers legend scored 60 points on 50 shots to give his team a come-from-behind win in his last hurrah.
For Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward — who guarded Bryant for the majority of the game — going head-to-head with the Black Mamba in his finale was as mesmerizing as one would expect.
In a recent blog post on his website, Hayward shared his account of the historic night.
" ... In the closing minutes, everything that transpired kind of shocked us, to be honest. We were up double digits for most of the second half, and we led by 10 with about three minutes to go. So when Kobe started hitting shots and the game started to get close, a lot of us were in shock."
With 3:04 left on the clock, Bryant's offensive onslaught began. First a pair of free throws. Then a layup. Then a mid-range jumper. Then a three-pointer, followed by another mid-range shot. Just like that, the Lakers were up by one, and the atmosphere in the Staples Center was euphoric. Fans were witnessing greatness one last time, and so were the players.
"It was like being a part of a showcase, or being in a video game. There wasn’t really much normality about it. A guy scored 60 points and took 50 shots. There was something different as far as his aggressiveness. I think every time he touched it, you knew he was going to try to shoot it, or try to score, or try to get something going. He’s always an aggressive player, but that night, he was ultra-aggressive and tried to score on every single possession."
While Hayward certainly wishes that Utah's season — which ended before the night began as the Houston Rockets clinched the final playoff spot and knocked them out of contention — would have played out differently, going up against Bryant one last time is an experience he won't ever forget.
" ... I can remember my rookie year, being kind of star-struck watching him play. But when you’re out there competing against him, he is just the guy that you’re going against and trying to beat. And you better give it everything you have. He was the ultimate competitor and I will always remember playing against him. It’s something I’ll tell my kids about. I’ll be sure to show them the video of me stealing the ball from him and dunking—any highlights I had against him. You’re talking about a guy who is an all-time great. It was truly an honor to compete against him."
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