Given the town and fans he’s set on fire for 20 years, Kobe Bryant’s farewell game Wednesday followed a fitting Hollywood script.
The Black Mamba dropped a massive 60 points on the Utah Jazz last night, and the crowd loved every single bucket. It was a huge game for the aging, achy superstar, though he did launch 50 attempts to fill the stats sheet — that’s a ton of shots.
Still, 60 was the most Bryant’s poured in since early 2009. And to make things better, the struggling Los Angeles Lakers actually won, with Kobe scoring 15 of his team’s final 17 points, including a go-ahead jumper with just 31.6 seconds left.
It was an amazing night — fitting to celebrate an incredible NBA career.
And the California roundball theatrics weren’t just limited to the Staples Center. Elsewhere, the Golden State Warriors set a new all-time record for wins in a season with 73, but that seemed overshadowed by Bryant’s final bow just a few hours south.
Watch all of Kobe’s 60 points in the highlight-packed video above.