Kobe goes out with 60

[Herman Cain]

What a way to finish a career . Kobe with 60 and Lakers win.

Lets hope this requirement frees up some space for Vander

[brandx]

What a way to finish a career . Kobe with 60 and Lakers win.

Lets hope this requirement frees up some space for Vander

My wife was smart enough to just stay outa my way tonite.

Golden State, Kobe, Blackhawks, Brewers. I might have burned out the remote tonight.

[keefe]

I don't get the adulation. Good ball player? Sure.

But he was a selfish player, terrible teammate, and almost certainly guilty of raping a vulnerable 19 year old hotel clerk.

Black Mamba? While it may sound tough me-first guys like Kobe don't know what real adversity is.

Sayonara you self-centered prick.

[Celtic Truth]

I never liked Kobe. Always a selfish player that had a crazy ego. People say that all he cared about was winning, but as weird as this sounds he only cared about winning for himself. He didn't do it for the city, the fans, or most importantly his teammates. He wanted to win for his own legacy. And in his later years he litterally made it impossible for the lakers to win because of his selfish contracts. He was a ball hog and an inefficient scorer. His personal life is questionable and he was a pretty poor teammate. This season was incredible for him from a PR perspective and that will skew his legacy going forward.

I do think he was an extremely hard worker and I respect that. He had great talent and he could sure put up the points. He was fun to watch and I loved it how he had a hand in adding to the legendary Celtics vs lakers rivalry.

Tonight was an incredible night and I will likely remember it for the rest of my life. Now that he has untied the hands of the Lakers organization I think they will be able to finally grow. He really handcuffed them the past few years. It'll be fun if they can see the Cs in the finals sometime in the future. Peace Kobe

[MUBBau]

And in his later years he the Lakers litterally made it impossible for the lakers to win because of his selfish their stupid contracts.

FIFY

[MerrittsMustache]

Perfect way for Kobe to go out - total and extreme selfishness.

It's a shame for him to act the way that he does because he was such a tremendous basketball talent. He did a nice PR tour this season though in an attempt to make up for treating people (teammates, media, fans) like sh!t for 20 years. Some bought in, others didn't.

[jficke13]

Am I reading it right that he scored 60 points on **50** shots? And the last dinosaur of the volume-shooter era bites the dust...

[GooooMarquette]

Shame that it was on at the same time as the Warriors.  I caught small snippets of Kobe, but spent most of my time marveling at Curry et al.

Curry had 46...and I don't think he even played in the fourth quarter.

[GGGG]

I never liked Kobe. Always a selfish player that had a crazy ego. People say that all he cared about was winning, but as weird as this sounds he only cared about winning for himself. He didn't do it for the city, the fans, or most importantly his teammates. He wanted to win for his own legacy. And in his later years he litterally made it impossible for the lakers to win because of his selfish contracts. He was a ball hog and an inefficient scorer. His personal life is questionable and he was a pretty poor teammate. This season was incredible for him from a PR perspective and that will skew his legacy going forward.

Kobe is the second best 2 guard ever.  Do you think the best ever won it for the people of Chicago or his teammates?  No he did it because he was singularly driven to be the best for his own selfish reasons.  Kobe was just another version of that.

I do get the whole "hamstringing the Lakers organization" deal.  No doubt about that.  And by all accounts is not a very good human being.  But when he was at his peak, there was no one better in the league.

[JWags85]

I don't get the adulation. Good ball player? Sure.

But he was a selfish player, terrible teammate, and almost certainly guilty of raping a vulnerable 19 year old hotel clerk.

He was a transcendent talent.  Played for one of the marquee organizations in the NBA for 20 years, won 5 titles, and will go down as a top 10 player to play in the league.  Thats why the adulation was there.

He was a joke post-Achilles injury, but in his prime Kobe still dished out 5-6 assists per game despite shooting close to 50%.  I don't doubt he was miserable to be around as a teammate but he wasn't always the terrible, unrepentant chucker he ended as.

[jficke13]

...  But when he was at his peak, there was no one better in the league.

Not according to VORP I guess:

http://deadspin.com/who-was-the-actual-best-player-in-the-nba-every-year-du-1770857828

1996-97 Grant Hill, 7.9 (Kobe 0.1)
1997-98 Karl Malone, 6.9 (K0be 1.1)
1998-99 Jason Kidd, 4.1 (50-game season) (Kobe 2.1)
1999-2000 Shaquille O’Neal, 9.3 (Kobe 4.7, 12th)
2000-01 Steve Francis, 7.0 (Kobe 4.4, 20th)
2001-02 Tim Duncan, 8.1 (Kobe 5.0, 12th)
2002-03 Kevin Garnett, 9.0 (Kobe 7.1, 4th)
2003-04 Kevin Garnett, 9.8 (Kobe 4.7, 8th)
2004-05 Kevin Garnett, 9.3 (Kobe 4.5, 16th)
2005-06 LeBron James, 9.5 (Kobe 6.5, 5th)
2006-07 LeBron James, 7.6 (Kobe 5.3, 6th)
2007-08 LeBron James, 10.1 (Kobe 6.0, 3rd)
2008-09 LeBron James, 11.6 (Kobe 4.9, 6th)
2009-10 LeBron James, 10.9 (Kobe 4.0, 13th)
2010-11 LeBron James, 8.2 (Kobe 4.1, 12th)
2011-12 LeBron James, 7.6 (Kobe 2.4)
2012-13 LeBron James, 9.8 (Kobe 5.1, 7th)
2013-14 Kevin Durant, 8.5 (Kobe -0.2)
2014-15 Stephen Curry, 7.9 (Kobe 0.7)
2015-16 Stephen Curry, 9.5 (Kobe -0.3)

[RushmoreAcademy]

He's for sure a bad guy, no question about it.
But you can't question his career.  Sure, he screwed the franchise over at the end, but there isn't a franchise who wouldn't trade that for 5 titles.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Byron Scott's game plan last night was to get Kobe the ball. It was the plan for him to go out on a big night . Normally, he would have sat out some in the second half but with the game close,he pushed through and willed the win. He was gassed in the 4th quarter but continued to put up clutch shots.
We all tired of his gunning the last few years but he had little to work with on those teams. Lakers didn't mind paying those bucks and profs to them for doing it.
As for character, nobody hears about the all the good stuff he has done, including dozens and dozens of Make a Wish appearances.

[jesmu84]

People hate Kobe, but like MJ, when, in reality, they were very similar.

Question: Does Kobe make the starting 5 of Lakers' all-time greats?

[real chili 83]

People hate Kobe, but like MJ, when, in reality, they were very similar.

Question: Does Kobe make the starting 5 of Lakers' all-time greats?

Both are awful human beings.  MJ had a better marketing guy.

Last night's game....just a bunch of crap.  Oh, what a coincidence that he scored 60 points in his last game.  Ya, right.

[wadesworld]

Byron Scott's game plan last night was to get Kobe the ball. It was the plan for him to go out on a big night . Normally, he would have sat out some in the second half but with the game close,he pushed through and willed the win. He was gassed in the 4th quarter but continued to put up clutch shots.
We all tired of his gunning the last few years but he had little to work with on those teams. Lakers didn't mind paying those bucks and profs to them for doing it.
As for character, nobody hears about the all the good stuff he has done, including dozens and dozens of Make a Wish appearances.

That's because you can, and many do, make "dozens and dozens of Make A Wish appearances" without raping women.

[4everwarriors]

I don't get the adulation. Good ball player? Sure.

But he was a selfish player, terrible teammate, and almost certainly guilty of raping a vulnerable 19 year old hotel clerk.

Black Mamba? While it may sound tough me-first guys like Kobe don't know what real adversity is.

Sayonara you self-centered prick.

Sure 'nough. Mofo made a king's fortune for doin' somethin' that has no fookin' value, outside of entertainment, to anyone else in this troubled world. He should thank his lucky stars he won da sperm lottery. Only in America, hey?

[keefe]

People hate Kobe, but like MJ, when, in reality, they were very similar.

Question: Does Kobe make the starting 5 of Lakers' all-time greats?

No.

Wilt. Kareem. West. Baylor, Mikan. Magic. Shaq.

Hell, I would even take James Worthy before Kobe.

At least Worthy's sin was soliciting a hooker. Actually not a hooker but hookers. Not only was Worthy willing to pay for it but he wanted to double down. Bryant, on the other hand, violently raped a vulnerable hotel night clerk.

[ChicosBailBonds]

50 to get 60. 

[Spotcheck Billy]

Every shot Kobe made in his career: http://graphics.latimes.com/kobe-every-shot-ever/

contrasted with every assist Kobe made: https://i.imgur.com/r6XhXux.jpg