Kobe Bryant made a special moment even more memorable at the start of his final NBA game in Philadelphia
Kobe Bryant returning to Philadelphia to play the 76ers on Tuesday night for the final time in his NBA career was always going to be a special moment. Not only is it the place where Kobe rose to prominence as a high school player, but it’s also a city that he’s had history in as a player, facing the Sixers in the 2001 NBA Finals.
However, Kobe took it upon himself right after the opening tip-off to make it even more special. You had to expect that he was going to come out and try something, but I doubt anyone expected what actually happened.
Kobe started off the game by getting the ball beyond the arc, dribbling to the top of the key, and promptly burying a vintage Kobe three:
After Philadelphia answered, Bryant wasn’t about to let anyone steal his moment. Subsequently, he came down and lost Robert Covington with an absolutely wicked crossover to bury another three:
Just to get even crazier, Kobe came down on the next possession and took another three, but missed. Luckily, the rebound found its way back into Bryant’s hands and he launched up another triple. It was buckets:
Talk about a way to steal a moment if you’re Kobe.
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As stated, this was always going to be a special moment for Bryant as he played his final game in his hometown. However, starting off the game with three triples for his team’s first nine points isn’t a bad way to make sure it’s a night that he never forgets.