Kobe Bryant‘s last game for the Lakers’ was better than any fairy tale ending you could have ever imagined… and he knows that
In the recent weeks, it has been reported that a multitude of NBA stars were backing out of playing in the 2016 Rio Olympics for concerns over the Zika virus, lingering injuries, etc. Of the 30 finalists, many of the headliners have already backed out.
Names like LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and most recently, reigning MVP and near back-to-back NBA Champion, Stephen Curry, have all opted to forgo attending the 2016 games.
Many, including former Lakers’ reporter Dave McMenamin, questioned if that would open the door for a possible final, final game for The Black Mamba in Rio.
Wonder if all these Olympic drop outs will open the door once again for a final Kobe Bryant basketball sendoff in Rio.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 7, 2016
After Tweeting out his initial thoughts, word quickly traveled down the grape vine to the now Cleveland Cavaliers’ reporter, as he answered his own question shortly after.
Source close to Kobe Bryant shot down the idea of a last Olympics hurrah in Rio for KB. So much for that. The 60 exit will stand.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) June 7, 2016
While fans would have loved to see Kobe go out like his muses before him, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson with the Dream Team, the question remains, why would he after putting up such a gem on April 13th against the Utah Jazz?
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Add this to the fact that the majority of players who would make the 2016 roster Dream Team-esque aren’t even playing, the decision becomes a no brainer and considering McMenamin’s report, Kobe fully understands that.
Even before retirement, Kobe revealed his plans for life after basketball, even stating that the 2016 Olympics weren’t in his cards, so this shouldn’t be much of a surprise.
Bean has stayed relatively busy in retirement, attending a variety of events, even starring in two commercials in just about a month, so don’t expect a Jordan-like comeback anytime soon, or at all for that matter.
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With that myth rapidly debunked, fans can now go back to avidly awaiting the NBA Draft and the Summer League that follows to see just what type of player, and what type of team they can expect going forward.