Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Lessons from Kobe Bryant’s final game
By Ronald Agers
The Los Angeles Lakers actually rolled out the worst team in their franchise history in this game!
When Lakers fans go back and forth about what the team needs to do to get better, the comment section actually gets the same answer. Relax, they are 36-10 and currently lead the Western Conference. Usually it’s the real fans that heed the advice. Because the real fans were around for Kobe Bryant’s last two seasons in purple and gold.
The Los Angeles Lakers had failed (Like miserably!) to rebound from its worst season in franchise history in 2014–15 at 21-61. They were actually worse, setting a new franchise-worst record at 17–65. The catastrophe was highlighted (Or lowlighted!) with a season-high, 10-game losing streak in January.
Lake Show Life does tend to be critical of certain members of this year’s roster, but with players like Jordan Hill, Jeremy Lin, Wesley Johnson, Wayne Ellington, Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Price and Ed Davis on this squad, okay we might leave Rajon Rondo alone at least until Friday.
With the Lakers starting the youth movement with drafted players, D’Angelo Russell, Larry Nance, Jr., and Anthony Brown in the 2015 NBA Draft, Kobe Bryant’s announced his retirement before the season.
On April 13th, 2016, Kobe Bryant said good-bye to the NBA world as a player against the Utah Jazz. The game didn’t mean much. Neither team was going to the playoffs and 16 wins in a season left only one reason to come to the Staples Center.
To be clear, Lake Show Life means ONLY ONE! Kobe Bryant.
Breaking News to Lake Show Life, man Kobe Bryant was good. Real good. After a slow start where he was bricking up shots, he ended the season with a win and a golden ticket into NBA folklore.
There are thousands of players that have been cycled through the NBA. Some flamed out, some left on their own terms. No one in the history of the NBA went out like the Black Mamba did. Kobe Bryant created an instructional video on “Mamba Mentality” scoring 60 points in a 101-96 win.
Like does this dude want to like do it again one more year? PLEASE?! He’s got more game in him. The fans of true ballers are greedy, selfish. always wanting more.
So Kobe would understand. Isn’t that what “Mamba Mentality” is all about?
Most articles will use the cliche, Kobe put the Lakers on his back and willed the team to victory. On this night, Lakers fans, they might be telling the truth. Let’s take a look at the support from his teammates in the game.
- Julius Randle: 33 minutes, 2 points (1-4 shooting) 9 rebounds and an assist.
- Jordan Clarkson: 34 minutes, 12 points (6-10 shooting) 7 rebounds and an assist. Hey he shot well and he was a team high +9 plus/minus in the game.
- D’Angelo Russell: 36 minutes, 9 points (4-10 shooting) 4 rebounds and 5 rebounds.
- Larry Nance Jr.: In 28 minutes he didn’t miss a shot in the whole game! (Like no wonder Byron Scott got fired!) scoring 8 points hitting all 3 shots from the field and both free throws.
- Tarik Black: 18 minutes, 4 points and 7 rebounds.
We’ll get to Roy Hibbert later on. His performance was special too. More on that later.