There comes a point in every athlete’s career, where they must decide whether or not to continue to play their beloved sport, or to call it quits and step away from the game. This past season, the NBA’s third time all scorer and five time champion, Kobe Bryant decided to retire after playing 20 years, all with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bryant entered the league when he was only 17 years old and was the 13th overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets. He was traded to the Lakers in exchange for center, Vlade Divac. In his summer league debut, Bryant dropped 25 points. In the four summer games, he averaged 24.5 points and 5.3 rebounds. In his first season, he participated in the All-Star weekend by competing in the Rookie Challenge and became the youngest player to ever win the Dunk Contest. His spectacular rookie season, earned him a spot on the NBA All Rookie second team.
That year, the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals against the Utah Jazz. The series went to game five with the Jazz leading, 3-1. One Laker was ejected while another fouled out as the Jazz won, 98-93 in overtime.
Bryant saw more playing time in his second season, as his points per game went from 7.6 to 15.4. He, along with three teammates were named to the All Star game. It was until the beginning of the 21 century, that Kobe’s greatness was finally seen. Playing with Shaquille O’ Neal, the Lakers won three NBA championships in a row. During the 2002-03 season, Bryant found his spark. In a game against the SuperSonics, he made 12 three pointers, the most ever in history. On top of that, Kobe had a historic run, as he scored 40 or more points in nine consecutive games. In the entire month of February, he averaged 40.6 points per game.
His extraordinary play has not been present in every season however. In the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, Bryant only played 41 games combined. His points per game in the 2013-14 season was the lowest since his rookie season with 13.8 points. His minutes per game were also the lowest since his first two season in the league.
No matter what, Kobe Bryant will definitely enter the hall of fame. Often times, his game is compared to other greats such as Lebron James. I think that critics need to stop comparing him and just recognize his greatness. Bryant, in my opinion, will be remembered forever as was Michael Jordan. I enjoyed watching him play, especially since it would always seem that he would have a good game.
Kobe is also known for accessories outside of the court. Whether it’s shoes, shirts, or hats, there is a high demand for his gear. I personally wore a pair of his shoes for the basketball season and was very satisfied with them.
The Lakers might have pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the NBA season this last week, defeated the Golden State Warriors, 112-95. Kobe Bryant only has a handful of games left in the season, so I wish him the best of luck as he finishes out his last season in the NBA.
For last week’s sports column, read: World of Sports: Farewell to retiring NFL players.
This writer can be reached via Twitter: @nick_leblanc1 and via email: Nick LeBlanc.
