The word went out through the hallways at Staples Center before tipoff of his final NBA game, teammates, staff and locker room attendants all scrambling to get something in the hands of Kobe Bryant, the retiring Lakers star, while he was holding onto a marker and in the mood.
Over the course of Bryant’s last season, he’d become a memorabilia machine, signing sneakers for stars like LeBron James and Paul George. For the people with the Lakers? It was a little different.
People who knew Bryant for decades maybe asked only two or three times for Bryant to sign something. They didn’t want to impose. And they didn’t want to give Bryant any reason to believe that they weren’t on the same level (even if it was true).
On April 13, 2016, it was different. No more judgments or intimidation. Just an old-fashioned autograph signing session — that just happened to take place inside an NBA locker room.
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They grabbed sneakers, jerseys, programs. Some sent locker-room attendants out with credit cards to go get something — maybe one of those $38.24 T-shirts — upon which Bryant could sign his name with that familiar signature — that loopy K with the long-tailed “e” and “t.”
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Kobe Bryant signs the court late into the night at the Staples Center.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant kisses his wife Vanessa long after his last game at the Staples Center.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant leaves the court for the last time as a Laker, heading to the locker room after scoring 60 points and leading the team to a 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant is all smiles after his final game at Staples Center Wednesday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant shares a laugh with former teammate Derek Fisher on the court after scoring 60 points in his last game as a Laker at Staples Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant greets Lamar Odom after his final game at Staples Center.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant kisses his wife Vanessa after his final game.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant walks off the court after his final game at Staples Center.
(Christina House / For The Times)
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Lakers Kobe Bryant salutes the crowd at the end of the game.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant waves to the crowd as he walks off the court for the last time at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers Kobe Bryant pauses for a moment as confetti streams down following his last game at the Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant salutes the crowd at the end of his final game at Staples Center.
(Christina House / For The Times)
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Kobe Bryant feels the love of the fans at Staples Center following his final game.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers Kobe Bryant and A.C. Green after his final game at Staples Center.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant thanks the crowd after his final game at Staples Center.
(Christina House / For The Times)
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Kobe Bryant waves goodbye to the crowd after his final game at the Staples Center.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Balloons and confetti fall after Kobe Bryant’s last game
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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A security guard stnds alone on the court after Kobe Bryant’s last game at the Staples Center Wednesday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Los Angeles City Hall is decorated with Lakers’ purple and gold lights for Kobe Bryant’s last game.
(Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant is mobbed as he scores 60-points in his final NBA game at the Staples Center.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant gets a slap from comedian George Lopez after making a three-pointer in his final game.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant watches as the ball hits the bottom of the net during his last game as a Los Angeles Laker against the Utah Jazz.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant stretches out as he makes a basket during his final game as a Laker on April 12 at Staples Center.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant drives late in the final minutes of the game at Staples Center.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kanye West and Jay Z greet each other before Kobe Bryant’s final game.
(Christina House / For The Times)
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Kobe Bryant drives the ball in the third quarter of his final game at the Staples Center Wednesday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant tries to steal the ball in his last game as a Laker at the Staples Center Wednesday, April 12.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant shakes hands with Shaquille O’Neal at his final game at Staples Center on April 13.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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The Weeknd and girlfriend Bella Hadid arrive for Kobe Bryant’s final game at Staples Center.
(Christina House / For The Times)
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Kobe Bryant is stripped of the ball by Jazz guard Rodney Hood during first half action at Staples Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant drives to the basket during the first half of his final NBA game.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lamar Odom attends Kobe Bryant’s final game at Staples Center.
(Christina House / For The Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, center, heads to the locker room after scoring 22 points in the first half of his final game on Wednesday, April 13, 2016, at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant takes a shot in the first quarter of his final game at the Staples Center Wednesday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant blocks a shot by Trevor Booker in his final game at Staples Center on Wednesday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Front row fans, including Jack Nicholson cheer Kobe Bryant after he hits a shot during first half action against the Jazz at Staples Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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LOS ANGELES-CA-APRIL 13, 2016: Kobe thanks the crowd before his final game at Staples Center.
(Christina House / For the Times)
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Kobe Bryant is welcomed onto the court for his farewell game at Staples Center on April 13.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant acknowledges the Staples Center crowd during a pregame ceremony.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant with Magic Johnson before Kobe plays his last game as a Los Angeles Laker against the Utah Jazz.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Surrounded by cameras Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson embrace before Bryant’s final game at the Staples Center Wednesday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant waits for introductions before his final game at the Staples Center Wednesday, April 13. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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T-shirts await fans who attend Kobe Bryant’s final game at Staples Center.
(Christina House / For the Times)
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A young girl, sporting Kobe Bryant’s original No. 8 Lakers jersey, bounces a ball on the court before the future Hall-of-Famer’s final game.
(Christina House / For the Times)
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The Lakers store at Staples Center was all about Kobe Bryant and his merchandise on the day of his final NBA game.
(Christina House / For the Times)
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Fans gather outside Staples Center before Kobe Bryant’s final game in a Laker uniform.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Rock star “Flea” rehearses the national anthem before Kobe Bryant’s last game on April 13, 2016, as players warm-up. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans gathered outside Staples Center ahead of Kobe Bryant’s final game with the Lakers.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers fans gather outside Staples Center before the final game of Kobe Bryant’s career.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Chick Hearn Court is packed as fans descend on Staples Cener to witness Kobe Bryant play his last game as a Los Angeles Laker against the Utah Jazz.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers fans get a Kobe chant going outside Staples Center in Los Angeles before Laker great Kobe Bryant’s final game on Wednesday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Members of a group of Kobe Bryant fans who flew in from China, including Iris Hong of Beijing, right, get excited outside Staples Center for the player’s last game Wednesday.
(Christina House / For the Los Angeles Times)
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Fans sign a giant card for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center before his final game Wednesday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant fans swarm to Staples Center in Los Angeles to show their love for the Laker great at his last game Wednesday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles TImes)
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Kobe Bryant footwear is on display as the Laker Girls arrive for Wednesday night’s game, the basketball star’s last.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles TImes)
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Fans sign a giant card for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center in Los Angeles before his final game Wednesday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles TImes)
“It was a frenzy before the game,” Mark Madsen, an assistant coach at the time, remembered. “… You just, it just wasn’t something you did. You just didn’t ask Kobe for his autograph. But I think everyone, everyone knew, you know, that this was it.”
As they handed Bryant any surface that could handle a signature, no one could’ve known what was about to happen, that Bryant would deliver a 60-point, 50-shot masterpiece that perfectly encapsulated him as a player.
The ink on those sneakers and uniforms eventually will fade. The memories from Bryant’s last game as a professional basketball player? They’re too ridiculous to vanish.
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For much of his 20-year career, Bryant demanded a level of greatness, setting the bar so high that only a few could get to his level. For his final game, No. 1,346, Bryant set the bar much lower.
“I just didn’t want to play bad,” he said after the game.
There was some faux humility in the statement, but considering Bryant’s last season with the Lakers, not playing badly might have been an appropriate goal. There were some truly awful games on the way to the finish line, the Lakers losing 10 of 11 while Bryant’s field-goal percentage crept down near 35%.
He had one last game to create one more moment, the Lakers long eliminated from the playoffs and again headed into the draft lottery, meaning Bryant would walk into the building knowing he’d never be back as a player.
After briefly flirting with the idea that his last game would be “normal,” Bryant gave in to the inevitable. This was going to be a circus — so if a championship was off the table, an epic performance would be the best he could give.
He arrived at the building in all-black outfit — suit, shirt and tie — as he slithered to the locker room with a swarm of cameras following his every step. By walking away, he managed to bring the Lakers back to the top at the end of a 17-win season, creating an event worthy of the Lakers and Los Angeles, one with stars scattered throughout the stands.
Kobe Bryant, the first player in NBA history to play 20 seasons with the same team, heads to his final game with the Lakers tonight.
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If you were on the Lakers and you wanted to check into the game, you had to step over Shaquille O’Neal’s size 23s as the Hall of Famer sat courtside. Referee Monty McCutchen had another fan in the front row heckling his first whistle and he turned around to see rock star Adam Levine. Kanye West eventually got into the Lakers’ locker room. Jay-Z dribbled through the back hallways on his way to Staples Center’s subterranean parking lot.
Before the game they watched a pair of tribute videos and listened to Magic Johnson call Bryant the greatest to wear “the purple and gold.” Then, after they roared upon hearing Bryant announced as a starter, they promptly watched him miss his first five shots.
But he wouldn’t let his story end that way.
“It just adds to his legacy of greatness even more,” Madsen said of what was to come.
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Before the Lakers tipped off with the Jazz, longtime general manager Mitch Kupchak stood in the tunnel to the team’s locker room. He asked Clay Moser, who was handling analytics for the team and later became a full-time assistant coach, if he thought the team could send off Bryant the right way and Bryant could score 30 points.
“‘He’s still Kobe,’” Moser recalled replying. “‘Yeah he can get 30’” ... and then we had that conversation in increments of 10.”
Kobe Bryant scored 60 points in his farewell game on April 13, 2016. Here’s a look at the game and his legacy.
Thirty points was sort of the informal goal for the Lakers and Bryant’s teammates, a worthy sendoff that still seemed sort of realistic. The people inside the organization and locker room knew not to expect too much. They knew what Bryant was up against.
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Throughout his final season, Bryant rarely was at practices or shootarounds. The team often wouldn’t know if his 37-year-old legs would be able to play until he arrived at the arena on game night. Bryant already had a reputation for being a bit of a isolationist, so the work to get him ready to play was exhaustive, taking hours.
So yeah, 30 points would’ve been a giant success. But this night was different, the energy, the emotion, the stakes helping transport Bryant back in time, showing his two young daughters in attendance the kind of player he used to be without them logging on to YouTube to see his greatest hits.
“All of Kobe’s pet moves were on display,” NBA superfan Jimmy Goldstein said. “I think I expected him to score 40 that night. I was startled when he reached 50. And I was amazed when he made it to 60.”
Bryant called the game “a constant dance” between being in the moment and noticing how wild things had gotten. He might not have realized, but it was a shared connection with so many different people in the building.
At the scorer’s table, NBA communications vice president Tim Frank and Lakers public relations director John Black couldn’t stop laughing at what they were seeing.
“Every time he made a shot, it just got funnier,” Frank said. “It was just so him.”
On the court McCutchen was relying on his training as an official to do the same thing, to stay in the game and not get caught up in what he was witnessing. He had gotten the assignment a few weeks before the finale, slowly realizing that he’d be on the floor with Bryant for his last game.
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“The biggest thing I walked away from was living up this feeling of wanting to live up to the trust of the league, but also this legacy of one of our seminal players in the league history,” said McCutchen, now the NBA’s head of official training and development.
Referee Monty McCutchen signals for three points after Kobe Bryant sank a long-range shot in his farewell game.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Bryant got hot at the end of the first quarter, shaking off the 0-for-5 start to score 15 points in a four-minute flurry. A split trip to the line got him to 22 at halftime, the 30-point goal easily within reach.
The Lakers were down 10 in the third quarter when Bryant got to 30 and down 12 early in the fourth when he got 40 on a 26-foot three-pointer. He hit another three and a mid-range jumper to get to 45, but with a little more than three minutes left, the Lakers were down 10 and on the verge of losing, a bitter taste for Bryant, who was obsessed with winning.
So something happened.
“It was like ‘The Natural,’” McCutchen said, “you know, like the last at-bat going out there … and hitting the grand slam.”
::
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It started with Bryant at the left elbow, his back to the basket, Gordon Hayward defending. Bryant spun baseline and paused, drawing the defense off balance. He glided underneath the rim and pushed up a reverse. On the Lakers’ next possession, he drilled two free throws to give himself 50.
Ninety seconds after the reverse, he again went to the rack and scored, the Lakers now down six and the crowd in total pandemonium. Teammate Julius Randle grinned. Bryant panted for air, his chest pulsing in and out. Sweat beaded and dripped down his aged face.
The outcome was becoming clear.
Mid-range jumper? Swish. Deep three? Swish. Fifty-six points and the Lakers down one.
“That’s the way to do it, O.G.,” reserve center Tarik Black said as Bryant collapsed into a timeout huddle.
Next, he had the ball at the top of the key, Randle creating space with just a bone-crunching (and almost certainly illegal) screen. Bryant dribbled right to the wing opposite the Jazz bench and somehow elevated enough to get off a 20-foot jumper. Again, swish. Bryant pounded his chest
The Lakers were leading. He scored his 59th and 60th points at the free-throw line, icing the game and leaving the floor as a winner.
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“Then for him at the end to go into the locker room and just tell everybody, he said, ‘Listen, I gave this game everything I had every single night. I’ll never had any regrets on how I played or how I left the game,’” said Byron Scott, the Lakers’ coach at the time. “He encouraged those guys to go out every night like that and play like it’s your last every single night. It was emotional. It was heartfelt, and he meant it. And he told the truth.”
“It’s just like a dream,” Bryant later said.
::
At first, he didn’t want to take off his jersey.
Bryant sat and spoke to the media in his sweaty, gold uniform, reflecting on 20 years and 48 incredible, final minutes.
Team employees eventually had to round up a team sweatsuit because he was too tired to get back into the all-black suit he arrived in.
Bryant milled around the court, signing the floor. He spent time talking to anyone there who had a connection to the organization. He posed for photos with his wife and girls. You don’t just perform a miracle and bolt. You bask in it.
In a career full of officiating games, only Michael Jordan’s 55-point night in Madison Square Garden rivals Bryant’s farewell in McCutchen’s memory.
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant dunks against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 25, 2013, at Staples Center. Arguably the greatest player of his generation, Bryant has played a leading role in helping the Lakers carry their winning tradition into the 21st century. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant holds up his jersey during his introductory news conference on July 12, 1996. (Andrew Scholer / Los Angeles Times)
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Laker rookie Kobe Bryant was a seasoned veteran at getting shot by cameras for advertisements before he took his first shot at training camp. (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant puts up a shot during a summer league game against the Detroit Pistons in Long Beach on July 13, 1996. (Michael Caulfield / Associated Press)
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Lakers rookie Kobe Bryant, 18, warms up before a game at the Forum on Jan. 30, 1997. (Vince Compagnone / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant saves the ball from going out of bounds during a game at the Forum on Dec. 29, 1997. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant claps while walking off the court during a timeout against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 24, 1997, at the Forum. (Vince Compagnone / Los Angeles Times)
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Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan, left, guards Lakers star Kobe Bryant during the 1998 NBA All-Star game. (Mark Lennihan / Associated Press)
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Kobe Bryant is dejected after losing the ball late in the second half of Game 3 of the 1999 Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs at the Forum. The Lakers lost, 103-91, giving the Spurs a 3-0 advantage in the series. The Spurs went on to win the series 4-0. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant speaks with reporters at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo on May 2, 2000. (Jack Smith / Associated Press)
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Lakers stars Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O’Neal hold the championship trophies after winning Game 6 of the 2000 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. (Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant jumps over a row of fans after saving the ball from going out of bounds during a win over the Houston Rockets on Dec. 20, 2001. (Pat Sullivan / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, center, is all smiles while standing next to teammates (from left) Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Shaquille O’Neal during Game 1 of the 2001 Western Conference finals. Bryant scored 45 points in the Lakers’ 104-90 win. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers stars Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O’Neal congratulate each other during the Lakers’ win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the 2002 Western Conference quarterfinals at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant puts up a shot during a win over the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center on Nov. 22, 2002. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, right, steals the ball away from Portland Trail Blazers guard Jeff McInnis during a game at Staples Center on Nov. 3, 2002. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant puts up a shot during Game 1 of the 2002 NBA Western Conference finals against the Sacramento Kings. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, right center, congratulates teammate Robert Horry on his winning shot against the Sacramento Kings in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals at Staples Center on May 26, 2002. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers teammates (from left) Kobe Bryant, Lindsey Hunter and Shaquille O’Neal celebrate the team’s 2002 NBA Finals win over the New Jersey Nets. (Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant celebrates in the locker room after the team’s 2002 NBA Championship win over the New Jersey Nets. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant looks at the Larry O’Brien trophy after the Lakers’ NBA championship victory over the New Jersey Nets on June 12, 2002. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers teammates Mark Madsen, left, and Kobe Bryant celebrate the team’s 2002 NBA title during a celebration in downtown Los Angeles on June 14, 2002. (Anacleto Rapping / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers stars Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O’Neal show off their 2002 NBA championship rings before a game against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center on Oct. 29, 2002. (Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, drives on Houston Rockets small forward Juaquin Hawkins during a game at Staples Center on Nov. 17, 2002. (Kevin P. Casey / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant watches as one of his three-pointers falls against the Wizards at Staples in 2001. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, center, is double-teamed by Cleveland Cavaliers teammates Eric Snow, left, and Flip Murray during a game on March 19, 2006. (Mark Duncan / Associated Press)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant walks past the courtroom where his pretrial motion hearing for sexual assault charges took place in Eagle, Colo., on March 25, 2004. In July 2003, Bryant was arrested after a woman claimed he raped her at a Colorado hotel. Prosecutors later dropped the charges. (Chris Schneider / EPA)
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Kobe Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, take part in a news conference at Staples Center in July 2003 while addressing the sexual assault charges brought against Kobe. The charges were later dropped. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, right, speaks with coach Phil Jackson in 2010. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant dunks against the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center on April 10, 2003. (Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant tries to hide his emotions after the team’s season-ending loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 of the 2003 NBA Western Conference semifinals. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers players (from left) Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Shaquille O’Neal make their first game appearance together during a preseason game against the Clippers in Anaheim on Oct. 23, 2003. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, is congratulated by teammate Derek Fisher after the Lakers’ victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the 2004 Western Conference semifinals at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers teammates (from left) Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant and Gary Payton walk off the court after a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4 of the 2004 Western Conference finals at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant, left, and Shaquille O’Neal sit on the bench during Game 6 of the 2004 Western Conference finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant wipes sweat from his face during the team’s season-ending loss to the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of the 2004 NBA Finals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant writhes in pain after injuring his right ankle during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Staples Center on Jan. 13, 2005. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, and William “Smush” Parker talk during a preseason game against the Utah Jazz in Anaheim on Oct. 25, 2005. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant reacts after hitting the winning shot against the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 of the 2006 Western Conference quarterfinals at Staples Center. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant reacts after being fouled by the Houston Rockets’ Ryan Bowen (not pictured) in the first quarter of a game at Staples Center on Dec. 18, 2005. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant, left, whispers to coach Phil Jackson in between being photographed during Lakers’ media day on Oct. 2, 2006. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant saves the ball from going out of bounds against the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center on Nov. 12, 2006. (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers forward Lamar Odom, left, and guard Kobe Bryant talk on the bench during a timeout against the New Jersey Nets on Nov. 26, 2006. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant listens to the national anthem before a game against the New Jersey Nets on Nov. 26, 2006. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant shoots over Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade to score the winning basket with less than a second remaining in a 108-107 victory at Staples Center on Dec. 4, 2009. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant holds his daughter, Natalia, while greeting team owner Jerry Buss before a news conference at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Los Angeles announcing Bryant as the 2008 NBA MVP. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant walks off the court after losing to the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of the 2007 NBA Western Conference quarterfinals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant walks off the court after a championship loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant celebrates after hitting a late three-pointer in a win over the Utah Jazz in Game 2 of the 2009 Western Conference quarterfinals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry, right, calls a timeout immediately after Kobe Bryant hits a three-pointer during Game 2 of the 2010 Western Conference finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant reacts immediately after a slam dunk against the New York Knicks on Feb. 2, 2009, at Madison Square Garden. Bryant scored 61 points in the win. (Kathy Willens / Associated Press)
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Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, right, celebrate in the closing seconds of the team’s NBA championship win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant celebrates after winning his fourth NBA title with a win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant holds the Larry O’Brien Trophy while celebrating his fourth championship with the team following a win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers teammates Derek Fisher, left, and Kobe Bryant, center, give President Barack Obama a personalized team jersey while visiting the White House on Jan. 25, 2010. (Charles Dharapak / Associated Press)
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Lakers forward Ron Artest, center, is congratulated by Kobe Bryant, left, and the rest of his teammates after hitting the winning shot against the Phoenix Suns in Game 5 of the 2010 Western Conference finals. (Wally Skalij / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, and Boston Celtics guard Tony Allen battle for a loose ball during Game 6 of the 2010 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 15, 2010. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant celebrates after winning his fifth NBA title following a victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant celebrates after the Lakers’ victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals at Staples Center on June 17, 2010. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant gestures while celebrating his fifth championship with the Lakers during a team parade in Los Angeles on June 21, 2010. (Christina House / For the Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant celebrates his fifth NBA title during the team’s championship parade on June 21, 2010. (Christina House / For the Times)
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Kobe Bryant kisses his championship ring during a ceremony honoring the Lakers’ 2010 NBA title before the team’s season opener on Oct. 26, 2010. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
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Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant share a laugh before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center on Nov. 9, 2010.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant, left, exchanges words with LeBron James during a Christmas Day game in 2010. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant walks behind Dallas Mavericks standout Dirk Nowitzki during Game 3 of the 2011 Western Conference semifinals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant walks off the court after the team’s season-ending loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on May 8, 2011. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant reflects on the 2010-11 season as he answers questions from reporters at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo on May 11, 2011. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant participates in a training session for South Korean fans during a promotional tour in Seoul on July 14, 2011. (Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images)
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Kobe Bryant drives to the basket during an exhibition game in the Philippines on July 24, 2011. (Noel Celis / AFP/Getty Images)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant gets a massage from team physical therapist Julie Seto during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 29, 2012. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, right, greets Oklahoma City Thunder standout Kevin Durant before walking off the court after a season-ending loss in Game 5 of the 2012 Western Conference semifinals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers teammates (from left) Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard celebrate in the closing moments of their 119-108 victory over the Houston Rockets on Nov. 18, 2012. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, right, puts up a shot over Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum during a game at Staples Center on Feb. 22, 2013. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant shoots over Toronto Raptors forward Rudy Gay during the Lakers’ 118-116 overtime win at Staples Center on March 8, 2013. (Reed Saxon / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant looks on during a game against the New Orleans Hornets at Staples Center on Jan. 29, 2013. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, right, protects the ball from Sacramento Kings forward John Salmons during the Lakers’ 103-98 win on March 30, 2013. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)
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Kobe Bryant rolls on the floor in pain after injuring suffering a torn Achilles tendon during a game against the Sacramento Kings on April 12, 2013. Bryant did not return from the injury until December 2013. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant limps off the court in front of teammate Metta World Peace after suffering an Achilles tendon injury on April 12, 2013, against the Golden State Warriors. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant sits on the bench before being introduced against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center on Dec. 10, 2013. It was Bryant’s first game back since tearing his Achilles tendon on April 12, 2013. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant grabs a rebound against the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center on Dec. 8, 2013. (Harry How / Getty Images)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant puts up a shot against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center on Dec. 10, 2013. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant, sidelined with a torn Achilles tendon injury, sits next to teammate Jodie Meeks during a Lakers’ loss to the Clippers at Staples Center on Jan. 10, 2014. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant walks down the court during the Lakers’ 110-91 loss to the Pacers on Dec. 14, 2014, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
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Kobe Bryant drives on Memphis Grizzlies guard Quincy Pondexter on Nov. 26, 2014. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant drives to the basket during a 110-91 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 15, 2014. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, speaks with Coach Byron Scott during a game against the San Antonio Spurs last December.
(Eric Gay / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant dribbles the ball during the first half against the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 15, 2014. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant smiles during the fourth quarter of a 111-103 win over the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 30, 2014. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant dunks during a game against Indiana Pacers at Staples Center on Jan. 4. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant looks on during the closing moments of a 111-95 loss to the Washington Wizards on Dec. 3, 2014.
(Rob Carr / Getty Images)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant drives to the basket past Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers during a game at Staples Center on Jan. 13, 2015.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant, left, poses for photos with FC Barcelona captain Andrés Iniesta Luján before a training session at the StubHub Stadium in Carson on July 20, 2015.
(Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images)
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Kobe Bryant poses for a photo at the Beverly Hills Hilton on July 18, 2014. Bryant was limited to 35 games during the 2014-15 season because of injury.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant fields questions from reporters surrounding him during the Lakers’ media day in El Segundo.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant fields questions from television reporters during the Lakers’ media day in El Segundo.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is surrounded by reporters while doing a radio interview during the Lakers’ media day in El Segundo.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant tries to steal the ball from Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried during a game at Staples Center on Nov. 3.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
During one trip to the foul line, McCutchen briefly escaped the game to share a moment with Bryant, telling him how much he always appreciated the way the Lakers star dealt with him, the authenticity, good and bad, that Bryant operated with.
“That meant a great deal to me, because that’s how steel gets forged is through fire. And the fire can only take place if both people are being real and authentic,” McCutchen said. “And I took the time to tell him … I think the exact words I said was, ‘Whatever got exchanged between you and I was real. And I’m appreciative of that.’”
It was a sliver of a moment in a night that ended up being full of them — the tributes, the on-court magic, the postgame celebration and obvious exhaustion. Everyone there had a memory, a smile when thinking about their role in a perfect farewell.
As Bryant walked around the court, confetti falling from the ceiling, he turned to one longtime Lakers employee and asked something like, “What did I just do?”
For one final time as a player, Bryant made history, authoring a story that was almost too good to be true.
Dan Woike is the Lakers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times after spending two seasons covering the league as a whole, with an emphasis on Los Angeles’ teams.
