Getty
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 28: The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant scores 24 points during the Lakers’ 112-111 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener Wednesday night at Staples Center. The Los Angeles Lakers open their 2015-16 season against the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday night. 10/28/15 (Photo by Kevin Sullivan/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
Getty
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 28: The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant scores 24 points during the Lakers’ 112-111 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener Wednesday night at Staples Center. The Los Angeles Lakers open their 2015-16 season against the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday night. 10/28/15 (Photo by Kevin Sullivan/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
Just five years ago on this date, Kobe Bryant had written the last page of his career and it was as brilliant as his career had been throughout. He dropped buckets till the sound of the buzzer stopped him and put up a show that fans reminisce to this day. Kobe had been the face of the franchise for almost two decades and left quite an impression with his last game on April 13, 2016, against the Utah Jazz.
But what happened after the game? What was it like to walk out of the court one last time and have the locker room talk with his teammates? Now, on the anniversary of that iconic night, his final words to his team after the game have been revealed.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Kobe Bryant gave a pep talk to his teammates
Kobe passed away last year in a terrible helicopter crash, along with his daughter Gianna Bryant and seven others. Even now, fans, teammates, and family members alike are unable to fathom this tragedy. But it has only led the world to cherish Kobe’s moments even more than before.
Getty
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 14: Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers waves to the crowd after passing Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list with a free throw in the second quarter of the game on December 14, 2014 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
Byron Scott, the coach at the time, spilled the beans on Kobe’s last few words of encouragement to his Lakers family.
He said, “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.’ 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.”
Why did Kobe decide to retire?
Since Kobe was dropping 60 points even after two decades, why did he choose to retire?
At the beginning of the 2015-16 season itself, Kobe had made it clear that that would be his last season in the league. His calf injury played a major role in him taking this decision as well. However, he showed no signs of remorse in leaving the game. He knew it was now time to start the next phase of his life.
Getty
Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) during the second quarter in game 3 of the first round of the NBA playoffs Friday, May 4, 2012 at Pepsi Center in Denver Colorado. AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post (Photo By AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Kobe was often criticized for being a poor passer. But he took matters into his own hands against the Utah Jazz, and his last game was a one-man show and a perfect ending to his legacy.
Read also- ‘That’s What It Takes’: How Kobe Bryant Inspired Julius Randle and the Entire Knicks Team
