Kobe Bryant made sure he did all he could to have the proper sendoff into retirement -- which meant he constantly had the ball.
The five-time NBA champion set an NBA record by making 50 shot attempts in the Lakers' 101-96 defeat of the Jazz in his final game at the Staples Center on Wednesday. Bryant ended the game with 60 points.
As for constantly feeding the ball to Bryant, his Lakers teammates didn't care.
"We knew that it was his time and we let him get as many shots as he wanted," center Roy Hibbert told TMZ Sports following a dinner celebrating Bryant's career. "He deserved it."
As for spoiling the Jazz's chance to clinch a playoff berth by surpassing the Rockets, Hibbert said "it happens."
Bryant was serenaded with cheers by the Staples Center faithful after checking out of the game in the fourth quarter, a frame which saw him outshoot the Jazz, 23-21 by himself.
"I can't believe how fast 20 years went by. Man, this is crazy," Bryant said on the microphone after addressing the crowd following the game, according to ESPN. "This is absolutely crazy ... and to be standing at center court with you guys, my teammates behind me, appreciating the journey that we've been on -- we've been through our ups, been through our downs. I think the most important part is we all stayed together throughout."
Bryant, 37, closes out his 20-year career with five NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVP Awards, 18 All-Star Game appearances and one MVP Award (2008). He won the NBA championship in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010. Though he fell short of his dream of getting a sixth ring, he's one of the best players to ever grace an NBA court.
It was a forgettable season for the Lakers, which finished 17-65, setting a record for the most losses in franchise history for a third straight season, but Bryant's farewell tour was at least a distraction from the on-court disasters.
Bryant retires with 30,699 shot attempts, 33,643 points, 25 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game and 4.7 assists per game. It was his teammates racking up the assists on Wednesday, as Bryant went out in typical Black Mamba fashion.
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