OT: What are you watching tonight?

[OrangeDW]

With the Lakers down 10 with 3 minutes to go, he went 5-5 from the field, 4-4 FT, 15 points in last 3 minutes for the W. But yeah, attempts...

Yup. That's all that matters. 60 points is great and all, but it was him taking over the game down the stretch and leading his team to the W that was really special.

 

[longislandcuse]

3m3 minutes ago
ESPN ‏@espn
"The cool thing is my kids got to see me play like I used to play. They were like, 'Whoa, dad.'" Kobe is #LIVEonSC: http://es.pn/1hX8Ego

 

[Briancuse]

So what. 17-30 inside the arc. Crazy stuff for anyone by any standards, but particularly for a guy who has been a shell of himself for a while.

I mean a lot of players could get 60 if they took that many shots, Kobe is an all time great, hes the 2nd best player I have ever seen play, but I wouldn't go crazy about this performance.

 

[SUintheVille]

Great night in the NBA. GS sets the record - they are so smooth! Kobe goes out with 60. And the Celtics make a big comeback to beat the Heat.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Mamba out.

That was insane. The last 4 minutes were just epic.

Now that he's retired, will he give himself a different nickname, or will he stick with this nickname that he gave himself? At least when Shaq would give himself a nickname it was tongue in cheek.

 

[Tom K.]

Just as I posted early on, there was no need to actually watch the GS game. It was just about the end result and they got the W in a blowout. I'll get to watch their brilliant basketball for the next 2 months in the playoffs. A fantastic regular season no doubt.

Kobe, however, is leaving and he put on a vintage Kobe performance in the 4th. Yes, I know he took 50 shots but he shot 44% from the field which isn't abysmal. If he eased up off the 3-point shot he could have easily shot 50% and maybe we'd be looking at 70. He was great inside the arc. Utah wasn't playing lazy defense either, they were all over him (by NBA defensive standards). In the end, he got his team the come from behind win too.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I mean a lot of players could get 60 if they took that many shots, Kobe is an all time great, hes the 2nd best player I have ever seen play, but I wouldn't go crazy about this performance.

Who else has had a game like that for their final game?

 

[690West]

Who else has had a game like that for their final game?

Jeter might have but the Yankees weren't able to get him 27 at bats.

 

[690West]

Now that he's retired, will he give himself a different nickname, or will he stick with this nickname that he gave himself? At least when Shaq would give himself a nickname it was tongue in cheek.

Wait, the black mamba was self-gloss? Yikes, I never knew that.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Who else has had a game like that for their final game?

Jim Brown had 237 yards and 4 TDs in his final game. And yes, before someone points it out, I know he retired at the top of his game.

 

[Tom K.]

Curry had 46 and didn't even play in the 4th lol

Remember a young Kobe scoring 62 and outscoring the Dallas Mavericks through 3 quarters?

 

[Cusefan0307]

Jim Brown had 237 yards and 4 TDs in his final game. And yes, before someone points it out, I know he retired at the top of his game.

I remember Jeter had the game winning hit a couple years ago in his last game, and yes I agree with you regarding Brown, but from a basketball perspective I can't remember anyone who played like this their final game.

 

[Knicks411]

I remember Jeter had the game winning hit a couple years ago in his last game, and yes I agree with you regarding Brown, but from a basketball perspective I can't remember anyone who played like this their final game.

If Jordan had just retired after 98, he'd be up there. 45 points in game 6 of the NBA finals (crazy, just 1 rebound and 1 assist), but he scored the final 2 buckets and stole the ball from Malone to set up the final bucket.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

If Jordan had just retired after 98, he'd be up there. 45 points in game 6 of the NBA finals (crazy, just 1 rebound and 1 assist), but he scored the final 2 buckets and stole the ball from Malone to set up the final bucket.

In a similar vein, Babe Ruth had 3 home runs in a game, 5 games before he retired. It makes a much better storybook ending had he chosen to go out a week earlier.

 

[QUSE]

Do people realize the insane amount of energy and stamina required to even attempt 50 shots in an NBA game? Let alone for a 38 year old?!

This is as close to a miracle of finale as you will ever see.

 

[CusefanATL]

Didnt realize hockey season had started.

 

[CusefanATL]

Do people realize the insane amount of energy and stamina required to even attempt 50 shots in an NBA game? Let alone for a 38 year old?!

This is as close to a miracle of finale as you will ever see.

Kobe takes 500 shots a day, minimum. Probably took 500 before the game even started. Neither team cared about it. Everyone wanted him to shoot. The D didnt exactly play hard nosed D.

Its cool that he got 60 - but on 50 shots is not efficient (steph was 46 on 24 shots. you give him 50 shots and he score 95 or 96 points).

Lets not go overboard with Kobe's miraculous finish. It was a glorified all star game with no other stars jacking up shots.

 

[PoppyHart]

Ted Williams (among many) homered in final at bat.

 

[Cowtown]

Thankfully it's all over now.

 

[690West]

I remember Jeter had the game winning hit a couple years ago in his last game, and yes I agree with you regarding Brown, but from a basketball perspective I can't remember anyone who played like this their final game.

To be fair, Jeter's walk-off hit was in his last game at Yankee Stadium. He still played a couple games on the road after that. But, it was an amazing end to his home career.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Kobe takes 500 shots a day, minimum. Probably took 500 before the game even started. Neither team cared about it. Everyone wanted him to shoot. The D didnt exactly play hard nosed D.

Its cool that he got 60 - but on 50 shots is not efficient (steph was 46 on 24 shots. you give him 50 shots and he score 95 or 96 points).

Lets not go overboard with Kobe's miraculous finish. It was a glorified all star game with no other stars jacking up shots.

Absolutely disagree. The Jazz had to win to make the playoffs. They are a young team that was looking for playoff expierience. Some of those shots he made at the end when they came back, the Jazz were all over him.

 

[longislandcuse]

Absolutely disagree. The Jazz had to win to make the playoffs. They are a young team that was looking for playoff expierience. Some of those shots he made at the end when they came back, the Jazz were all over him.

This.

Utah was actually annoying me with how hard they were riding Kobe on defense. I don't blame them at all but they were throwing traps and doubles at him in those last 4 minutes. Kobe was just unstoppable.

 

[690West]

Absolutely disagree. The Jazz had to win to make the playoffs. They are a young team that was looking for playoff expierience. Some of those shots he made at the end when they came back, the Jazz were all over him.

Jazz were eliminated from playoffs 20 minutes before game started. They were all told prior to game. But, good job by them playing hard.

 

[QUSE]

Kobe takes 500 shots a day, minimum. Probably took 500 before the game even started. Neither team cared about it. Everyone wanted him to shoot. The D didnt exactly play hard nosed D.

Its cool that he got 60 - but on 50 shots is not efficient (steph was 46 on 24 shots. you give him 50 shots and he score 95 or 96 points).

Lets not go overboard with Kobe's miraculous finish. It was a glorified all star game with no other stars jacking up shots.

I watched the whole game, he took all the shots but Jazz D did not slack off. He earned all those points. It wasn't an very efficient offensive game because of the reckless chucking from 3pt line, the rest of the game was actually very efficient scoring.

Judging by your Curry comment it seems that you think there's a linear relationship between shot attempts and points scored, there's simply not. If anything it's a curve that's flattening out at the end. Try shoot 50 times even in a relatively competitive pickup game, after about 35 shots you'll get so tired you miss everything (provided ppl still pass you the ball). Plus it's unfair to compare prime Curry to this Kobe. The guy did score 81 pts on 46 attempts and 62 pts in 3 quarters, those were all-time efficient offensive outings.

The finish was miraculous because of the circumstances: already shot 40+ times, almost physically drained, team down 10+ with 4,5 mins to go, not to mention at the ancient age of 38, and he went on a tear to win a game without missing single shot at the end. In a vacuum of factors it is just a Mamba redemption that happened numerous times before, but all things considered it is a finish that's just like miracle to me. And this is coming from a guy who stopped watching him play around 2002.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I watched the first half but couldn't stay up past 12. Crazy way to go out. Wish I stayed up but I'm hoping to catch a replay.