The entire basketball world is taking time to mourn the death of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
In a sign of deep respective and admiration, sports television giant ESPN announced on Monday that it would be airing Bryant’s iconic final NBA game that evening.
Kobe’s final NBA game – in which he scored 60 points – will re-air tonight on ESPN at 9 PM EST. A must watch.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 27, 2020
Bryant’s final game, which came at the end of the 2015-16 season, marked a farewell worthy of the five-time champion’s storied career.
In a 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz, Bryant scored 60 points in 42 minutes of playing time. It was considered by many to be the perfect way for Bryant to bid his NBA career adieu.
No one could have imagined that basketball fans all over the world would be mourning Bryant’s death just a few years later.
Bryant was always a figure that seemed larger than life. Known as a great storyteller, he could always be counted on to express his opinions and beliefs on a wide range of topics.
Now, it will be up to the countless players he influenced to carry on his spirit and his memory.
Monday night’s replay of his final career game will surely bring a large amount of fans to tears.
Hopefully, it also convinces many of those fans to head to their nearby blacktop or gym to get a quick game of pickup basketball in before the end of the night.
After all, that’s almost certainly what Bryant himself would have wanted.
