RetroSeasons recaps past sports seasons through stories, photos, videos, and stats from every team, league, and stadium in history. Coverage includes the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, as well as vintage media from defunct teams and leagues.
The 2016 Los Angeles Lakers, coached by Byron Scott, missed the playoffs after finishing the NBA regular season in 5th place in the Western Conference Pacific Division with a 17-65 record.
The Los Angeles Lakers have certainly kicked off Las Vegas Summer League with a bang. The team is off to a 2-0 start to the tournament, with one easy victory over the New Orleans Pelicans followed by a nail-biter over the Philadelphia 76ers due to a game winning shot from D’Angelo Russell. - - A major factor in the Lakers’ hot start in the desert has been the play of second-year power forward Larry Nance, Jr. The uber-athletic four’s endless effort and activity have proven once again to be a perfect fit for summer league, and his strong play so far led us to ask the question: is he a better fit with the Lakers’ young core going forward than Julius Randle is? - - Locked on Lakers hosts Anthony Irwin and Harrison Faigen are in Las Vegas for Summer League, and they could think of no better place to discuss this critical question than... a gondola at the Venetian? Take a listen: - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
LOS ANGELES (AP) Kobe Bryant scored 60 incredible points. He carried a miserable Los Angeles...
Kobe Bryant Amazing last 3 minutes in his FINAL GAME vs Jazz / LOS ANGELES (AP) Kobe Bryant scored 60 incredible points. He carried a miserable Los Angeles Lakers team to an improbable comeback victory.
And with sweat and confetti all over his gold uniform for the final time, he expressed humble thanks to his fans and family for their loving support over two decades.
"What else can I say?" Bryant asked. "Mamba out."
Now that's a Hollywood ending to a remarkable career.
Bryant utterly dominated his final game Wednesday night, wrapping up 20 NBA seasons with one last offensive showcase in the Lakers' 101-96 victory over the Utah Jazz.
He scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, posting his first 50-point game since February 2009 and rallying the Lakers from a 15-point deficit to win the final game of the worst season in franchise history.
It was messy, ridiculous and magical - even to the man who did it so many times over 20 years.
"It's hard to believe it happened this way," Bryant said. "I'm still shocked about it."
With the entire Staples Center crowd standing, Bryant made a 3-pointer with 59 seconds left. He hit another with 31 seconds to play, putting the Lakers ahead 97-96. He finished with an assist before checking out for good with 4.1 seconds left in just the Lakers' 17th win of the season.
"The perfect ending would have been a championship," Bryant said with a smile. "But tonight was (me) trying to go out, play hard and try to put on a show as much as I possibly could. It felt good to be able to do that one last time."
Bryant and his teammates conspired for one last omnivorous scoring performance by the third-leading scorer in NBA history. He played 42 minutes and took a career-high 50 shots, his teammates attempting to set him up for points on nearly every possession.
Kobe came up with the fifth highest-scoring game of his career. He became the oldest player to score 50 points in an NBA game.
The entire night was a tribute to Bryant, who is retiring after 20 seasons, five championship rings and 18 All-Star selections with the Lakers, who honored him before and after the game. Bryant is just the fifth player in NBA history to play 20 seasons, and the first with just one team.
"I think the most important part is that we all stayed together throughout," Bryant said to the crowd. "You'll always be in my heart, and I sincerely, sincerely appreciate it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you guys."
He also had a few laughs after finishing his 1,346th regular-season game with 33,643 career points.
"The thing that had me cracking up all night long is, I go through 20 years of everybody screaming to pass the ball," Bryant said with a grin. "And then the last night, they're like, `Don't pass it!"'
It was daylong tribute with thousands of fans thronging the downtown streets around Staples Center and chanting his name from early afternoon. Fans
