tributes

ESPN Is Re-Airing Kobe Bryant’s Massive Final Game

Photo: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

To honor the tragic death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, ESPN is re-airing the Laker star’s final game this evening at 9 pm EST. On April 13, 2016, Bryant played his last game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles where he lit up the Utah Jazz for a massive 60 points. He was an elite player until the very end, but Bryant was not regularly posting huge point totals for the Lakers anymore by the time he chose to retire. Dazzling scoring displays were definitely part of the Black Mamba playbook (he was the youngest player ever to reach 30,000 points), but watching him explode for 60 after coming back from an Achilles injury and at the age of 34 (not ancient, but definitely not young in basketball terms) was an unexpectedly enormous performance in his last outing.

Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others were killed when the helicopter they were flying in went down over Calabasas, California on Sunday morning. He was honored at last night’s Grammys, which was held at his old home court, as well as by Kanye West at a Sunday Service event the rapper held yesterday. Celebrities from across sports and entertainment have been grieving his passing on social media.

ESPN Is Re-Airing Kobe Bryant’s Massive Final Game