Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is generally considered one of the five to 10 greatest basketball players ever, and he left fans with an array of incredible memories.
What was his greatest memory? Candidates include his 81-point game, the night he outscored the Dallas Mavericks 62-61 through three quarters, his signature clutch performance in Game 4 of the 2000 NBA Finals and Game 7 of the 2010 title series, when he led the Lakers to a world championship over the Boston Celtics.
But from a purely sentimental point of view, perhaps his greatest moment was his final game, when he poured in 60 points and led Los Angeles to a 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz after trailing by 10 with just over three minutes left.
That’s how Austin Reaves, who grew up a big fan of the late Bryant, feels, and he recounted his memory of the game while on the “All The Smoke” podcast.
“For me, it was probably his last game. I remember I was watching it in my brother’s room, actually…and we’re two hours behind in Arkansas so it was probably 11:30 p.m. Towards the end of the game, I’m up screaming, jumping. I’m lit. And my mom opens the door and she’s like ‘Is everything okay?’ I was like ‘Get the hell out of here. Go back to bed. This is real.’”
After a breakout sophomore season this past year and securing a sizable contract extension a few weeks ago, Reaves is definitely living his dream of playing for his hero’s former squad.
