Here is what you need to know before the Lakers’ season — and Kobe Bryant’s career — concludes against the Utah Jazz.
1)
This game marks the 1,346th and final contest of Kobe Bryant’s 20-year career in the NBA. Over the course of his legendary tenure, the Philadelphia native racked up 18 All-Star nods, five championship rings, two scoring titles and an MVP trophy. Bryant leaves the game as the third-highest scorer in league history, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone.
2)
In an almost poetic fashion, Bryant’s final game is against the team that caused his first experience of true adversity in the NBA. As an 18-year-old rookie in the 1997 Western Conference Semifinals, Bryant took four shots in the fourth quarter and overtime that all airballed. On Jan. 15, 2016, he reflected, “Back then, it was misery. It helped shape me.”
3)
After a season of fighting Father Time, Bryant has managed to throw the first punch in the past week, averaging 14.0 points in the first quarter of his last three games. Though he may not be the offensive workhorse that he used to be, Bryant has still thrown plenty of fire lately, including when he dropped 35 points in Houston on Sunday.
4)
The pageantry surrounding this game promises to be grander than any regular-season game before it. Among the many plans that the Lakers have for Bryant’s final tilt includes a court featuring his former and current numbers: 8 and 24.
5)
Moving forward, Bryant is leaving the franchise to a core of young players who hope to someday reach the towering standard set by their retiring teammate. This group features Julius Randle, who is currently tied with Anthony Davis for the NBA’s ninth-best rebounding average. He also ranks 15th in double-doubles with 34, including a triple-double just two weeks ago.
6)
Another key face for the future is second-overall pick D’Angelo Russell, who leads all rookies in 3-pointers (1.6) and steals (1.2). The 20-year-old is also fifth among first-year players in scoring (13.2), and became the youngest player in league history to make 120-plus triples in a season.
7)
Rounding out that key trio is Jordan Clarkson. The 2015 First Team All-Rookie selection ranks second among sophomores in scoring (15.6), and has racked up the most total points of any Laker this year (1,213).
8)
The Lakers’ opportunity to add another name to that crew is uncertain at the moment. Los Angeles will end the season with the NBA’s second-worst record, giving it a 55.8 percent chance of landing in the draft’s top three. However, if it falls below this range during the lottery on May 19, the pick will be sent to Philadelphia.
9)
Bryant will need to muster up some magic in order to end his career with victory, as the Lakers have not fared well against Utah this year, losing all three prior matchups. The Jazz have won by an average score of 106-77, while holding the purple and gold to just 32.6 percent shooting from the field.
10)
Utah surely won’t be going easy on the Lakers in their icon’s final game, as the Jazz need a win in order to make the playoffs. Before that, they will require some help, as Houston can clinch the Western Conference’s final spot with a win over Sacramento at 5 p.m. PT.
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