Kobe Bryant's Farewell Tour

Kobe Bryant's farewell tour around the NBA is starting to wind down and I will be one of the few people on the planet that believes the end cannot get here fast enough. Kobe Bryant came into the NBA out of high school in Philadelphia and was drafted in the first round, 13th overall, by the Charlotte Hornets. He refused to play for the Hornets and demanded to be traded to one of three NBA teams. A trade to the Los Angeles Lakers was worked out and a star was born. There is no denying Kobe's talent and his place in NBA history.

When he announced that this would be his final NBA season an amazing transformation occurred. Bryant suddenly has the congeniality of a game show host, granting interviews and clowning around in front of the cameras. His last appearance in Charlotte really caught my attention. These were the same fans he refused to play in front of to start his career but the same fans that he did not want to miss seeing him play his last time in Charlotte. In a tribute fitting for his final season, Michael Jordan recorded a message that was played for Kobe. Kobe went out and shot 5 for 20 from the field, including 3 for 12 from the three-point line.

The Los Angeles Lakers have sacrificed this season in order for Kobe Bryant to say his good bye's and to receive all of the accolades. He has played his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers and that is a rarity these days in any sport. The Lakers are not a good team this season and Bryant is shooting a career low .355% from the field. He has already played more games this season that he has in the previous two seasons combined. When he scored 38 points the other night that was the lead story on the majority of the sports highlights shows. I will be glad when the spotlight fades.

I Remember

I caught the last 4 minutes of the Lakers-Clippers game the other night won by the Clippers and that game helped me remember why I no longer watch the NBA. The last 4 minutes of the game must have taken 20 minutes to play between all of the free throws and timeouts. There is some kind of new rule in the NBA that if a player gets fouled in the last two minutes of the quarter then it is an automatic two free throws. The Clippers had an 8 point lead when I turned it on but before the two minute mark. it was an all out sprint by the Clippers to blatantly grab Dwight Howard because he can't hit a free throw. I don't care if he was on the other side of the court from the ball, they grabbed him and the refs would call a foul. The strategy by the Clippers was that they would rather take their chances with Howard at the free throw line than Kobe Bryant catching the Lakers up by nailing a few three pointers. I can understand the strategy but it made for some extremely boring basketball. Free throw shooting has been one of the basic fundamentals of basketball since just about the beginning of the game itself. During the ESPN era, it is probably one of the least practiced areas of the game. It is impossible to make ESPN's nightly Top 10 hitting a free throw. Let me know when it is time for the playoffs.