Kobe’s FINAL Moments As The BLACK MAMBA…

Kobe Bryant had to activate God Mode just to bail out the so-called super team with Dwight Howard and Steve Nash. These were the final moments of Kobe as the Black Mamba, but we gotta take a step back. After the blockbuster summer of 2012, the Lakers paired the Black Mamba with prime Dwight Howard, a three-time defensive player of the year and an MVP candidate in Orlando. This got LA fans up on cloud nine, but midway through the season, their team had a miserable 17-25 record. They desperately needed to change something, and Bryant knew that perfectly. So he suddenly turned into Magic Johnson. He dished out 14 assists and a win against the Jazz. Then, two days later, another 14-assist game versus the Thunder, getting the win as well. And if that wasn't enough, another double-double of 14 points and 11 assists followed in the third in a row against the New Orleans Hornets. It finally worked. The Lakers started winning, going 14-6 in their next 20 games, and one of them in particular came against the Mavs right after Mark Cuban made some inexplicable comments about Kobe. In a tight game in Dallas, Bryant started making some incredibly tough shots in the fourth, each more difficult than the last one, all in Jay Crowder's face. So, down by two in crunch time, the Mavs put Vince Carter on him, but it didn't matter, because… Damn, he really made Carter fly again. The Black Mamba caught a heat check, hitting all 5 shots in the final period, circling an all-around brilliant outing of 38 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists which culminated with a rock-solid sequence on the defensive end. After the game, Bane immortalized his performance with a two-word simple tweet. And to reach the 500 mark, they needed a signature takeover from Kobe. Down by 18 at the start of the fourth, on the road, the loss seemed inevitable, but then… The Lakers, led by Bryant, opened the final period on a 22-9 run to make it a 5-point game. It was on now. The Black Mamba exploded for 18 of his 42 points in the last frame, on a blistering 67% efficiency. He added 12 assists and 7 rebounds as well. And then, to put the exclamation point, we have this iconic play that confused the entire arena. What were the Hornets thinking on this one will forever be a mystery. And seeing this killer face must have brought chills to opposing fans. A couple of days later, they found themselves trailing by double digits in the fourth quarter again. This time, he used a heavy focus on him to set up his teammates. But the Raptors still led by 5 points with under 2 minutes to play. It was time for the Kobe special. Lost the dribble, nowhere to go, a hand in his face, doesn't matter, splash. A minute later, down by 4, the Lakers needed a miracle, so… Do you know how tough this is? Not even looking at the basket to be able to set your feet, turn around for the shot in one motion and get the swish is just ridiculous. So after two free throws which Kyle Lowry made and only 8 seconds on the clock, it's hero time all over again. Gotta get it in, no time outs to save yourself. And Blake gets it in to Kobe, Kobe good little fake, 3 to tie, 3 to tie, we're tied at 1-0-9. Bryan makes the staple setter erupt with 3 consecutive bombs to tie the game in the clutch. Unbelievable. There he was, in the midst of another masterpiece scoring 15 of his 41 points in the fourth with a calm and collected look on his face, saying it's not over yet. On the other hand, Rudy Gay missed the potential game winner so we were headed to overtime. It was still anybody's game in the extra period as the young Raptors wouldn't give up like that. So all tied up at 1-15, with time winding down, Kobe does the unthinkable. Oh my goodness, with the double team coming all the way up there, Bryan just blew past them for the two handed slam which almost brought the house down. Eventually, this proved to be the dagger as Rudy Gay missed another big shot at the end. Finally, one of the most hyped rosters in NBA history got one win above 500. The end of the season was nearing and the purple and gold were back on winning tracks. Hosting the Mavs for a rematch, Kobe was challenged yet again, but this time from one of his teammates. Chris Doohan gave Bryan the motivation he needed and the mission was launched. Kobe was flying past defenders like it's 2006 all over again, dunks, circus in ones, and once the points were secured, then came the dimes. While he was doing all of this, he let Doohan know what time it was. And to put the cherry on top, Bryan channeled his inner Kareem. Geez, there wasn't anything that he couldn't do on the offensive end. More importantly, the bet was won. 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists for number 24 in the dominant win. And the best thing for Lakers fans was that he had a couple of more tricks left in his bag. Eager to punch the playoff ticket, Kobe picked on rookie Dame and the Blazers. Bryan bursted out of the gates with 28 points at the half, but the Lakers were still down by 8 cause Dame Lillard counted up to 25 of his own. However, the Black Mamba continued pouring in the second half as well. The result, a season high 47 points on 52% shooting from the floor. But the most impressive thing of the game were his 4 blocks and 3 steals, reminding everybody that he's still that world class defender. Kobe was money in this game. And speaking of that, you may be entitled to a potential recovery of over a thousand dollars. Here's why. Recently, a jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay millions of dollars for their role in designing and promoting addictive platforms. They knew their apps can contribute to anxiety, depression, and body image issues but did not share those risks while prioritizing profits. The recent history verdict underscores the consequences of those decisions. Now, Morgan & Morgan is stepping up to hold these platforms accountable for the harm they caused. Click the link in the description to take a short quiz. You may be entitled to a potential recovery of over a thousand dollars. This win put them in front of the for the last playoff spot, but they still needed to finish the season strong. But next up, with the Warriors and the baby-faced assassin. This was the breakout season for Steph Curry and he absolutely terrorized the Lakers scoring 32 points in the first half. But coming out of the locker rooms, the 34-year-old Brian made sure to strike back. Down by 6 and the Lakers needed more of him. Bang bang, Kobe delivers once again scoring 21 of his 34 points in the second half to tie the game. Amazing. But then, a disaster struck out of nowhere. Kobe tears his achilles, stands up to knock down both free throws, and comes out of the game on his own to a standing ovation. The Lakers hung on to win this one in the last two games without him, finishing the season on an impressive 28-12 record. But they proceeded to get swept by the later champions, the San Antonio Spurs. I'm not saying that with Kobe on the floor they were going to upset the heavy favorites, but they deserved a better ending to this outstanding year. Right when the team clicked, his body gave up. These were the last bits of the black mamba as he never got to his old self ever again. And the newest player on the Lakers summer team is trying his best to get back to his old self as well. Zyre Smith has to have one of the cruelest twists of fate in NBA history. He was the best athlete in his draft class and a 16th overall pick in 2018. But just months later, he was fighting for his life due to an allergic reaction to sesame. I made a detailed video about it and you have to check it out right here. Talk to you in the next one, peace out!