Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant, right, greets Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) prior to an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
It was a night to remember for the NBA. On April 13, the Association witnessed history being made out of two arenas in the state of California. The Golden State Warriors capped off a record-setting season with a 73-9 record, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant buttoned up a record-setting career with a bang, dropping 60 points in his career finale against the Utah Jazz. Prior to both contests, the jury was out on which game would be the more desired ticket. And, once the night was over, the question turned to which feat was more impressive? Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley, of the AFRO Sports Desk, debate that question.
Riley: Kobe Bryant is 37 years old. Kobe Bryant scored 60 points in an NBA game, at age 37. There are players 10 and 20 years younger than Bryant playing in the NBA right now that will never score 60 points in a game despite their youth. When you think about the Bryant that we’ve seen over the last few seasons, the picture hasn’t been pretty. He’s been beat up, bruised and battered. Many of us simply figured he would go out with a modest game, but he did just a little bit more than that. The Warriors won 73 games and that’s an amazing team feat that may or may not be duplicated again. However, I seriously doubt that any player going into his 20th season in the NBA and playing 82 games annually will ever score 60 points in his last game.
Green: When you take 50 shots in a game, you better score 60 points. Bryant’s last game was powerful, but let’s be honest: It was horribly inefficient. Lakers players were simply comfortable with Bryant haplessly chucking away at the rim, giving him plenty of room to chase an exorbitant number of points. Still, I was excited to see it because watching Kobe shoot with no conscience is about the only thing interesting in a Lakers game these days. Nonetheless, the Warriors’ feat was the more impressive accomplishment. To go 73-9 over the course of an 82 game-season is the opposite of inefficient; it’s incredible. It isn’t like the Warriors simply snuck up on teams this season. Remember, they just won the championship last year. They came back even hungrier despite the huge target on their back. They ripped through the first quarter of the season with a 24-0 start before settling in for a 49-9 record the rest of the way. Simply incredible. There’s a reason why Chicago’s record of 72 wins stood for 20 years, and there’s a reason why Golden State’s record will probably stand for a long time as well.
Riley: Bryant could have taken 100 shots and it wouldn’t have mattered. Not only did Bryant drop 60 points but he also guided the Lakers to a come-from-behind win against a Utah Jazz team that had the playoffs at stake. It was a marvelous night for Bryant and the rest of the Lakers, and his performance was just the perfect way to cap his career off. I was never the biggest Bryant fan but you have to tip your hat to his career. He was always a gunner, so his taking 50 shots doesn’t surprise anybody. His scoring 60 points at age 37? Now that’s a surprise.
Green: I agree, Bryant has always been what we call in the basketball world a “jack artist.” He’s been jacking up shots since the age of 19, so I didn’t expect anything different from him in his final game of the year. And he actually shot 43 percent from the field on those 50 shots, so I kind of have to retract my statement about his 60-point performance being inefficient. It was amazing to see. Regardless, it wasn’t as hard as winning 73 games. I’ll admit right now, I didn’t think GS would get the record. Even when they were 24-0. Heck, even when they were just four wins away from getting the record I thought they would lose one of those games to the Spurs or Grizzlies. But they pulled it off. They made history, and that comes second to no one, not even Kobe.
