{"id":9969,"date":"2017-09-19T08:00:29","date_gmt":"2017-09-19T12:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnba.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=9969"},"modified":"2017-09-18T17:18:25","modified_gmt":"2017-09-18T21:18:25","slug":"greatest-los-angeles-lakers-moment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2017\/09\/19\/greatest-los-angeles-lakers-moment\/","title":{"rendered":"Greatest Los Angeles Lakers Moment of the 21st Century"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Welcome to the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/nba-greatest-moments\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Greatest Moment series<\/a> at Last Word on Pro Basketball, where we\u2019ll present to you each NBA team\u2019s greatest moment of the 21st century. From draft lottery <\/em>luck,<em> to a franchise-changing trade, to the sweet taste of a championship, every NBA team has had its own special moment to look back on.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In this edition, we will relive the greatest <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/nba-teams\/los-angeles-lakers\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> moment of the 21st century: <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bryanko01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kobe Bryant<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s\u00a0final game.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Greatest Los Angeles Lakers moment of the 21st century: Kobe Bryant\u2019s Final Game<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Los Angeles Lakers are arguably the NBA&#8217;s most popular franchise. Although the purple and gold have not made a playoff appearance since the 2012-13 season, they remain widely revered and loudly cheered by a large and rabid fan base.<\/p>\n<p>Despite struggling mightily in recent seasons, the Lakers have had many notable high points in the 21st century, including 11 playoff appearances, six trips to the Finals, and four NBA championships (2000-01, 2001-02, 2008-09, and 2009-10). Superstar Kobe Bryant was a major key to all those successes. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that the greatest Los Angeles Lakers moment of this century is Bryant\u2019s celebratory final NBA game.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Bryant&#8217;s Retirement Announcement<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Kobe Bryant announced his retirement from the NBA on Nov. 29, 2015, through a heartfelt poem published in the Players\u2019 Tribune entitled \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theplayerstribune.com\/dear-basketball\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dear Basketball<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&quot;This season is all I have left to give.&quot; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kobebryant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@kobebryant<\/a> pens a letter to basketball: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hu5CUoXHhJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/hu5CUoXHhJ<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1ogKdH7buP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/1ogKdH7buP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Players\u2019 Tribune (@PlayersTribune) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PlayersTribune\/status\/671114485541830656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 29, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it&#8217;s time to say goodbye,&#8221; wrote the then 37-year-old Bryant. &#8220;I\u2019m ready to let you go. I want you to know now. So we both can savor every moment we have left together.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>That evening, fans at Staples Center attending the Lakers\u2019 home game against the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/nba-teams\/indiana-pacers\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Indiana Pacers<\/a> received a thank you letter from Bryant enclosed in a black envelope embossed with gold.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">All 18,997 in attendance tonight will receive a copy of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kobebryant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@kobebryant<\/a>&#39;s &quot;Dear Basketball&quot; letter. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/iV1V7V0i2E\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/iV1V7V0i2E<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Lakers\/status\/671139781691047936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 30, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Although Bryant\u2019s announcement was not surprising, it still sent ripples through the league. Players, coaches, and pundits all had praise and advice to offer the 18-time NBA All-Star.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/o\/onealsh01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Shaquille O\u2019Neal<\/strong><\/a>, with whom Bryant won three straight titles in 2000-2002, told the future Hall of Famer to \u201crelax\u201d and enjoy all that he had built.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It&#39;s time for u to take it all in&#8230; sit back, relax &amp; enjoy all that u have built. Love u lil bro <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kobebryant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@kobebryant<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zDcNjWHBDp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/zDcNjWHBDp<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; SHAQ (@SHAQ) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SHAQ\/status\/671380980406419457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 30, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Former Laker <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gasolpa01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pau Gasol<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0recalled the \u201cincredible moments\u201d the two had shared, surely including the two championships they won together in 2009 and 2010.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We have lived incredible moments together on and off the court. Thanks for everything brother! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kobebryant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@kobebryant<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ThankYouKobe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#ThankYouKobe<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Pau Gasol (@paugasol) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/paugasol\/status\/671143954121957376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 30, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Other former teammates and NBA greats also offered their thanks and appreciation.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Hard to believe <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kobebryant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@kobebryant<\/a> is finally going to hang it up. One of the NBA&#39;s great champions. Enjoy the rest of this season my friend.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ScottiePippen\/status\/671145091264835584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 30, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">You loved the game <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kobebryant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@kobebryant<\/a> and the game loved you back! Proud to know you and honored to have represented the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PurpleandGold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#PurpleandGold<\/a> together!<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Rick Fox (@RickFox) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RickFox\/status\/671119246496276480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 30, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The game won&#39;t be the same once Kobe is gone&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; \ud83c\udfc1 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JCrossover\/status\/671183498636451840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 30, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Even NBA commissioner <strong>Adam Silver<\/strong> recognized the importance of the announcement, issuing a formal NBA statement reacting to the news.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement regarding <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kobebryant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@kobebryant<\/a>\u2019s announcement today <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fenWAw4qSH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/fenWAw4qSH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBA\/status\/671121802052001792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">November 30, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Farewell Tour<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The timing of Bryant&#8217;s announcement gave basketball fans plenty of opportunities to get a last look at the self-proclaimed \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/kobe-bryant-black-mamba-nickname-2015-3\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Black Mamba<\/a>\u201d before he exited the NBA for good. Night after night during the months that followed, Bryant was greeted by standing ovations from sold-out arenas full of adoring fans. Teams also presented tribute videos filled with highlight reels and high praise from peers.<\/p>\n<p>Well-deserved honors for Bryant, but a disservice to the Lakers franchise.<\/p>\n<p>Los Angeles\u2019 coaching and front office staff did a highly questionable job balancing respect for Bryant&#8217;s last year in the NBA with the need to rebuild their struggling program. The latter ended up being severely compromised. The Lakers&#8217; 2015-16 season was nothing more than a wash, with the majority of games played having an exhibition feel to them. The team finished dead last in the Western Conference, with a record of 17-65, the worst in franchise history. The Lakers\u2019 young talent, particularly <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/russeda01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">D&#8217;Angelo Russell<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/randlju01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Julius Randle<\/a><\/strong>, suffered most. They were denied meaningful game minutes and development opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Bryant finished the 2015-16 season as the Lakers\u2019 top scorer, averaging 17.6 points [per game. He averaged the same number of minutes per game as Russell and Randle (28.2), despite being nearly twice their age and battling numerous injuries.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Final Game<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Bryant played the last game of his career on April 13, 2016, at home against the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/nba-teams\/utah-jazz\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Utah Jazz<\/a>. Hours before the game, thousands of fans gathered outside Staples Center, most without tickets, to join in the celebration.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Lakers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Lakers<\/a> fans chanting <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Kobe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Kobe<\/a>&#39;s name outside of <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/staplescenter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@STAPLESCenter<\/a> before his last game <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/thankyoukobe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#thankyoukobe<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/mambaday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#mambaday<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xkbi9bAGlu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/xkbi9bAGlu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Crypto.com Arena (@cryptocomarena) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cryptocomarena\/status\/720419312301768705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 14, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Everywhere you looked, it was all about Kobe.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Every inch of Staples Center is covered with Kobe. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/h5b78NuNDb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/h5b78NuNDb<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dBqO602GJH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/dBqO602GJH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ArashMarkazi\/status\/720382525768511488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 13, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Inside the arena, a sold-out crowd peppered with celebrities and media showered Bryant with love and appreciation. He was introduced by Lakers great <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/johnsma02.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Magic Johnson<\/a><\/strong>, now the franchise\u2019s president of basketball operations, as the \u201cgreatest to wear the purple and gold.\u201d A video tribute featuring a number of NBA legends followed.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Magic Johnson and NBA Greats Pay Tribute to Kobe Bryant\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zk_j4drvDNw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The electricity of the night only intensified after tip-off. Bryant put on a goosebump-inducing performance in the highly anticipated game, leading the Lakers to a 101-96 comeback win. He scored 60 points on 22-for-50 shooting, converting on six three-pointers and 10 points from the line. It was the sixth 60-point game of Bryant\u2019s career and the most points scored by an NBA player in his final regular season game.<\/p>\n<p>Bryant\u2019s fourth-quarter performance was particularly noteworthy; he outscored the Jazz by himself, 23-21. Lakers coach <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/scottby01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Byron Scott<\/a><\/strong> subbed Bryant out with 4.1 seconds left in the game, to thunderous applause and chants of &#8220;KOBE! KOBE! KOBE!&#8221; It was a magical night, overflowing with excitement and raw emotion.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kobe Bryant Drops 60 in Final Game of Career!!\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BdGeXcJ-hfo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Bryant&#8217;s Legacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Bryant\u2019s retirement marked the end of an era, not only for the Lakers, but also for the NBA. He is considered by many to be one of the top five players to ever play the game.<\/p>\n<p>Bryant retired as the first player in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons with a single franchise. He led the Lakers to five NBA championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010) and was named Finals MVP on two of those occasions (2009, 2010). He was voted the NBA\u2019s Most Valuable Player in 2008, earned First-Team All-NBA honors 11 times, and was a member of the All-Defensive First Team nine times.<\/p>\n<p>Bryant is the Lakers&#8217; all-time leader in numerous categories, including regular-season games played (1,346), points (33,643), three-pointers made (1,827), steals (1,944), and free throws made (8,378). He also holds franchise playoff records for games played (220), points (5,640), three-pointers made (292), and free throws made (1,320).<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Jersey Retirement<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The Lakers are planning to retire both of Bryant&#8217;s jersey numbers, No. 8 and No. 24, on December 18, 2017, prior to a game against the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/nba-teams\/golden-state-warriors\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Golden State Warriors<\/a> in a special ceremony at the Staples Center.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We&#39;ll honor <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kobebryant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@kobebryant<\/a>&#39;s illustrious Lakers career by retiring his #8 &amp; #24 during a halftime ceremony on Dec. 18th <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Qm9nPfH1Um\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/Qm9nPfH1Um<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Lakers\/status\/907745668860538880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 12, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Bryant sported No. 8 for 10 years, from his rookie year through 2005-06, before switching to No. 24 for the remainder of his career. He will be the first player to have two uniform numbers retired by the same team, and the 10th player in Lakers history to have his number retired. The others are <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/chambwi01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wilt Chamberlain<\/a><\/strong> (No. 13), <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bayloel01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Elgin Baylor<\/a><\/strong> (No. 22), <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/goodrga01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gail Goodrich<\/a><\/strong> (No. 25), Magic Johnson (No. 32), <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/abdulka01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar<\/a><\/strong> (No. 33), Shaquille O\u2019Neal (No. 34), <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/worthja01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">James Worthy<\/a><\/strong> (No. 42), <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/westje01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jerry West<\/a><\/strong> (No. 44), and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/wilkeja01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jamaal Wilkes<\/a><\/strong> (No. 52).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"-ys0zJqpRnhfFGStD0GRDw\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.ca\/detail\/514132598\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'-ys0zJqpRnhfFGStD0GRDw',sig:'0yERC_wPsD6n4m3zokFvIrgFdmafaPY4SLpaSFvfICk=',w:'594px',h:'482px',items:'514132598',caption: true ,tld:'ca',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kobe Bryant&#8217;s last NBA game, capping off his brilliant 20-year basketball career, is the greatest Los Angeles Lakers moment of the 21st century.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1670,"featured_media":10008,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26,1166,62],"tags":[65,307,510,551,152,96,144],"class_list":["post-9969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lakers","category-best-moments","category-nba","tag-basketball","tag-dangelo-russell","tag-julius-randle","tag-kobe-bryant","tag-los-angeles-lakers","tag-nba","tag-utah-jazz"],"modified_by":"Lior Kozai (Managing Editor)","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1670"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9969"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9969\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}