Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers during an NBA game on April 5, 2016 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. (Photo : Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Kobe Bryant has only one game remaining in his illustrious NBA career when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Utah Jazz on April 13, Wednesday. Lakers head coach Byron Scott has only one game plan for the team, "Get KB the ball."
Scott added that Bryant will also play the most minutes this season which means "Mamba" would likely score 82 points.
Lakers coach Byron Scott said he has one message for his players during timeouts:
"Get KB the ball."— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) April 11, 2016
Byron Scott said Kobe will play more minutes in his career finale than Kobe has played all season. Kobe’s season-high for minutes: 37. — Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) April 11, 2016
However, it has been a very difficult season for Bryant, the Lakers and their fans. Father time has finally caught up with the 37-year-old basketball icon as he only averages 16.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
According to Basketball Reference, the 2008 NBA MVP is also shooting a career-low 35.4 percent from the field while only playing 65 games this season. On the other hand, the Lakers are having the worst season in franchise history with a record of 16-65 with one game remaining.
NBA fans would just love to see one more great performance from Bryant before his retirement becomes official, but it comes with a steep price. According to ESPN, the average StubHub ticket price of his final is $971.
That amount is more than double of the average ticket price of the Golden State Warriors' final game where they go for their record-breaking 73rd regular season win.
"It is virtually unprecedented to see the two highest-priced regular-season games of the year take place in the last game of the season at games with no playoff stakes involved," StubHub spokesman Glenn Lehrman said.
Bryant will be retiring as a legend and a basketball icon after playing 20 years in the NBA. He is sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer and a five-time NBA champion. He is also former NBA MVP and a two-time NBA Finals MVP.
Bryant has also won two Olympic gold medals and is an 18-time All-Star. Those are very big accomplishments for someone who just finished high school. He has been the face of the NBA after Michael Jordan and leaves an everlasting legacy in the game of basketball.
To commemorate his final game, watch the top ten plays of Bryant's NBA career.
