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Los Angeles Lakers legendary shooting guard Kobe Bryant will be having both his No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys retired by the team on Monday night, where he will join other Lakers greats at the top of the rafters in Staples Center.
Many NBA fans from around the world have been reminiscing about Bryant's illustrious career throughout the day, which also includes injured Boston Celtics star forward Gordon Hayward.
In an article published on Monday by Alex Wong of SLAMOnline, NBA stars and former teammates opened up about their memories of playing with and against Bryant over the years. Hayward, who played as a member of the Utah Jazz during Bryant's final game, was amazed at the Black Mamba's 60-point performance and the entire Staples Center atmosphere.
“We were playing to win, but we knew this would be a special game because it was Kobe’s last game,” Hayward said. “It was one of the most exciting atmospheres I’ve ever been a part of and probably one that I’ll never be a part of again. You could literally feel it while you were warming up. Just all the celebrities there, and every time Kobe had the ball, the whole crowd just stood up and if he scored, they went nuts. And that happened throughout the entire game.”
Gordon Hayward went on to say that he couldn't believe what he was seeing out of the five-time NBA champion as if time itself was frozen.
“I remember when he was scoring his last points at the free throw line, and the crowd just going wild, and it felt like time just kind of stopped. That’s something I’ll probably never forget,” Hayward said.
That night, the Lakers stormed back to beat the Jazz as Kobe Bryant put a huge exclamation point on a legendary 20-year career in Los Angeles.
