The recent all-around success of the popular ESPN docuseries “The Last Dance” has prompted the potential of another of its kind detailing Kobe Bryant's career, including his last season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Mitch Kupchak, the longtime general manager of the franchise, noted that it would be a vastly different scenario than Michael Jordan's last season with the Chicago Bulls if the series were to come to fruition.
Kupchak, who was the Lakers' GM from 1994 to 2017, argued Bryant's last season doesn't have the same “script” as Jordan's second ride with the Bulls did in the pursuit of yet another three-peat:
“It was a tough year,” said Kupchak, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic. “It’s not the script you want to write. The script is you win a championship and you retire. That’s the script. Not playing with a bunch of young kids, winning 17 games, being hurt the whole time, not being able to practice. That’s not the script.”
Most forget that the 2015-16 season, Bryant's last with the Lakers, set an all-time worst record of any season by the franchise — even after Bryant poured 60 points in the season finale to give the Lakers that 17th victory.
Bryant didn't ride off into the sunset the way Jordan did in his second retirement, which is largely why The Last Dance is so interesting. Rather, Bryant arguably limped his way to retirement, no longer the same potent scorer, while still every bit the competitor.
“Very different scenarios,” said former Lakers forward Ryan Kelly. “We weren’t in a position to win at that time. The Lakers were transitioning to a younger group at the time while also trying to show appreciation for Kobe and the amazing career that he had.”
Bryant's 60-point game could be the saving grace as one of the best last games by any athlete, but a 2015-16 season filled with failure, missed practices and spending more time in the physical therapy room than on the court depict a much less-enticing story than “The Last Dance” had to offer.
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