There are moments in sports history that are so significant that you remember where you were when it happened. From the "Rumble in the Jungle" to Michael Jordan's "The Shot," these moments are firmly etched into memories and become part of the fabric of sports culture.
One such moment came on April 13, 2016: Kobe Bryant 's final NBA game. The Los Angeles Lakers legend had announced earlier in the season that the 2015-16 campaign would be his last in the league, capping off an illustrious 20-year career. As fans and celebrities flocked to the Staples Center, one player had a front-row seat to Kobe's incredible final game: D'Angelo Russell .
Tried to get the ball to Kobe as much as possible
DLo, who was then playing in his first season in the NBA, was aware of the enormity of the proceedings. As the starting point guard of that Lakers squad, he knew what his job was on that night: to try and get the ball in Kobe's hands as much as possible.
"When you got the ball and they're booing you, you know what that means: get that ball to that man," the one-time All-Star told Theo Pinson on "Run Your Race."
It wasn't only DLo who recognized what that game meant; his teammates, including Julius Randle, were all trying to help the "Black Mamba" deliver a fitting curtain call.
"Julius was just trying to score. I remember him saying, 'Bro, I'm just trying to get on the board, like I ain't trying to have zero.' So everybody was just trying to get two points, just get on the board. He'd get all the other ones," the left-handed guard from Kentucky revealed as Randle wound up with only two points but grabbed nine rebounds.
As Bean found his stroke in the fourth quarter, his teammates did their best to hand him the ball and pry him free from the Utah Jazz's defense.
"That's what it was. It was really us running around trying to get him the ball because they were trapping him. He was shooting tough twos, like one foot inside the three-point line pull-ups," DLo added.
Related: Mike Krzyzewski talks about coaching LeBron James: "He and Kobe were the two guys who were just above everyone in preparation"
Thrilling finale
As Kobe's decorated career came down to its final 12 minutes, the legendary shooting guard's focus was on one thing: winning. The Lakers trailed by nine entering the fourth, but Bean wasn’t going to leave the NBA on a sour note.
Despite every part of his body aching from two decades of wear and tear, Bryant fought through the pain to put on one final show for the fans. He scored 23 points in the fourth and 15 of the Lakers' last 17 points, including the go-ahead jumper with 31 seconds for a 101-96 victory.
DLo said he saw how determined Kobe was in those final minutes.
"You could see his face, he looked young, like he just had it. I don't know what was getting him through that, but he didn't come out of the game at all. He knew this was all he had left," Russell stated.
Memories are now all we have left of the great Kobe Bryant, who passed away four years later after that fateful contest in a tragic helicopter crash. His final game was a classic reminder of the Mamba mentality that defined him—relentless, determined, and always giving it his all.
Related: "I was just naive to his whole legacy" - D'Angelo Russell talks about challenges of having Kobe Bryant as mentor
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