When No. 24 hangs up his sneakers for the final time, the sport of basketball will have lost a legend. Love him or hate him—with Bryant, there doesn't seem to be much middle ground—you have to respect what he's meant to the NBA.
He'll go down as one of history's best players. Personally, I had him at No. 11 when I ranked the top 100 legends of the Association's many years, and the unfortunate nature of his play throughout the swan song likely won't influence that placement.
Summing up Bryant's career isn't easy.
During the remaining portion of the 2015-16 campaign, you'll likely read countless pieces waxing poetic about his spot in history and how much he meant to the Los Angeles Lakers. Given the amount of time and energy he's poured into his craft, it's only appropriate.
Bryant can't reasonably be boiled down into a handful of numbers, but that's not going to stop us from trying. Here are four stats that sum up his career.
Stat No. 1: 25.3 career points per game and 55.2 true shooting percentage
Forget about the miserable shooting percentages you've seen Bryant post during the last few seasons of his spectacular career. Though it's undeniable that he's been playing at a low level, he has a pretty valid excuse—his legs have completely abandoned him after a litany of injuries and the ill effects of that pesky old Father Time.
During his prime years, the shooting guard never submitted sparkling field-goal percentages. But it's not like he had to, as his athleticism and aggressive mentality allowed him to charge tow...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
