Bryant conveniently stole the spotlight just moments after Dwight Howard had been ejected for his second tech. The big man's exit might have marked the end of his career as a Laker. And, unfortunately, it happened in eerily similar fashion to the way Andrew Bynum gracelessly bowed out of his a year earlier.
Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times noted the almost surreal drama of the entire episode:
Only in Hollywood...9:51 left in 3rd quarter, D12 gets ejection..at 8:51 of quarter, Kobe hobbles out w/crutches to standing ovation...
— Bill Plaschke (@BillPlaschke) April 29, 2013 Bryant's timing was undoubtedly strange, but his method of entry could have used a little work. I mean, if he meant to steal the show, he really should have raised the ante. Justin Verrier of ESPN had a good suggestion for how Bryant could have stepped up his showmanship game:
Would've been better if Kobe descended from the rafters, but this was OK, too.
— Justin Verrier (@JustinVerrier) April 29, 2013 Of course, it's probably unfair to assume that Bryant was hunting the spotlight. Maybe he really did want to provide his teammates support and a morale boost as they stumbled toward inevitable defeat. Then again, maybe there's a simpler explanation.
ESPN's J.A. Adande had a pretty good theory:
Maybe Kobe didn't want to hang out with Dwight in the locker room.
— J.A. Adande (@jadande) April 29, 2013 After a season filled with surprise, sadness and unparalleled drama, Bryant provided L.A. fans with one final image to remember.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers