NEW YORK — The farewell came Sunday at 5:59 p.m ET, with hugs and smiles, a stirring ovation and one final wave—an NBA legend and a legendary arena sharing a last embrace.
Kobe Bryant raised his left palm to meet the gentle cheers, then disappeared into a Madison Square Garden tunnel.
This was almost certainly goodbye, even if Bryant, at age 37 and in his 20th year of professional basketball, isn't quite ready to say so. This was almost certainly the last chapter in a most unique basketball romance.
Kobe Bryant never played for New York, but New York has long adored Kobe Bryant—cheered him, embraced him like a favored son, even as he diced up New York's team and stamped his name in New York's record books.
Knicks fans could boo the Los Angeles Lakers and cheer for the Lakers' star in the same breath, contradictions be dammed. Bryant always returned the love, always proclaimed his adoration for the place he called "the Mecca of basketball."
So it was again Sunday, with the Lakers making their only visit of the season, and the Knicks pulling out a 99-95 victory in front ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Howard Beck
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