| |
|
NBA -- Lakers fall in Kobe's farewell to Toronto
By Mark Josef PhilBoxing.com Wed, 09 Dec 2015

TORONTO -- A thick crowd of 20,163 fans trooped to the Air Canada Centre on Monday night to watch Kobe Bryant play in Toronto for the last time following his announcement to retirement at the end of this 2015-16 NBA season.
The 6-foot-6, 212-pound guard, a 5-time NBA champion and 17-time All-Star, put on a modest show, hitting eight of 16 field goals to finish with 21 points alongside eight rebounds and four assists. In 33 previous games against the Raptors over the past 19 seasons, Bryant had averaged 27 points.
This time, though, the Raptors had the final say and defeated the visiting Lakers, 102-93. The Lakers tumbled to 3-18 in the overall standings while Toronto, which ended a two-game home slide, improved to 13-9.
Kyle Lowry paced the Raptors with 27 points and six assists while Terrence Ross, who started in place of the injured DeMarre Carroll), added 22 points and six rebounds. DeMar DeRozan and Bismack Biyombo each had 15 points with Biyombo adding 11 boards Corey Joseph added 14 off the bench for Toronto.
Besides getting 21 from Kobe, the Lakers also drew 15 and 11 rebounds from Julius Randle. Lou Williams also had 15 while Jordan Clarkson contributed 13 markers and five rebounds. The Lakers made only 34 of 83 field goals (41 percent) and 7-of-19 from 3-point range (36.8 percent).
Bryant, 37, entering his 20th campaign, was blown away by fans' reception in Toronto.
"Wow.Wow," he told reporters. It felt absolutely amazing. Siting on the bench and they started chanting. We want Kobe! I was like give me five minutes."
Photo: An appreciative Kobe Bryant thanks Raptors fans for the love.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Mark Josef.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
“Thrilla” card takes shape By Joaquin Henson, , Thu, 18 Sep 2025Wishing Best to Jayson Vayson in his World Title Challenge! By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 18 Sep 2025Vayson aims to make history By Joaquin Henson, , Thu, 18 Sep 2025KAIPO GALLEGOS TRAINING CAMP NOTES , Thu, 18 Sep 2025Day Two of 2025 USA Boxing National Open Delivers 108 Action-Packed Bouts in Tulsa , Thu, 18 Sep 2025Bryce Mills Boxes James Bernadin At del Lago Resort & Casino On Thursday, Oct. 30, in Waterloo, NY , Thu, 18 Sep 2025Caribbean Clash Returns Friday, November 7th at Gulfstream Park Casino in Hallandale, Florida , Thu, 18 Sep 2025VM Sotto, City Council Recognize GM Joey Antonio By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 18 Sep 2025Larida is Southern Coach of the Year By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 18 Sep 2025D.C. Knockout Artist Scooter Davis Signs Promotional Contract with Top Rank , Thu, 18 Sep 2025THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 15 SEPTEMBER 2025: Crawford Snatches Canelo's Undisputed Crown at 168 Lbs; Inoue Defeats Akhmadliev to Retain 4 Superbantam Belts; Crocker Outpoints Donovan By Eric Armit, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025TICKET NEWS: EUBANK JR-BENN II ON SALE FROM THIS WEDNESDAY , Wed, 17 Sep 2025“Night of Champions” Returns to Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando on September 19 , Wed, 17 Sep 2025Canelo-Crawford: The Consolidation of Boxing’s New Commercial Empire By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025A New Era for Boxing: Canelo vs. Crawford Shatters Global Viewership Records on Netflix By Dong Secuya, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025Crawford Not the First Lightweight to Distinguish Himself at Super Middleweight By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025Kurt Scoby and Josh Popper Headline Boxing Insider Card September 19 in Times Square , Wed, 17 Sep 2025Green and Gold 2025: Amateur Boxing’s International Gathering in Bolivia By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 17 Sep 2025Pakistan's Sameer Khan Set to Battle for UBO Youth World Title in Brico Santig’s Sep 27 Show in Thailand By Carlos Costa, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025SAMBO Pilipinas is Southern NSA of the Year 2025 By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025Kingsley “The Black Lion” Ibeh To headline historic “Legacy Nights” Inaugural Pro Boxing event in El Salvador , Tue, 16 Sep 2025Smarts over power By Joaquin Henson, , Tue, 16 Sep 2025HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION RICKY HATTON , Tue, 16 Sep 2025Kazakhstan tops the medal table at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 thanks to victory in the final bout of the competition , Tue, 16 Sep 2025THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 13: JOE FRAZIER’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN AMATEUR FIGHTER By Maloney L. Samaco, , Mon, 15 Sep 2025 |

|
|
|
|
|