Kobe Bryant shoot poorly in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 106-98 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, and he was so upset he walked off the court before the game actually ended.
Bryant had missed a three pointer that would have made it a five-point game with around 20 seconds left when he went back to the defensive side of the court. Rather than foul Memphis, the Lakers conceded defeat and allowed the Grizzlies to dribble out the clock. Bryant wasn’t in the mood to stick around for the Grizzlies’ celebration, so he began walking off the court and toward the locker room with about 12 seconds left. He made his complete exit from the court with about five seconds on the clock, and was the first member of the Lakers inside the tunnel.
Kobe shot 7-for-23 and scored 13 of his 30 points at the free throw line by shooting 13-14. He went 0-for-5 from the field in the final five minutes of the game, including three missed three-point attempts.
We have seen examples of players like Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo heading off the floor before a game ends, so this is nothing new. Highly competitive players often have a hard time accepting defeat or sticking around to congratulate opponents. Whether you like it or not, Kobe is not out there to make friends, but to win games, and we know he thinks being an a-hole is necessary in basketball.
