“Couldn’t compete against bro in his shoes LOL”: 2x NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas nostalgically recalls Kobe Bryant's final game in Boston
Isaiah Thomas and Kobe Bryant were at one time the faces of the most rivaled franchise in basketball, which is the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. The two-time NBA All-Star had the honor of playing against 'The Black Mamba' in his last game against the Celtics in Boston.
December 30, 2015, was the day that Kobe Bryant battled the Celtics for the last time. Isaiah Thomas was Boston's top offensive option at the time, as the Lakers prevailed 112-104.
In a series of Instagram stories, Thomas recalls the day that he played against Bryant and says that he hesitated wearing Kobe Byrant Nike shoes that game as he wanted to give the five-time NBA champion a good competition.
"I was so competitive lol. I didn't even wear Kobe's this game. Couldn't compete against bro in his shoes LOL. He would've mentally beat me already," posts Thomas.
Of course, after the game, it was all for the love of the game and Thomas shared a light moment with Bryant as his son took a picture with him.
"The after he took a pic with my whole fam. It was crazy. Waited for us and everything," Thomas said.
Kobe Bryant records double-double in Lakers win over the Celtics
In his last game against the Celtics, Kobe Bryant gave it all as he tallied a double-double in the Los Angeles Lakers victory at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The former league MVP ended the game with 15 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two three-pointers.
Leading the Lakers that time in scoring was Jordan Clarkson firing 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field. Lou Williams was not far behind with 19 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
A young Julus Randle came off the bench for the Lakers with a double-double as well, doing 15 points and 12 boards, while D'Angelo Russell chipped in with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists.
On the other side, Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics with 24 points, seven assists, and three rebounds while shooting an accurate 7-of-15 from the field. Evan Turner came off the bench to help out with 20 points, eight assists, and four rebounds, while Jae Crowder tallied 17 points.
Three-point shooting was the edge of the Celtics in this game, as they sank 9-of-19 from beyond the arc while the Lakers shot 7-of-27. Bryant struggled to find his groove, and he shot 5-of-15 from the field.