OAKLAND -– Kobe Bryant took a seat in a crowded room Thursday afternoon and allowed himself a few minutes to reminisce.
Wrapping up an illustrious 20-year career, Bryant was making his final visit to Oracle Arena, leading the struggling Los Angeles Lakers against the defending champion Warriors.
Those distinctions alone are proof that times have changed.
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“It’s been fun to watch the progression, more so than anything, of playing this team when I first came into the league and the team not being very good, and then kind of going through a phase there where they had a really good team and to what they are now,” Bryant said in a pregame news conference.
“And watching how the funs stuck by the team, it’s been fun to watch that progression.”
More often than not, Bryant and the Lakers were dominating bad Warriors teams.
And no Laker did more dominating than Kobe, who averaged 27.1 points in road games against the Warriors. Oakland is also where he had his first 50-point game, lighting it up for 51 on Dec. 6, 2000, only to be outdone by Warriors forward Antawn Jamison, who matched Kobe’s 51 and led the home team to victory.
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“We’ve had some pretty crazy ones here,” Bryant recalled. “We’ve had me and Antawn, going back and forth, and I remember there being a game where I had a tip-in on a free throw to force overtime. I’ve had some pretty good games here, some really bizarre games here.”
Asked what made Oracle unique, Bryant did not hesitate.
“There’s a lot more energy in this building,” he said. “There are certain arenas around the league that seem to be constructed in a way where you can really feel the energy in the place. It feels like the fans are right on top of you. And it always seems to be a very young and very energetic crowd."
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Bryant recalled not only certain games but also individuals, saying Monta Ellis was one of his toughest defensive assignments against the Warriors –- but noting that he hasn’t had much exposure to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
“This crew now, I rarely get a chance to see them,” Bryant said. "I haven’t played in like three years. So I haven’t had a chance to really match up with Klay or Steph or Harrison (Barnes) for that matter."
And to think, the Warriors had an opportunity to draft Bryant out of Lower Merion High School in 1996. He was clearly talented, but was also considered a risky pick at age 17. They instead chose North Carolina State big man Todd Fuller, who had a brief and obscure NBA career.
Then-Lakers general manager Jerry West wanted Bryant so badly that he got creative, engineering a deal to acquire the rights to the teenager.
The Warriors were 30-52 in 1996-97, Bryant’s rookie season, and took 10 full seasons before posting a winning record. The Lakers, meanwhile, went 56-26 with Bryant as a rookie. Only once in his first 17 seasons did they post a losing record. They also won five NBA titles.
And now, the Lakers are in the midst of their third-consecutive losing season. The Warriors are coming off a championship and have the best record in the league.
Does Bryant miss not competing with the Warriors in a playoff atmosphere?
“No,” he said. “I’m good. For what? They play too well here. I’d rather not. If I had to, and the challenge presented itself, of course I’d rise to the challenge.
“But if I had a choice, absolutely not. I don’t want to deal with this crowd.”