by Brian Abate, Chris DiGeronimo and Gianluca Milea
Kobe Bryant
The late great Kobe Bryant did not have anything left to prove when he decided to call it quits after the 2016 season. He had already won 5 NBA titles, 2 Finals MVPs, 2 scoring titles, 1 regular season MVP (2008), all while appearing in 18 All-Star games. Kobe was one of the best to ever step on an NBA court but he still had one more obstacle to face, his final game as a Los Angeles Laker.
The Lakers were 16-65 going into game 82 against the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2016. With no playoff implications on the line Kobe knew all the attention was going to be on him. With 19,000 in attendance and 5.2 million watching nationwide, he did not disappoint. He got off to a slow start going 0-5 in the first six minutes, but knowing Kobe a slow start was not going to defy how he finished his storied career. With the world watching, The Black Mamba single handedly kept the Lakers in the game, matching the Jazz shot for shot. With 2:36 left and the Lakers down by 10, Kobe went on a one man rampage scoring 13 unanswered points. The one man run led to a 19 foot jumper, and two free throws to ice the victory in the final minute. The Lakers would go on to win 101-96. Kobe accumulated an astounding 60 points, going 22 of 50 from the field with 4 assists. The 60 points were the highest single game output that season, and the 50 shots were the most since 1993 when Michael Jordan put up 49 shots against the Magic.
Kobe’s legacy has left a monumental impact on the game of basketball, and his final performance was just a microcosm of the long lasting effect he has had on a generation of talent. The Mamba Mentality will live on forever. Mamba out.
John Elway
In the 1997-98 season, John Elway led the Denver Broncos on an incredible Super Bowl run and capped it off with an upset victory over Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers to win his first Super Bowl.
The following season Elway led the Broncos to the Super Bowl for the second season in a row. He was 38-years-old. This time, Denver would be taking on the Atlanta Falcons. Both teams had dominant regular seasons and finished 14-2.
Trailing 3-0 in the first quarter, Elway connected with Rod Smith for a 41-yard pass that would eventually set up a touchdown to give them a 7-3 lead. In the second quarter, he connected with Smith once again, this time on an 80-yard touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Elway led back-to-back touchdown drives and capped the second one with a rushing touchdown. That gave Denver a 31-6 lead and they went on to win 34-19.
Elway threw for 336 yards with one touchdown and one interception to go along with his rushing touchdown. He was named Super Bowl MVP.
Elway announced his retirement in the offseason, making his spectacular Super Bowl performance his final game.
Joe DiMaggio
Perhaps one of the most important games of his career was also his last. Joe DiMaggio dawned the infamous pinstripes one final time during game 6 of the 1951 World Series. Although his stats do not necessarily “jump off the page” as the other members of this list, DiMaggio’s contributions to the Yankees’ 4-3 victory over the Giants proved to be imitable. Joltin’ Joe would only record one hit, a double in the eighth inning. However, his presence in the middle of a daunting Yankee lineup was enormous. The Giants intentionally walked Joe twice, which proved to be vital in the tight contest.
Combined with the gravity of this game, Joe did not disappoint. Not only was DiMaggio able to capture his elusive 9th World Series title, it was a passing of the torch moment as well. DiMaggio’s departure from the Bronx would make room for rising star Mickey Mantle to flourish. Mantle was also able to capture his first ring in 1951. In a very “DiMaggio-esque” fashion, The Yankee Clipper ended his playing days just as he had started them … on top.
Ray Bourque
By the time Ray Bourque was ready to take the ice in Game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals he was one of the most accomplished players in NHL history. He won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in the 1979-80 season. He won the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman five times. He had 1,579 points. The one thing he hadn’t done was win the Stanley Cup.
After 21 seasons with the Boston Bruins, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche to try to finally lift the Cup.
Bourque was 40-years-old in 2001 but was still one of Colorado's best players. The Avalanche jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and never looked back to win the game 3-1. Bourque played 29:35, the second most of any player in the game. Adam Foote played nine more seconds than Bourque. While Bourque didn’t score he was excellent defensively and helped Colorado come from back from down 3-2 in the series. He finally got to lift the Cup and retired as a champion after years of heartbreak.
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