Wednesday, April 13th will go down in the history books as one of the best days in not only NBA history, but sports history. On this day, Kobe Bryant, a NBA legend who has spent all 20 of his seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, played his final game. The Golden State Warriors with a record of 72-9 prior to April 13th played their 82nd and final game of the regular season on this day as they tried to break the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls’ regular season win record of 72-10.

With the Warriors posting a record of 72-9, ESPN pushed Kobe’s last game to ESPN2 and the Warriors’ final game to ESPN. Lots of people couldn’t decide which game to watch. Watch the defending champions attempt to break a ridiculous record or watch the arguably best player to ever play the game play his final game of his 20 year career? Being a die-hard Laker fan and a NBA enthusiast, I watched the Warriors on my laptop and watched Kobe on my big screen. People were mad about Kobe being pushed to ESPN2 and viewed it as disrespectful, but surely, ESPN must have regretted it on the night of April 13th.

This article is named Mamba Day for a reason. Nike launched an ad leading up to April 13th called Mamba Day. They released special advertisements and a special colorway of Kobe’s signature shoe for players across the NBA to wear. Players sponsored by Nike also wore black and gold shoes in honor of the Black Mamba’s final game. Snapchat even had a filter for Mamba Day. #MambaDay was easily the #1 trending topic on Twitter with Stephen Curry being second and for good reason. The Warriors went into their 82nd game as heavy favorites to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies, who are plagued with injuries, lost their second consecutive game to the defending champs, allowing them to break the regular season record.

However, like I said, #MambaDay was the #1 trending topic on Twitter by far. According to ESPN.com, no NBA player has ever scored 30 points or more in their final game. Kobe didn’t score 30… HE SCORED 60. Who can put up 60 points on their farewell game? The Black Mamba, that’s who. It’s never a good idea to underestimate the Mamba. It was a sold-out Staples Center as everyone came to watch Kobe Bryant play for the final time. Thousands of people also came to Staples Center to enjoy the festivities outside. For many Laker fans, it was a truly emotional game. Although it was a very rough season for the L.A. Lakers, the team still managed to get a win over the Utah Jazz in a 101-96 comeback victory under the leadership of Kobe. Shaquille O’Neal, former Laker and former teammate of Kobe’s, told Kobe to get 50 points in his final game and was also in attendance. Luckily for him, Kobe scored 60, shot 44% from the field on 22 of 50 shooting. Kobe also made his final shot, putting the Lakers up with seconds left on the clock. He also made his final two free throws… clutch Kobe is clutch. The 37 year old managed to put up one of the best farewell performances in NBA history.

Stars across the NBA were ecstatic about Kobe’s performance. They were also blown away by the Warriors’ ability to beat the Bulls’ record. However, with the regular season now over, Kobe has officially retired and the playoffs have started. Michael Jordan has stated: “Congratulations on the record, don’t forget about the ring.” Will the Warriors be able to continue their legendary season and repeat as champions? We’ll just have to wait and see.