Twenty years ago, Kobe Bryant made his NBA debut as an 18-year-old fresh out of high school He went scoreless in the game He was a fivetime champion, third all-time leading scorer, and 18-time all-star He played the last game of his career in what was an emotional sendoff to the Los Angeles Lakers great Bryant, known by the moniker he gave himself, the Black Mamba, and the Lakers faced off against the Utah Jazz at home to end the season He announced his retirement in a poem last November, in part writing, “My heart can take the pounding / My mind can handle the grind / But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.” Indeed, the last few seasons have been hard for Bryant, and the Lakers Los Angeles is missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season, something that seemed unheard of during the Phil Jackson years of coaching from 1999 to 2004 and from 2005 to 2011 In the team’s 68-year history, the Lakers have only missed the playoffs eight times Rupturing his Achilles tendon in 2013 and breaking a bone in his left knee in 2014 made Bryant lose much of the effectiveness that made him one of the best players in the league, making way for the dominance of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Russell Westbrook Bryant leaves a big mark on the NBA, and basketball in general Beyond his two Finals MVPs and 33,583 points, he’s also a two-time Olympic gold medal winner for the United States Magic Johnson, another Lakers legend, in a letter said Bryant changed the game of basketball along with other greats like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan “Every night you played, I couldn’t wait to watch knowing that I would witness an unbelievable shot or move that I had never seen on the court,” Johnson writes “I marveled at the skills and loved the energy you brought to the game wearing that purple and gold uniform.” Bryant, the future Hall of Famer, started the game for the Lakers at 10:30 Eastern at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Kobe Bryant gave Los Angeles one last night to remember, scoring 60 points on 50 shots in his final game after a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers Purple and gold balloons and streamers rained down on the Staples Center as the city said goodbye to Black Mamba after a 101-96 victory against the Utah Jazz 'You can't write something better than this,' Kobe said after the game 'You guys will always be in my heart.' 'What can I say? Mamba out.' Sources: http://www.theatlantic.com http://www.dailymail.co.uk (abridged and adapted) Say Say whether whether the the following following statetments are true statetments are true (T) (T) or or false false (F) (F) Kobe Kobe started started playing playing for for NBA NBA when when he he was was eighteen eighteen In In his his first first game game he he scored scored 60 60 points points He He won won the the championship championship for for three three times times and and was was the the leading leading scorer scorer for for five five times times His His last last game game for for the the Los Los Angeles Angeles Lakers Lakers was was against against the the Utah Utah Jazz Jazz In In 2013, 2013, he he had had an an injury injury in in his his ankle ankle Lebron Lebron James James has has been been one one of of his his biggest biggest rivals rivals One One of of his his dreams dreams was was to to participate participate in in the the Olympic Olympic games games Magic Magic Johnson Johnson said said Bryant Bryant had had aa very very positive positive influence influence in in baskeball baskeball Bryant Bryant gave gave himself himself the the nickname nickname of of Black Black Mamba Mamba Bryant Bryant played played professional professional basketball basketball for for thirty thirty years years Match Match these these words words with with their their meaning meaning 1 score score 2 scoreless scoreless 3 scorer scorer 4 league league 5 season season 6 shot shot 7 game game 8 playoff playoff A An activity or sport that people play, usually with rules and needing skill B A contest or series of games to determine a championship, as between the winners of two competitions C A group of teams that compete against each other in a sport D any act of throwing or hitting something, as in certain sports E The number of points /goals someone gets in a game F Someone who scores a point or goal in a game G no goals or points are scored H A period during which a particular sport takes place Now write a text about your person favourite sports