Kobe Bryant was the star of the show Sunday night in Toronto. Isaiah Thomas was happy just to be a supporting character.
Sunday marked the 18th and — barring an unexpected change of heart — final NBA All-Star Game appearance for Bryant, who plans to retire at the end of this season. The Los Angeles Lakers star scored just 10 points in the game but was showered with admiration from his fellow All-Stars, including Thomas, who hugged Bryant as the surefire Hall of Famer exited the court for the final time.
“He’s the greatest player of my generation,” Thomas told reporters after the game, via Celtics.com. “Somebody that I’ve looked up to, and we probably won’t see another Kobe Bryant ever again, so it’s such an honor to be able to share a court with him. …
“For me and my family to go through this weekend was great. Hopefully, I can have more weekends like this.”
The Boston Celtics point guard and first-time All-Star played 19 minutes in the Eastern Conference’s 196-173 loss to the West, scoring nine points on 4-of-11 shooting and collecting three rebounds.
Thumbnail photo via Peter Llewellyn/USA TODAY Sports Images
