Kobe Bryant Sets NBA Record for Most Seasons With One Team

Kobe Bryant has now played twenty seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, which is a new NBA record.

Bryant and the Lakers came up short 112-111 Wednesday night against the emotionally-drained Minnesota Timberwolves, with Lou Williams missing a short floater at the buzzer.

With his typical business-like approach to the game, Kobe struggled from the field—shooting 8-24 overall, and just 3-13 from beyond the arc—but says it’s only a matter of time until he regains his stroke.

Per the LA Times:

Before the game, all the focus was on Bryant’s past, with everyone buzzing about him setting an NBA record for the most seasons with one team, surpassing John Stockton’s 19 years with the Utah Jazz. […] “It’s unbelievable,” said Lakers head coach Byron Scott. “I don’t know if we’ll see that one again.”

 

Bryant started quietly, picked it up nicely and then faded badly in the end, finishing with 24 points on eight-for-24 shooting. He was particularly poor from the three-point stripe, making only three of a whopping 13 attempts that were “probably a bit too many,” Scott said.

 

Lakers fans serenaded Williams with a steady stream of “Louuuu” after he scored his ninth point in six minutes. He finished with 21 points and three assists. […] Williams couldn’t win the game, though. He had an open lane down the right side after Bryant inbounded the ball from the left, but his shot wouldn’t drop.

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