Black Mamba didn’t win Most Valuable Player in his final All-Star Game, but was treated to a standing ovation from the Air Canada Centre as the West cruised to a 196-173 victory.
Kobe Bryant finished with 10 points on 4-11 shooting, and added six rebounds and seven assists in just over 25 minutes of action. In his final touch, Bryant backed down former teammate Pau Gasol before bricking a midrange fadeaway.
Bryant was chasing several records besides a fifth MVP award. In the third, he broke two ASG records for most career steals and most career field goal attempts, both previously held by Michael Jordan. Multiple team records were broken in the game, as the teams combined for 369 points.
Kobe was the Vegas favorite to win the MVP, and was the runaway leader in our poll. But the award went to Russell Westbrook, who scored 31 points and became the first person to win back-to-back ASGMVPs in over 50 years. The East didn’t put up much of a fight, but Paul George led all scorers with 41 points, one short of Wilt Chamberlain’s all-time record.
