I am not trying to make Lakers Nation relive the victory snatched from our grasp for malicious reasons. I was crushed last night too. I literally could not believe the last sequence- it was fitting in the context of the game but highly uncharacteristic otherwise. The reason I think this loss upset me more than some others is because it was SO painful to lose in that fashion, to not even get a shot off after the game finally seemed within reach.
Ironically, I wasn’t that made at Kobe and don’t think anyone else should be either, no matter how the last sequence 
went down. It’s not because I think he can do no wrong (he definitely can): it is because everyone makes mistakes. We wouldn’t have even been in a position to win without his two huge 3s. How can I call myself a fan and begrudge him that respect?
People can have notoriously short memories, a “what have you done for me lately” attitude. Kobe Bean Bryant has saved the Lakers too many times for me to feel like I have the right to be upset. He might not have been the Kobe we wanted at the very end of the game, but there you have it: it taught us to appreciate the basketball genius we are privy to 99% of the time.
It would be one thing if he had tried to take a bad shot after he playing poorly the whole game with everyone else on point, but the truth of the matter is the whole team played and shot poorly. He was hot at the time and honestly who else would you rather have the ball in that situation but Kobe? If you think he doesn’t feel the worst about his end-of-game gaffe, then you don’t know the Mamba. I’ll still take him every time.
