On the day of the NBA draft in 1996, the Los Angeles Lakers traded established center Vlade Divac to the Charlotte Hornets for a skilled shooter just drafted thirteenth overall. The Lakers later signed arguably the most dominant payer in the league at the time in Shaquille O’Neal, but lacked talent surrounding him.

Enter Kobe Bryant, shooting guard out of Lower Merion High School, Philadelphia, PA.

19 seasons later, on November 29, Bryant announced his retirement from the NBA in a heartfelt poem via The Players Tribune.

Seventeen All-Star Games.  MVP. Two Finals MVP awards. Two scoring championships. Twelve All-Defensive team selections.

Five-time NBA champion.

There is a lot to be said about Kobe Bryant, but in the end, the matter is simple. He is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Bryant will obviously be most remembered for his iconic scoring, but he was more than that, as shown by his twelve all defense selections. So throughout the year as Kobe’s career is remembered, it is imperative to look beyond the superstar that he became, and see that he is the end of a long line of NBA greats.

It is easy to see it; basketball as we know it is changing. You look at the champion (and undefeated) Golden State Warriors and see a team composed entirely of players who can shoot the three. The game we love has distanced itself as far as possible from the days when Bryant entered the league–the days of Jordan and Olajuwon. Kobe entered as an 18-year-old kid and started six games in his rookie 1996-97 campaign. The Lakers took a chance on him, and although he only averaged 7.6 PPG in his rookie year, the potential was there. The Lakers offense was already designed around Kobe, and he boasted unusual confidence in his game for a teenager. Shaquille O’Neal dubbed him “showboat,” and he had made it clear he did not sign up for a “babysitting” role with the Lakers. An early rift grew between the two. Bryant earned his first all-star selection in his second year, and even though he only started one game, he saw his minutes jump to 26 per game. As his publicity expanded, Bryant became more of a one-on-one player.

Jordan’s Bulls still ruled the basketball world in Bryant’s first two seasons, but with the new millennium, the NBA was about to see a power shift. Basketball was becoming more individual, and signs of less team play were evident. Bryant entered the 1999 season as the clear number one shooting guard on the Lakers, starting all fifty games played in the lockout shortened year. Although locker room problems continued to grow, the Lakers were making strides towards a title. Still, they could not make the jump from a good team to a great one. Bryant and O’Neal continued to fight for the leading superstar role as their struggles pushed onto the court. They needed a coach to sort everything out, and in came Phil Jackson. He made it clear that things on the court would start and end with Shaq. Their elusive title finally came in 2000. And again in 2001. Then the three-peat in 2002.

Kobe became a full-fledged superstar. The Lakers were simply dominant in the beginning of the new decade, and Bryant’s individual game had taken on a life of its own. With the floor spaced, he took over. He was clutch; he could drive and even shoot the occasional three. He was a game-changing shooter. The Lakers reached the finals once again in 2004, but the team seemed (as later called by coach Phil Jackson) “soulless.” It was not all sunshine and rainbows for those championship teams, and even though they continued to win and play beautiful basketball, superstars Bryant and O’Neal were drifting apart.

From egotistical clashes to alley-oops, we saw it all out of this duo. During the first championship run of 2000, Shaq even singled out Kobe’s “selfish play” as the reason for a losing streak. O’Neal reportedly pitted the entire team against Bryant’s style of play, forcing Phil Jackson and his coaching staff to run the storied triangle offense. This would help the team to play together and allow for a smooth relationship on the court. As the seasons rolled on, stories emerged that Shaq directed a lot of hate towards Bryant especially in practice, but Kobe handled it and continued. Kobe did not care what anyone said. When the day was done he knew that if he trusted his abilities he would take himself far, and even though he took heat Bryant did just that. O’Neal requested a trade in the 2000-01 season saying, “if the big dog ain’t me, then the house won’t get guarded – period.” He was sick of Bryant leading the team, but Jackson showed no concern. O’Neal won all three Finals MVP awards in the 2000-2002 championships. Relations remained positive from the middle of the run, and on the court chemistry between the two climaxed in the classic game seven in Sacramento in 2002. In the 2003-04 season, Kobe was finally fed up. It was all about getting paid for both superstars, and it was clear only one was going to stay with LA. It finally culminated after the Lakers lost in the 2004 Finals. One day after Shaq was traded to Miami, Kobe re-signed with the Lakers. The team chose to stick with their star, and he deserved every penny of his 136 million dollar deal.

Fallout ensued. Jackson wrote a book blasting Bryant titled The Last Season: A Team in Search of its Soul. This tell-all addressed the 2004 season, but the Lakers made it clear that they would stick with Bryant. His publicity took a hit, and even though times were tough for the star the Lakers built dominant teams around Bryant later on.

Professional basketball continued to change. It was easier to drive to the basket, more defensive fouls were being called. Most of all, the decline of the big man was easy to see, and with that the amount of superstar guards skyrocketed.

The Lakers seemingly trudged through many good, yet mediocre seasons until 2008. Kobe was the best player in the league at this point and had been for many years. But even he changed. In 2009, he gelled with Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom to win a fourth championship. He went from a one-on-one shooter to an all-around team player, which was especially notable after a loss in 2008 in the Finals against the Celtics took its toll on Kobe. These Laker teams of the end of the decade won two of three finals and were a pleasure to watch. The apex came in the 2010 Finals when Bryant was named MVP of the series. He not only averaged 29 PPG but also pitched in 6 APG. Bryant materialized with these teams, and it was special to finally see him share chemistry with his teammates.

There is not much to say about Kobe that has not been said. A big part of his career was engulfed in off of the court struggles with Shaq, but beyond all of that, they were amazing on the court, and Kobe continued that in his fourth and fifth championship winning seasons. However, above all, Kobe is the last of his kind. Coming straight from high school and playing during the end of the (real) Jordan days, Kobe developed a ferocity that is not often seen in today’s NBA. The level of play has changed. We always look for the next Michael Jordan, but the fact is simple; players like Jordan and Kobe are once in a lifetime. The mid-range all-around guard is gone, and the three-point shooter has taken over. Kobe has been there for it all. His public image was revered, hated, and loved all at the same time. One of the greatest scorers in the history of basketball is retiring and will go out with a proper send-off. One team for twenty years. Up there with the greatest players in the Lakers illustrious history.

The 90’s NBA is gone. Gone are the days of fierce competitors who drove to the paint and did not get a call. Gone are the days of the overpowering big man and gone are the days of smooth, team play.

Gone is Kobe Bryant.

(All stats courtesy of basketballreference.com   and Achievements list