The NBA's gold standard vs. the Mamba

Wednesday Night was a terrific night for the NBA. Utah and Houston were fighting for the final playoff spot in the West, Kobe Bryant's final game and the Golden State Warriors going for an NBA record of 73 wins.

Houston would win ending Utah's season before their game against Kobe and the L.A. Lakers. Against the Jazz in his final NBA game Kobe dropped 60 points and the Warriors would do the unthinkable by winning 73 games out of a possible 82.

The two headliners of the night were the Warriors and Kobe, and the contrast of the two events isn't so much a gap that it is a chasm. In Oakland you had the defending champion Warriors, a true team, led by the human video-game Steph Curry, looking to break the NBA regular-season 72-win mark set by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls 20 years ago. A record no one thought would be touched, especially in today's NBA.

The Warriors won game 73 like they have been all season with great ball-movement, terrific team defense and another "Are you kidding me," performance from Curry.

Meanwhile in L.A. there was Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest players in the history of the game, 5 championships, one MVP, two Finals MVP, once scored 81 points in a single game and the king of making bad shots.

A warning for the Kobe-zealots it's going to get a little rough from here on out.

Kobe and his 17-65 Lakers played a deflated Utah team, by the way thanks for nothing Jazz, in front of the Laker faithful. Switching back and forth between the Warriors and Kobe was like being displaced from time. Watching the Warriors you saw the future of the NBA spread the floor and move the ball around for the best shot. Watching the Lakers you saw the NBA's past, make a pass or two and watch Kobe pound the ball for most of the shot clock then hoist a contested shot.

Kobe is the last player of the iso-ball dominating era. Sure he played under Phil Jackson who ran the triangle offense but that was more for everyone not named Kobe and Shaq. It might sound like a slight but Kobe was the greatest at making bad shots. He turned making horrendous low percentage shots into a skill. The game against Utah was vintage Kobe in that he played 42 minutes scored 60 points on 50 shots. FIFTY SHOT ATTEMPTS. Congress even looked at Kobe's performance as wildly inefficient.

At the Oracle Arena Steph Curry dropped 46 points on 15 of 24 shooting in 30 minutes of play. It's unfair to compare Kobe and Curry as one is 37 years-old long past his prime and the other is 28 years old and just entering his prime. Their styles though are fair game for comparison.

Curry and the Warriors are the most entertaining team not just in the NBA but in all of sports. They have the star-power to match with the unselfish team play. Curry is incredible but watch a normal Warrior offensive possession, there are five to six passes before a shot is put up. The fluidity of the team not only on offense but defense as well, is basketball artistry at a Vincent Van Gogh level. They are the gold standard for the small-ball era of the NBA.

Kobe represents an era of the NBA that is no longer needed and when compared to the small-ball era rather unpleasing to watch. Kobe should be appreciated and celebrated for his career. He was fun to watch during the iso era but as the NBA began to shift to a better form of basketball; watching a player score 30 points on a super inefficient 25 shots was less pleasing and more infuriating.

Can we also stop with the Kobe's a good teammate because in the final seconds of the game he threw the ball to Jordan Clarkson for the game's sealing points. I'm not even sure that was a pass, I honestly think he tried to score but his shoulder gave out.

The most annoying entity on the final day of the NBA regular season was ESPN. Instead of focusing on the incredible team achievement of the Warriors, it was all Kobe and his 60 points on 50 shots. This is the same news outlet who wanted to shame Cam Newton for acting like a selfish poor sport after a Super Bowl loss. But given the opportunity to cover one of the greatest team achievements in all of sports, they opt for Kobe who needed 50 shots to get to 60 points. Bravo ESPN, Bravo!

Can we also stop with the Kobe's a good teammate because in the final seconds of the game he threw the ball the length of the court to Jordan Clarkson for the game's sealing points. I'm not even sure that was a pass, I honestly think he tried to score but his shoulder gave out.

The Warriors entered the season with a chip on their shoulder as no one was talking about them to repeat as NBA champs. That chip fueled their run towards 73. Kobe is an NBA legend and one of the 10 greatest players of all-time and done so much for the league. His final game was fitting but by no means should be more celebrated than the Warriors 73 wins.