The STAPLES Center had a strange vibe even before the opening tip of the Los Angeles Lakers matchup with the Indiana Pacers after Kobe Bryant made his announcement prior to the game that he will be retiring at the end of the season. At that point, it felt like the fans and Lakers were only concerned about saying goodbye to Kobe.
Kobe, on the other hand, was apparently amped up by the announcement and the buzz it created because he came out of the gate pressing in a major way. He shot a disappointing 1-15 in the first half as the Lakers managed just 35 first-half points to the Pacers’ 48.