It wasn’t officially a farewell send-off, though it certainly felt like one. Kobe Bryant wore his purple-and-gold uniform in the Garden for the first time since 2012 and just about everybody in the building was guessing this might be the last time he would perform at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
Perhaps for the first time in his brilliant career, Bryant wasn’t the villain on this Sunday afternoon. Instead, he was cheered during warm-ups, cheered again during the introductions, and cheered as he left the court saluting the crowd after the Knicks claimed a 99-95 victory.