As an illustrious career comes to an end, Kobe Bryant deserves to be celebrated. Fittingly enough, in a season where Bryant has only averaged 16.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, he was awarded the opportunity to start the final NBA All-Star game of his career on Sunday night.

Bryant has been one of the key faces of professional basketball for the last 19 years and his resume includes five NBA Championships, two NBA Finals MVP Awards, an NBA MVP Award, four NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards and 18 NBA All-Star Game appearances. Bryant is also a two-time scoring champion.

Although Bryant did not have a big impact in the game, he deserved to be celebrated for everything that he has brought to the NBA in his 19-year career. Bryant finished Sunday night with 10 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Bryant, much like Derek Jeter in Major League Baseball, has played the game the right way and always gave his best effort in every single game he played in.

For his career, Bryant averaged 25.1 points, 3.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. Bryant is currently third in points scored in NBA history, with 33,243 career points and counting.

“It was fun. I had a blast playing with those guys, laughing and joking with them on the bench,” Bryant told reporters after the game.

Other key faces from around the league also mentioned Bryant and gave him recognition in his final All-Star Game. San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who was a coach for the West All-Stars, noted that Bryant was handing over the game to the next wave of young stars in the NBA.

"To see him now, it's like the passing of a generation," Popovich said. "He's been such an iconic figure for so long and he passes it on to that other group of young guys that you saw out there tonight."

Before the game started, video tributes to Bryant’s career were played on the scoreboard at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, home of the 2016 All-Star Game. The video made mention of Bryant’s 18 All-Star Game selections, leaving him second all-time in selections to former Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The game itself was a high-scoring, slam-dunk filled thrill-ride that featured many key faces in the game today. For the West, Russell Westbrook stole the show and took home the game’s MVP trophy for the second-consecutive year. Westbrook stuffed the stat sheet, recording 31 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals. Westbrook also knocked down seven baskets from behind the arc.

The East saw strong production out of Indiana Pacers star Paul George. George caught fire early, hitting four three-pointers in the first quarter alone on his way to a 41-point game. George’s 41 points left him one shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s record for points in an NBA All-Star Game.

Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James finished the night with 13 points, which was enough to pass Bryant for the most points in NBA All-Star Games. James now has 291 points scored in All-Star Games; Bryant will end his career with 290 career All-Star Game points.

The West dominated offensively and came away with an impressive 196-173 victory over the East. The West has now won five of the last six All-Star Games. The All-Star break concludes Feb. 17 and the season will be back in full swing until the NBA Playoffs begin April 16.

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