Kobe pays homage to fading Lakers-Celtics rivalry

For dutiful Lakers fans, Kobe Bryant's distended retirement tour has been a foggy looking glass to a happier time, a broken-down time machine that's occasionally allowed Los Angeles to relive a once-proud history.

In the rare occasions that Bryant has been able to shake free from his mummified wraps, that looking glass becomes clear, the engine on the time machine whirls, and stadiums nationwide come to life.

Bryant took fans back in time on Sunday, dropping 34 points and a two-handed dunk. The fact that it came against the hated Boston Celtics only made the sting of nostalgia that much more potent.

"It's weird, last time facing that green ... it's been a joy to be able to go against them, to be a part of a rivalry that I watched for so long," Bryant said after the game.

33 minutes on a 37-year-old body comes with a cost, and after giving everything he could, only for the Lakers to drop to 16-60 on the season, Bryant was exhausted.

But when a reporter shifted the focus from yet another loss to 2010 when the rivalry meant something, the Black Mamba's wry grin scrunched into a grimace.

"It was really big," Bryant said of the Lakers' 2010 Finals win over Boston. "We were part of the history of the rivalry. There's no way we could go down in history and be remembered as the team that lost twice to the Celtics ... above even winning the fifth championship, it was more like not disappointing the memory of this organization and the rivalry that's been there for decades."

Even with Bryant nearing the finish line of his 20-year career, he still threw everything he had at the Celtics - out of respect for the rivalry.

Bryant nailing his fadeaways never fails to shake Staples Center from its deep stupor, and the crowd was especially lively with the annual visit from Boston.

Loud jeers of "Boston sucks!" rained down in Los Angeles as it once did for Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Paul Pierce - as it always has for the Celtics.

But save for Bryant, the verve wasn't there with the players on the court. Bitter history aside, the two teams had nothing to do with each other. The Lakers ranked dead-last in the West and the Celtics sat in fourth out East. It was an otherwise meaningless game.

Lakers head coach Byron Scott, as usual, praised Bryant's effort while systematically chiding that of his rookies.

"I don't think (the rookies) understand the magnitude of this rivalry," Scott said. "This is probably the first game in a while where (Bryant) was dead serious for the whole game. If you were watching it, watching his facial expressions, he wasn't joking around tonight, he wasn't smiling with other opponents, wasn't talking a lot, he understands it's serious, so he wanted it badly.

"I don't know if the other guys understand this, and hopefully in time they will."

Perhaps D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle will eventually lead the next chapter in the rivalry. But on Sunday, they were just along for the ride.

Scott's comments reflect a failure of the Lakers' organization to make way for the future in the way that Boston did. That's why the Purple and Gold is sticking in their heads, while the Celtics move furiously towards building their next contender.

The heated Celtics-Lakers rivalry only ever came to be because they were the two best franchises in the league. There's no rivalry without competition, and the Lakers haven't been competitive in ages.

The split came in 2013. Sensing that their title runs were behind them, the Celtics made the difficult decision to part ways with Kevin Garnett and Pierce to restock for the future. That same summer, the Lakers inked Bryant to a two-year extension worth $48 million which effectively tied the franchise to see out the unhappy final chapters of his career.

In three seasons since, the Lakers haven't won more than 27 games, while the Celtics are headed to the playoff for a second-straight season.

Bryant's throwback performance gave fans a reminder of former glory, and hearkened back to their 12 Finals matchups and the 33 titles between them. But strip away the guise, and the facade is revealed: The rivalry will become a thing of the past unless the Lakers follow suit and build for the future.