Thunder players, fans pay respect to Kobe in final road game

The end result of the Oklahoma City Thunder's complete annihilation (112-79) of the visiting Los Angeles Lakers was of no consequence to anyone in attendance at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Monday night.

All anyone wanted to see was one final glimpse of Kobe Bryant as he suited up for the last road outing of his 20-year career.

The amount of purple and gold in the building was so staggering that it felt sometimes like the game was taking place in Laker country. It was a sea of adulation and respect for a man who had given fans a litany of moments that will last a lifetime, and whose legacy went well beyond the team he played for.

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Fans may not have gotten as much of Bryant as they would have liked, but, nonetheless, in his limited playing time, "The Black Mamba" gave his admirers something to cheer about.

All of the 18-time All-Star's 13 points came in the opening quarter, of which he played every single minute. Bryant attempted 10 total shots in the frame, with eight coming from behind the arc.

With the exception of a few uneventful minutes to begin the second half, the 37-year-old guard had nothing more to give. It didn't stop everyone from screaming at the top of their lungs for him to get back in the game, but even that outcry of emotion wasn't enough to make his ailing body respond positively.

After the game, Bryant acknowledged that he was tempted to re-enter, just like he was Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Before exiting the floor, the Thunder players lined up to say their goodbyes to the five-time champion, whose shoulder had been heavily taped up on the sidelines.

Russell Westbrook finished the first half with a triple double, which was his 18th of the season and 37th of his career. That would be more of a talking point on any other night, but sharing the spotlight with Bryant, it had to play second fiddle.

So that's it. One game left. One game until Bryant walks off into the sunset. One game until one of the most spectacular runs we've ever seen reaches its conclusion.

Let that sink in.