Page 22 - ATD 16Jan2016

A22
SPORTSSaturday 16 January 2016
Kobe enjoying farewell tour at every stop AP: 49ers name Kelly as coach,
JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer
OAKLAND, California (AP)
— At every stop, in every
road arena, Kobe Bryant
is reflecting on 20 years of
memories and many great
basketball games.
He’s enjoying every second
of this farewell ride despite
all the losing, which isn’t ex-
actly how he intended to
Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant smiles during a media conference prior to an NBA basketball
game against the Golden State Warriors, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016, in Oakland, Calif.
go into retirement.
The 37-year-old Bryant re-
turned to Oracle Arena,
the site of his first career
50-point game, but his Los
Angeles Lakers lost 116-
98 to the defending NBA
champion Golden State
Warriors late Thursday.
“This place has always
been a special place to
play,” Bryant said. “They’ve
always been great fans.
To have that apprecia-
tion from them tonight was
pretty awesome. I was re-
ally stiff, but I thought it was started despite a sore right
the right thing to do, go
back in the game and play
and try to enjoy it one more
time.”During pregame in-
troductions, the Warriors
showed a tribute from Lak-
ers Hall of Famer and Gold-
en State executive Jerry
West with a highlight video
on the main scoreboard.
Fans in the sellout crowd
— including retiring Raid-
ers defensive back Charles
Woodson, Oakland quar-
terback Derek Carr and
Oakland Athletics manag-
er Bob Melvin — chanted
“Kobe! Kobe!” before a
rousing ovation when his
name was called.
Bryant waved, tipped his
head and clapped his
hands in appreciation.
He left to a warm ovation
with 3:04 to play, saying
“thank you” and waving
after scoring eight points
on 4-for-15 shooting to go
with six rebounds in 27 1/2
minutes.
In honor of Bryant’s five
NBA titles, the Warriors
gifted him with a five-day
Napa Valley vacation with
five wineries and five res-
taurants included. He also
received a five-liter bottle
from Amuse Bouche winery
featuring a special label
with his jersey.
Bryant received many a
hug at midcourt from the
Warriors beforehand. He
shoulder and a right Achil-
les strain, and made his first game he couldn’t even lift
shot.“He was fixated in not
having a career. He was fix-
ated on having an incred-
ible career,” West said dur-
ing a pregame news con-
ference, recalling the first
NBA workout Bryant went
through 20 years ago at
age 17.
“For someone that age, it
was remarkable the skill,
the love that he had for the
game and the desire to ex-
Eagles pick up Chiefs assistant
cel. The one thing that was
very evident to me right NEW YORK (AP) — The San history, and their 5,952 net
away, this was a player at Francisco 49ers picked
17 years old, I had never up rejected Philadelphia yards was the third-highest
seen someone with the skill coach Chip Kelly on
that he had.” Thursday while the Eagles total. They set franchise
Bryant left a lasting impres- replaced him with Doug
sion on interim Warriors Pederson, the offensive records for pass attempts
coach Luke Walton with coordinator for the Kansas
his grit to play no matter City Chiefs. (623), completions (392),
what body part was hurt- Pederson accepted the
ing or how tired he might Eagles’ offer, a person with and their 36 touchdown
knowledge of the decision
told The Associated Press. passes were the second-
The person spoke on
condition of anonymity highest total in Giants’
because the Eagles have
not officially announced history. Coughlin
the hiring. Pederson,
who didn’t interview with interviewed for the Eagles,
any other teams, can’t
be officially hired while but it didn’t seem the
the Chiefs are in the NFL
playoffs. Kansas City 69-year-old two-time Super
plays at New England on
Saturday. Bowl champion would fit in
Pederson isn’t a popular
choice in a city that there. Neither did he fit with
hasn’t celebrated an NFL
championship since 1960. the 49ers, who plumped for
Fans were hoping for a
big-name coach (Tom Kelly, the kind of offensive-
Coughlin) or a hot, young
coordinator (Adam Gase) minded, experienced
to replace Kelly, who was
fired five days before the coach they have long
regular season ended.
Instead, owner Jeffrey sought.
Lurie and his staff went for
someone quite familiar to Kelly faces the daunting
the organization. Pederson,
a former quarterback, challenge of transforming
started his first NFL game
with the Eagles and got his the once-proud franchise
first NFL assistant coaching
job in Philadelphia. into an immediate
The New York Giants
replaced Coughlin with contender again.
38-year-old Ben McAdoo,
their offensive coordinator Kelly, who had personnel
for the past two seasons.
McAdoo faces a big control with the Eagles
challenge. After winning
their second Super Bowl and frustrated some of
under Coughlin, the Giants
have missed the playoffs for his players, won’t be
the past four seasons. They
have posted losing records introduced in a news
in the past three seasons,
going 6-10 the past two. conference until next week
McAdoo’s offense has
been one of the few bright at Levi’s Stadium based
spots for the team the past
two years. on scheduling conflicts
Under his leadership,
Eli Manning threw 65 and Kelly working to
touchdowns and 28
interceptions. immediately build his staff.
The Giants’ 420 points this
past season was the fifth- Kelly replaces fired coach
highest total in franchise
Jim Tomsula, promoted
(AP Photo/Ben Margot)
from his defensive line
duties last January to
be, and they won two NBA succeed Jim Harbaugh
championships during 8 1/2
seasons together with the before going 5-11 — a
Lakers.
“He was incredible. I’ve move general manager
never, still to this day, ever
seen anyone play through Trent Baalke said this month
the stuff that he’s played
through. Early on in my wound up being the wrong
career, I would think, ‘OK,
well he’s not going to be one, in hindsight.
out there tonight and we
have to step up and then With his 26 years of coaching
after a while you just learn
that he’s playing no matter experience, Kelly emerged
what unless someone takes
him off the court,” Wal- as the favorite among
ton recalled. “There was a
candidates including
his right shoulder up above
his head to shoot the ball so former Raiders, Broncos
he started shooting it left-
handed and finally that’s and Redskins coach Mike
when Phil (Jackson) pulled
him out. Shanahan, Coughlin and
“That kind of hurt a little bit
that he thought him shoot- former Raiders coach Hue
ing left-handed 3-pointers
was more effective than Jackson, who was hired
passing me the ball. That’s
what made him such a to coach the Cleveland
great player.”q
Browns on Wednesday.
The 52-year-old Kelly
was fired by Philadelphia
with one game left in his
third season as coach.
The former University of
Oregon coach was 6-9 in
2015 following two 10-6
seasons, prompting Eagles
CEO Jeffrey Lurie to make
a change. Pederson
started nine games at
quarterback for the Eagles
in 1999, grooming Donovan
McNabb to take over the
job for Andy Reid’s team.q