Byron Scott shares a story from Kobe Bryant’s 60-point Finals

Ex Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott he recently described in detail what it was like to train Kobe Bryant during his historic 60-point performance in the last game of his NBA career.

Scott appeared on Rock 955’s The Morning Mosh Pit Podcast and reflected on this Bryant’s memorable Finals against the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2016.. Bryant, who has spent all 20 seasons of his career with the Lakers, scored 60 points in a 101-96 victory at Staples Center, capping one of the most productive careers in league history.

Scott admitted that Bryant struggled early in the game, causes concern from the side.

“He got off to a terrible start, he couldn’t hit, and I’m standing there and my first thought as I told him when I took the job – I said, my job is to develop these young guys, that’s number one. Number two, to get you to game number 82 relatively healthy, because nobody plays in the NBA 82 games and you’re healthy like he started practice the first game/3 minutes… ‘I don’t want him to go out like this.’ He couldn’t throw it in the ocean, then he got fouled and hit two free throws, and then all hell broke loose.”

Byron Scott describes the halftime decision that sparked Kobe Bryant’s 60 against the Jazz

Bryant quickly found his groove after those free throws and began to heat up offensively, energizing the crowd and his teammates. Scott then made the decisive adjustment at half-time.

“Second half I told him, third quarter ‘you’re not going to come out. So get ready to play the rest of this game.’ And every time out when we got our board, coach gives me the board and I got a pen and an eraser and I’d go sit with the guys… I’d sit down and be like, ‘here’s the game guys. Kobe got the ball here, everybody else get out of the way.’ Just get lost in the way I said, ‘Kobe if you want a pick and roll just call one.’ I said, ‘everybody get out of the way, simple as that.’ And he just left.”

Byron Scott talks about coaching Kobe Bryant in his last NBA game when he scored 60 goals

“He got off to a terrible start, he couldn’t hit … When he started that game for the first 3/4 minutes, I thought ‘I don’t want him to go out like this.’ He was fouled and hit two FTs… pic.tvitter.com/KbiRhOIvTd

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) February 28, 2026

Bryant scored 23 points in the fourth quarter alone, coming off back-to-back isolations and late-game possessions. Despite the offensive surge, Scott said there was a moment late in the game when fatigue almost got to the five-time NBA champion.

“There was a time with about six minutes left in that game when I didn’t think he was going to make it. He was so exhausted and it was just his will. His will carried him through the last six minutes and I called a couple of timeouts just to rest him.”

Scott remembers Lakers legend Bryant refusing to come out

Scott said Bryant never showed he was ready to go, even when the exhaustion became apparent.

“No, actually he told me the opposite. Because I would look at him and say, ‘you got six more minutes in that body?’ He didn’t want to answer, he looked at me like (nodding his head). I was like damn… ‘You got three more minutes in that body?’ (Nodding head). I was fine, and I just let it go. It was a beautiful moment. That is something else again, we will not see this in our lifetime. You’re not going to see a guy who played 20 years in the NBA (and) scored 60 in his last game. Michael Jordan was 20 something or 30 – not even close. So what we witnessed that night was history. It won’t happen again in our lifetime and there’s no better guy to do it.”

Bryant finished his career with five championships, two Finals MVP awards and one regular season MVP. His 60-point farewell performance remains one of the most significant performances in NBA history and a defining moment for the Lakers franchise.

Nearly a decade later, Scott’s report provides further insight into the final chapter of Bryant’s career — a performance driven by endurance, willpower and an unwavering competitive edge.