islcollective worksheets preintermediate a2 intermediate b1 high school reading writ kobe bryants farewell 9886826195712804d3d0377 61986429

Twenty years ago, Kobe Bryant
made his NBA debut as an 18-year-old
fresh out of high school. He went
scoreless in the game. He was a fivetime champion, third all-time leading
scorer, and 18-time all-star. He played
the last game of his career in what
was an emotional sendoff to the Los
Angeles Lakers great.
Bryant, known by the moniker he gave himself, the
Black Mamba, and the Lakers faced off against the
Utah Jazz at home to end the season. He announced
his retirement in a poem last November, in part
writing, “My heart can take the pounding / My mind
can handle the grind / But my body knows it’s time to
say goodbye.”
Indeed, the last few seasons have been hard for
Bryant, and the Lakers. Los Angeles is missing the
playoffs for the third consecutive season, something
that seemed unheard of during the Phil Jackson years
of coaching from 1999 to 2004 and from 2005 to
2011. In the team’s 68-year history, the Lakers have
only missed the playoffs eight times. Rupturing his
Achilles tendon in 2013 and breaking a bone in his left
knee in 2014 made Bryant lose much of the
effectiveness that made him one of the best players in
the league, making way for the dominance of LeBron
James, Stephen Curry, and Russell Westbrook.
Bryant leaves a big mark on the NBA, and basketball in
general. Beyond his two Finals MVPs and 33,583
points, he’s also a two-time Olympic gold medal winner
for the United States. Magic Johnson, another Lakers

legend, in a letter said Bryant changed the game of
basketball along with other greats like Larry Bird and
Michael Jordan.
“Every night you played, I couldn’t wait to watch
knowing that I would witness an unbelievable shot or
move that I had never seen on the court,” Johnson
writes. “I marveled at the skills and loved the energy
you brought to the game wearing that purple and gold
uniform.”
Bryant, the future Hall of Famer, started the game for
the Lakers at 10:30 Eastern at the Staples Center in
Los Angeles.
Kobe Bryant gave Los Angeles one last
night to remember, scoring 60 points
on 50 shots in his final game after a
20-year career with the Los Angeles
Lakers.
Purple and gold balloons and streamers rained down
on the Staples Center as the city said goodbye to Black
Mamba after a 101-96 victory against the Utah Jazz.
'You can't write something better than this,' Kobe said
after the game. 'You guys will always be in my heart.'
'What can I say? Mamba out.'
Sources:
(abridged and adapted)

.. Say
Say whether
whether the
the following

following
statetments
are
true
statetments are true (T)
(T) or
or false
false
(F).
(F).
Kobe
Kobe started
started playing
playing for
for NBA
NBA when
when he
he was
was
eighteen.
eighteen.
In
In his
his first
first game
game he
he scored
scored 60
60 points.
points.

He
He won
won the
the championship
championship for
for three
three times
times
and
and was
was the
the leading
leading scorer
scorer for
for five
five times.
times.
His
His last
last game
game for
for the
the Los
Los Angeles
Angeles Lakers
Lakers
was
was against
against the
the Utah

Utah Jazz.
Jazz.
In
In 2013,
2013, he
he had
had an
an injury
injury in
in his
his ankle.
ankle.
Lebron
Lebron James
James has
has been
been one
one of
of his
his biggest
biggest
rivals.
rivals.
One
One of
of his
his dreams
dreams was
was to
to participate

participate in
in
the
the Olympic
Olympic games.
games.
Magic
Magic Johnson
Johnson said
said Bryant
Bryant had
had aa very
very
positive
positive influence
influence in
in baskeball.
baskeball.
Bryant
Bryant gave
gave himself
himself the
the nickname
nickname of
of
Black
Black Mamba.
Mamba.
Bryant
Bryant played

played professional
professional basketball
basketball for
for
thirty
thirty years.
years.

.. Match
Match these
these
words
words with
with their
their
meaning.
meaning.
1.
1. score
score
2.
2. scoreless
scoreless
3.
3. scorer
scorer
4.
4. league
league
5.

5. season
season
6.
6. shot
shot
7.
7. game
game
8.
8. playoff
playoff

A. An activity or sport
that people play, usually
with rules and needing
skill.
B. A contest or series of
games to determine a
championship,
as
between the winners of
two competitions
C. A group of teams that
compete against each
other in a sport.
D. any act of throwing
or hitting something, as
in certain sports.
E. The number of points
/goals someone gets in

a game.
F. Someone
who
scores a point or goal in
a game
G. no goals or points are
scored
H. A period during which
a particular sport takes
place.

. Now write a text about
your
person.

favourite

sports