Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant will head and play in Cleveland for the last time this Wednesday, when his team takes on LeBron James and the Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena.
The Lakers are celebrating Bryant's last year since he is retiring after the 2015–16 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and Wednesday's game is a part of the farewell tour.
Bryant's last game against the Cavs on the road will likely again feature his highly anticipated matchup with James.
However, the Lakers and Cavaliers are coming off different results in their previous games.
Los Angeles is currently on a two-game losing slide after falling to the San Antonio Spurs last Saturday (106–102) and to the Indiana Pacers Monday (89–87).
In the defeat to Indiana, Bryant was on fire late to give the Lakers the lead, but it was not enough.
The 37-year-old franchise star led all scorers for the Lakers tallying 19 points with five rebounds in 33 minutes.
Rookie point guard D'Angelo Russell added 16 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals, and one block off the bench.
Second-year forward Julius Randle also emerged for the Lakers in the defeat, having 15 points, 19 rebounds, and three assists.
The recent setback helped the Lakers remain on the last spot in the Western Conference standings with an 11–43 record.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have won back-to-back and are hoping to extend their winning streak to three games when they host the retiring Bryant.
Cleveland's most recent win was a 120–100 drubbing of the Sacramento Kings at home Monday.
James had a triple-double 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists with two steals and one block, to lead the Cavs.
Point guard Kyrie Irving, on the other hand, had a double-double 32 points and 12 assists with three rebounds and one block to help James.
The Cavaliers improved to 37–14 after beating the Kings and are still in control of the Eastern Conference.
The game between the Lakers and Cavaliers will place on Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 8 p.m. EST. To watch via live stream, click here.
