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As it turns out, Kobe Bryant's farewell tour will start and stop with the Utah Jazz.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend on Sunday announced that he planned to retire at the end of this season, closing the final chapter in his Hall of Fame career.
Bryant and the Lakers kicked off their preseason against the Jazz in Hawaii and, barring a drastic turn of events, will end their season by hosting Utah on April 13.
"One of the best to ever do it," Jazz forward Gordon Hayward said. "It's going to be sad to see him go, but I'm definitely going to cherish the moments I had with him and that I got a chance to compete with him."
Jazz coach Quin Snyder, a former Lakers assistant, said Bryant gave him no indication when the two spoke in Hawaii that his 20th NBA season would be his last.
"No. I think I saw a guy that was excited for the season," Snyder said. "It's in one sense a tremendous loss for the game and in another sense a chance to celebrate his contribution to the game."
At age 37, Bryant's health and ability has waned. He's shooting a career-low 30 percent for the 2-14 Lakers.
But for a generation of players entering the NBA, the 17-time All-Star and five-time NBA champion remains a basketball idol.
"You are a true winner and an true inspiration for me and all the young basketball players," Jazz center Rudy Gobert wrote in a thank you note to Bryant that he posted online.
"He's still my favorite player," Jazz rookie Trey Lyles said in a video he recorded for "Uninterrupted." "Just for me to have the opportunity to play two preseason games against him and be on the same court as him was an astounding accomplishment for me. … I was just blessed to be part of the universe that was able to watch him play."
Gold Rush
In a trade that was essentially a salary dump for Golden State and a chance for the Utah Jazz to pick up some draft picks, Brandon Rush was supposed to be the one asset who might be able to help a young Utah team right away.
Rush, who was packaged in 2013 along with Richard Jefferson and Andris Biedrins, was coming off an ACL injury but hopeful he could quickly return to his sharpshooting form. Instead, he languished in Utah, short on confidence, health and playing time.
Back with the reigning champion Warriors, Rush showed lat week that he still has something to give. The swingman started for the injured Harrison Barnes and scored 16 points, hitting 4-of-5 attempts from deep, in a win over the Sacramento Kings.
"It felt good," he told reporters after that game. "I felt like my old self. I felt like myself from a couple years ago."
The 30-year-old said his journey back has been a "difficult" one.
"The first year I was in Utah, I didn't get to play much, so I knew it was going to take a could of years for me to get back right," he said.
Off to Boise
In need of playing time, Jazz center Tibor Pleiss has been assigned to the team's D-League affiliate in Idaho. The rookie center has played in just four games for a total of 13 minutes so far this year. He is expected to suit up for the Idaho Stampede on Tuesday.
Injury report
Guards Trey Burke and Rodney Hood have both been dealing with back spasms. But both went through shootaround Monday morning and were expected to play against the Warriors.
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