Kobe Bryant is down to one last shot, and everybody knows he's going to take it. After two decades spent dazzling the world, Bryant will end his basketball career at home with the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. He'll walk off the court in front of his devoted fans in the building where he hung five championship banners. He retires this week as the third-leading scorer in league history. Nobody ever got to spend 20 seasons with one NBA team...

Kobe Bryant delighted in putting himself through as much pain as possible. Whatever it took to make him stronger.

The former Washington and Fresno State center had offcourt troubles that led him to go undrafted in June.