Atlanta knows something about athletes retiring after 20 years with the same team: hint Chipper Jones.

Tonight is Kobe Bryant's final game as a Los Angeles Laker. The 18-time All-Star has won five championships. He ranks 8th in NBA history in points per per game (34.5) and at one point scored  81 (Jan. 22, 2006).

"Black Mamba" is a nickname Bryant gave himself after watching Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill,” in which the aggressive snake's name was used as a code name for a deadly assassin.

Nike gathered alums to ask their impressions of Bryant. Declaring today MambaDay, some of today's top athletes used words like "comptetitor," "example" and "[expletive]" to decribe the longtime Laker.

So on this day, what one word would you use to describe Bryant? (Keep it clean, please.)

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Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher reacts after scoring during the first half in an NBA basketball game at State Farm Arena, Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

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Donald Trump's administration deployed the military to Washington, D.C., in the name of fighting crime, and in an Aug. 11 news conference he mentioned the possibility of military being sent to other large American cities, all of which are led by Black, Democratic mayors. And while Atlanta wasn't included in Trump's list, the city fits that profile under Mayor Andre Dickens. (Photo Illustration: Philip Robibero / AJC | Source: Getty)

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