A LEGEND CONFIRMED

Kobe Bryant walked off the court quickly and quietly, his head tilted down, an emblem as good as any after the Lakers ended their longest trip of the season with a last-second loss. They faced a variety of conflicts against the Memphis Grizzlies -- Gasol vs. Gasol, Bryant vs. Jerry West, Phil Jackson vs. Pat Riley and themselves vs. the trip that wouldn't end -- but lost them all except Bryant's pursuit of West's franchise scoring record. That Bryant was in a somber mood after getting 44 points and becoming the Lakers' all-time leading scorer set the table for what Jackson would confirm after the team's 95-93 loss to the Grizzles on Monday night at FedExForum: This trip was only "so-so." It was definitely different from their 6-0 swing at about this time last season, a journey that ended with victories in Boston and Cleveland and, four months later, was cited as an impetus to the franchise's 15th NBA championship. (LA Times)