TORONTO: Kobe Bryant said his NBA All-Star Game goodbye and the next generation of the West's best sent him off a winner, rolling to a record-setting 196-173 victory over the East on Sunday night.
The first All-Star Game outside the U.S. was the highest-scoring ever, with both teams scoring more than any team had ever managed. Bryant didn't provide much of the offense but many of the memories.
"To see him now, it's like the passing of a generation," West coach Gregg Popovich said. "He's been such an iconic figure for so long, and he passes it on to that other group of young guys that you saw out there tonight."
Bryant finished with just 10 points, so few that he lost his career lead in All-Star Game scoring to LeBron James, even though James also had a quiet night.
But Russell Westbrook scored 31 points in his second straight All-Star MVP performance, Stephen Curry added 26, Anthony Davis 24, and Kevin Durant 23.
Paul George finished with 41 for the East, tying Westbrook's total from last year in New York that was one off Wilt Chamberlain's record. John Wall added 22 points.
James finished with 13 points, just enough to move ahead of Bryant for most ever in the All-Star Game. He has 291, while Bryant, who is retiring after this season, leaves with 290.
He checked out with 1:06 left to cheers and hugs from his fellow All-Stars who now put up points in bunches the way Bryant did for so long.
Bryant had seven assists and six rebounds, but shot just 4 for 11 in a game where there isn't really much defense and had never been less. The 369 combined points were 48 more than last year's record, and both clubs blew away the previous individual team record of 163.
But people just wanted to see Bryant play, not necessarily play well.
At 37, Bryant has trouble keeping up with the youngsters - especially the real young ones. Chris Paul's son stole the ball from him as Bryant warmed up for the second half.
But he was the star without playing a starring a role. He had said he didn't want players forcing him the ball in an effort to make him the MVP - he's already got four of them in this game - but he was never far from the center of attention.