The 2016 NBA All-Star Game capped a weekend devoted to celebrating Kobe Bryant, just as it signaled that the league he iconically defined for two decades no longer needs him.
That's different than saying it doesn't want him anymore.
During the West's 196-173 win, Bryant was mostly an afterthought—given a handful of early chances to score before ceding the spotlight to the assembled present-day superstars. And that felt appropriate. As much as the lead-up festivities in Toronto focused on Bryant's career impact, the actual game was all about the generation of stars he influenced.