The streets of Los Angeles ran purple and gold with the tears of Lakers fans on Wednesday night.

In the world of surf, which is undeniably a far cry from pro hoops, only one surfer compares to Bryant’s legacy: Kelly Slater. Legends of their respective sports. Disruptive icons. In their primes, godlike athletes among a playing field of mere mortals. And while basketball (along with other mainstream sports) is saturated with stats, and surfing isn’t, comparisons can be made between the two athletes’ careers.In 1996, a 17-year-old Kobe Bryant became the sixth player in NBA history to go straight from High School to the Big Leagues. He was first drafted to the Charlotte Hornets before being picked up by the Lakers, where he stayed throughout his entire career. In 1990, Kelly Slater won his first professional surfing event, the Body Glove Surfbout at Trestles, kicking off his career at age 18. And this year marks his 24th year as a competitor, not including his three-year sabbatical (1999-2001).Under the command of coach Phil Jackson, Bryant led the Lakers to their most recent championship ring against the Boston Celtics in 2010. It was the fifth ring for Kobe – a winning span marked by collaborations with big men Shaquille O’Neal and Pau Gasol. Slater’s last World Title came in 2011, when he clinched his 11th.In 2006, Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, placing him in the number two spot for highest scoring games ever, second only to Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points (versus the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962). And in 2013, Slater scored a perfect 20 in his quarterfinal matchup against Sebastian Zietz at the Volcom Fiji Pro. He did the same at the 2005 Billabong Pro Tahiti in 2005 against Damien Hobgood. With two 20-point totals, Kelly joins the ranks of a select few competitors to ever surf a perfect heat in professional competition, including Joel Parkinson (Oakley Pro Bali 2013, Billabong Pipe Masters 2008), Jeremy Flores (Billabong Pro Tahiti 2011) and Owen Wright (Fiji Pro 2015).For Kobe, his average points per game have plateaued over the course of his career. He started out slow, peaked in the middle (a high of 35.4 per game in 2005-06) and slumped towards the end. As for Kelly, 2016 has started out slow for the 11-time World Champ. Stu Kennedy took him out in Round 2 at Snapper, followed by a Round 3 finish at Bells, and a Round 2 finish at Margaret River.It’s been one of the worst seasons in recent memory for the Lakers and for Kelly Slater. Not much more to say here.From archival photos, it appears Kobe began rocking the slick look around 2006. It was a smooth transition from flat top to afro to bare. As for Kelly, the transition lingered a bit longer. He held onto the thinning look for many years before going full Mr. Clean. He really went for it sometime around 2000 or 2001.As a high school emcee, Bryant signed a deal with Sony Entertainment once his basketball career took off. However, his albumwas never released, although a single titled “K.O.B.E.” was. Along with Rob Machado and Peter King, Slater formed a band called The Surfers. Their first (and last) album,, was released in 1998.As his date to senior prom, Bryant took R&B singer Brandy, although the two maintain they were only friends. Kelly, on the other hand, famously dated Pamela Anderson after costarring with her on. The Floridian also maintained friendships with actress Cameron Diaz and model Gisele Bündchen (despite industry gossip, the relationships remained platonic from a public standpoint).Last night was the swan song for Kobe, ending his career at 37 years old. Meanwhile, Kelly, at 44 years old, is still a fulltime competitor -- a slow start to 2016, matched by a couple years of un-Kelly-esque finishes, haven’t stopped the 11x World Champ.For Kelly to leave the sport guns ablazin’ like Kobe did last night, what would he have to do? Beat John John in the final at Pipe with a perfect 20? Unveil a new, groundbreaking maneuver while wearing a jersey then paddle in and retire?Or maybe he could just build a wave pool and change the face of surfing forever. Oh wait…++++++In the comments, add your own statistical comparisons we might’ve overlooked.Other stories by Dashel Pierson: