Kobe's career was not without faults, and one could easily make a top ten list for the worst of Kobe Bryant. His ability to be a good teammate and to make those around him better was often in question and many blame the breakup of the Laker dynasty in the early 2000s on him. Then there was that rape accusation in the summer of 2004. I'm not here to defend any of Kobe's shortcomings but to go over the highlights of his life on the court with this top 10 list. This list will not be a list that consists of game winning shots and sick highlights, but rather a list of events that shaped the Mamba's legendary career. Let's get into the best of the Mamba's time in the association.
#10
1997: Dunk Contest Champion
Yes, this is on the list. And it deserves to be. The dunk contest was already losing it's magic by 1997, but it was still a special thing for an 18-year-old kid to take home the trophy. Bryant was by far the youngest player to ever win the contest. Although it might not mean much in the grand scheme of things, it was a big step for Bryant in getting national exposure and becoming a household name. It was Kobe's first ever championship of any kind, and I think it should be recognized as a significant career moment, although it may seem silly to some of you reading.
#9
2005-06: First Scoring Title
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| Photo Creds to www.usatoday.com |
It's hard to believe that for all of Kobe's greatness (and knack for not passing the ball), he only won the scoring title twice in his career. The first came in 2005-06 when Bryant led the league with 2,832 points (35.4 PPG), beating out Allen Iverson by 445 points. Although LA crashed out in the first round of the playoffs that year, it was still a season to remember for the Black Mamba, as he added an impressive accomplishment to his already polished list.
#8
Mr. Clutch takes a chance
There was a problem for Charlotte, however, as young and confident Kobe did not have Carolina on his mind. This prompted Jerry West, who was the Lakers GM at the time, to take a significant risk by trading his starting center, Vlade Divac, to Charlotte in exchange for Bryant. The move was stunning. There had been high school kids picked in the first round before, such as Kevin Garnett the year prior, but never had another team decided to trade a key member of their roster for a kid who was barely old enough to drive a car.
It was a great risk taken by Jerry West, and it didn't turn out so bad. Even before Bryant had become an NBA superstar, he had already been a part of something historic, and for that, this moment deserves a place on this list.
#7
2004: Shaq leaves town
Despite building a dynasty, the great duo of Kobe and the big fella, Shaquille O'Neil, were not a match made in heaven. To make a long and complicated story short, a shocking loss to the Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals cemented that the town was not big enough for the two of them, and on July 14th, 2004, the Lakers traded the Big Fella to Miami. While this was not a romantic moment in franchise history, shipping off the Big Kahuna meant that for the first time in his career, the Lakers would be Kobe's team, no if's, and's or but's. Although the Laker dynasty stalled for a few years, LA would win two championships with Bryant leading the way, while Shaq would win another ring in Miami and is now living a happy life with tons of advertisements. Laker fans do not fondly remember this moment, but it was a pivotal moment in Kobe's NBA career, and thus has earned a spot on this list.
#6 1999/00 season: First ring
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| Photo creds to projects.latimes.com |
The Black Mamba made his first All-Star game appearance in 1998, but that was mainly due to popularity (Kobe wasn't even good enough to start on the Lakers). The 1999-00 season was when Bryant began to blossom. Kobe made NBA history by becoming the youngest player (21) ever make an All-NBA team (2nd team) as well as the all-defensive team. Most importantly, it marked Kobe's first taste of playoff glory. Although Shaquille O'Neil was the captain of the ship, Kobe played a large role in bringing the City of Angels their first NBA championship since the days of Magic and Kareem. Bryant was excellent throughout the playoffs, averaging 21.1 points per game, and no performance was greater than game 7 of the western conference finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. With everything on the line, the Mamba was fantastic, turning in a stat line of 25 points, 11 Rebounds, 7 Assists and 4 blocked shots. L.A. won the game and set themselves a hot date with the Indiana Pacers. In his first NBA Finals appearance, the Mamba was ready, and this was evident in game four when Kobe scored 22 points in the second half alone to help send the game into overtime, where Bryant hit the game winning shot to give LA a pivotal 120-118 win. LA would win the series in 6 games, and Kobe proved that he not only knew how to fill up a stat sheet but that he knew how to be a champion. In my eyes, this season is when the world first experienced the Black Mamba as we know him today. It only got better from here.
#5
2000/01 season: One ring is not enough
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| photo creds to thesportingnewsjournal.com |
If there was any doubt that Kobe would become an elite player, they were erased during the 2000/01 season. The Lakers went 56-26 in the regular season, and Bryant played a huge role, averaging 28.4 points per game. The playoffs, however, were when both Bryant and the Lakers elevated. LA had a historic postseason run in which they went 15-1 and capped it all off by defeating the Philidelphia Allen Iverson's in the Finals for their second straight title. Kobe was a total baller in the playoffs, averaging 29.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists in those 16 games. This season firmly established Kobe as a superstar and the Lakers as a budding dynasty.
#4
2009-10 NBA Champs: Pikes Peak
After leading LA to their first title of the post-Shaq era one year prior, the Mamba was back for more. After a regular season in which the Lakers finished with the best record in the Western Conference at 57-25, LA conquered Oklahoma City, Utah and Pheonix in that order to set themselves a hot date with their old rivals, the Boston Celtics, in the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons. Kobe was up to the task, as he averaged 28.6 points per game to lead LA to a hard-fought victory in a seven- game series. It was Kobe's 5th and final championship, and he was awarded the series MVP for the second year in a row. This moment is titled ''Pikes Peak'' because this was as good as it ever got for the Black Mamba. Since that June night at the Staples Center, Phill Jackson has left, Dr. Jerry Buss has died, and Jerry's son, Jim, has proceeded to run one of the proudest franchises in the history of North American sports into the ground. The Lakers will find glory again one day, but this legend won't be making shots while to help it happen.
#3
2007-08: MVP! MVP! MVP!
As hard as it is to believe that Kobe only won two scoring titles in his career, it's even more amazing to fathom that the Mamba was named the league's Most Valuable Player just once (less than Steve Nash). This happened in 2008, when Kobe turned in an excellent season, averaging 30.1 PPG and leading the Lakers to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2004. Although Kobe and LA would fall short to the Boston Celtics in six games, Kobe's MVP season signified that the Lakers were back, as it was a fantastic career milestone for Kobe as well as the dawning of a mini-dynasty that Bryant was at the heart of.
#2
2009: Getting to the Pinnacle without Shaq
After the near miss in 2008, Bryant and the Lakers had some unfinished business to take care of. The regular season was a breeze, as Los Angeles won a Western Conference-best 65 games. The postseason is always where the real test is, and LA was ready. After sweeping the Utah Jazz in the first round, LA survived a grueling seven- game series with the Houston Rockets and then proceeded to slay the Denver Nuggets in six games. This set up a finals date with the Orlando Dwight Howard's, and the Lakers won a surprisingly competitive 5 game series, with the man himself taking home the series MVP honors, averaging 32.4 PPG along with 7.5 assists per game over the 5-game series. Although the Lakers were hardly underdogs and the series was somewhat anti-climatic, this was the first time that the Lakers won a championship with Kobe steering the ship, and Bryant proved that he did not need Shaq to win a ring. Because of that, I think this title was the Mamba's most significant.
#1
January 22nd, 2006: 81
It seems like quite a contradiction that all of Kobe's championships wins are all supplanted by a single-game performance, but here is why I picked this one game as the highlight of Kobe Bryant's career. Sure, Kobe won some rings, but championships are the culmination of a team effort. Sure, Kobe won scoring titles and an MVP, but plenty of guys have won those awards. On January 22nd, 2006, Bryant did something that had not been accomplished for close to 45 years and has yet to be repeated in nearly a decade since. Bryant scored 81 points, the most ever since Wilt Chamberlins legendary 100 point performance all the way back in 1962. Nobody has come close to replicating this feat, and the fact that Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving and all the greats in NBA history not named Wilt Chamberlin were never able to do this speaks volumes as to how good Kobe was on this night. When a player is given a prestigious award for a great season, we know that that award will be given out again the next year. When Adam Silver presents the Larry O'Brien Trophy to the NBA Champions, we know that we will see a similar presentation the following June. Those who witnessed Kobe Bean Bryant's performance on this night witnessed something that may never be repeated again, and because of that, I feel that I made the right choice by putting this at #1.
Thank You for Reeding! Feel free to disagree, and leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
After leading LA to their first title of the post-Shaq era one year prior, the Mamba was back for more. After a regular season in which the Lakers finished with the best record in the Western Conference at 57-25, LA conquered Oklahoma City, Utah and Pheonix in that order to set themselves a hot date with their old rivals, the Boston Celtics, in the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons. Kobe was up to the task, as he averaged 28.6 points per game to lead LA to a hard-fought victory in a seven- game series. It was Kobe's 5th and final championship, and he was awarded the series MVP for the second year in a row. This moment is titled ''Pikes Peak'' because this was as good as it ever got for the Black Mamba. Since that June night at the Staples Center, Phill Jackson has left, Dr. Jerry Buss has died, and Jerry's son, Jim, has proceeded to run one of the proudest franchises in the history of North American sports into the ground. The Lakers will find glory again one day, but this legend won't be making shots while to help it happen.
#3
2007-08: MVP! MVP! MVP!
As hard as it is to believe that Kobe only won two scoring titles in his career, it's even more amazing to fathom that the Mamba was named the league's Most Valuable Player just once (less than Steve Nash). This happened in 2008, when Kobe turned in an excellent season, averaging 30.1 PPG and leading the Lakers to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2004. Although Kobe and LA would fall short to the Boston Celtics in six games, Kobe's MVP season signified that the Lakers were back, as it was a fantastic career milestone for Kobe as well as the dawning of a mini-dynasty that Bryant was at the heart of.
#2
2009: Getting to the Pinnacle without Shaq
After the near miss in 2008, Bryant and the Lakers had some unfinished business to take care of. The regular season was a breeze, as Los Angeles won a Western Conference-best 65 games. The postseason is always where the real test is, and LA was ready. After sweeping the Utah Jazz in the first round, LA survived a grueling seven- game series with the Houston Rockets and then proceeded to slay the Denver Nuggets in six games. This set up a finals date with the Orlando Dwight Howard's, and the Lakers won a surprisingly competitive 5 game series, with the man himself taking home the series MVP honors, averaging 32.4 PPG along with 7.5 assists per game over the 5-game series. Although the Lakers were hardly underdogs and the series was somewhat anti-climatic, this was the first time that the Lakers won a championship with Kobe steering the ship, and Bryant proved that he did not need Shaq to win a ring. Because of that, I think this title was the Mamba's most significant.
#1
January 22nd, 2006: 81
It seems like quite a contradiction that all of Kobe's championships wins are all supplanted by a single-game performance, but here is why I picked this one game as the highlight of Kobe Bryant's career. Sure, Kobe won some rings, but championships are the culmination of a team effort. Sure, Kobe won scoring titles and an MVP, but plenty of guys have won those awards. On January 22nd, 2006, Bryant did something that had not been accomplished for close to 45 years and has yet to be repeated in nearly a decade since. Bryant scored 81 points, the most ever since Wilt Chamberlins legendary 100 point performance all the way back in 1962. Nobody has come close to replicating this feat, and the fact that Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving and all the greats in NBA history not named Wilt Chamberlin were never able to do this speaks volumes as to how good Kobe was on this night. When a player is given a prestigious award for a great season, we know that that award will be given out again the next year. When Adam Silver presents the Larry O'Brien Trophy to the NBA Champions, we know that we will see a similar presentation the following June. Those who witnessed Kobe Bean Bryant's performance on this night witnessed something that may never be repeated again, and because of that, I feel that I made the right choice by putting this at #1.
Thank You for Reeding! Feel free to disagree, and leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
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