Kobe Bryant
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By Onie Dator
Balling and Blogging
Last Sunday, Kobe “Bean” Bryant played in his final All Star Game in Toronto. He is set to retire at the end of the 2015- 2016 NBA season. His legacy will remain forever and go down as one of the greatest players to ever play the game. Here is a look at Kobe Bryant's most memorable moments in his illustrious 20-year career in the NBA.
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The day when the Kobe Era officially began. Kobe going to the Lakers through Jerry West's brilliance was a match made in heaven. Kobe's suit may not have been the most elegant but his game transcended far beyond any of his draftmates wildest imaginations. 12 players were selected before him. Yet, 20 years later, none of them, came even close to matching the greatness of the Black Mamba.
Sources: http://www.businessinsider.com/where-are-they-now-1996-nba-draft-2015-2
http://www.nba.com/history/draft/1996-draft/
9. May 12, 1997- All guts, no glory against Utah.
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Kobe Bryant wanted the basketball so badly during crunch time that his coach, Dell Harris, entrusted it with him. Yet, it just resulted into multiple air-balls which ended the Lakers' season. This epic failure against Utah fueled Kobe to become one of the best clutch players of all time. "I really thought that was the defining moment of (Bryant's) career," former Lakers general manager Jerry West said. "I think that's one of the things that spurred him to greatness. He wasn't going to allow himself to fail."
"It was an early turning point for me," Bryant said. "At 18 years old, it was gut check time. I look back at it now with fond memories of it, but back then, it was misery."
"It helped shape me," Bryant continued. "A lot of times as a young player, you don't see how a situation like that can pay off in the end. But if you use it to drive you, use it to motivate you, then, you can stand where I'm standing now and look back at it with a lot of fond memories."
Sources: http://ballislife.com/kobe-airball-jazz-97/ http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/sports/Kobe-Bryant-reflects-on-air-balls-against-Utah-Jazz-365539921.html
8. February 8, 1998- MJ versus Kobe in New York City
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In Kobe's first ever All Star game, he showed everyone that he was not afraid of the spotlight as he went toe-to-toe against his idol, Michael Jordan. He put on quite a show and could have easily won All Star game MVP had the West won the game. It was dubbed as the passing of the torch from MJ to Kobe. The duel was on between MJ and Kobe as they went back at each other throughout the game. According to Grant Hill, “He (Kobe) isn't a heavyweight fighter coming out looking to jab early and get a feel for the game. He's like, he's going for the MVP right now.”
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2361405-revisiting-kobe-bryants-first-all-star-game-vs-michael-jordan
7. June 19, 2000- First ever NBA championship
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A young Kobe Bryant won his first title with the most dominating force in basketball, Shaquille O'Neal proving to everyone that they could co-exist and win together. They beat Reggie Miller's Indiana Pacers in six games. This was the first of three straight titles for Kobe and Shaq. The road towards the title was a combination of full- blown drama and basketball dominance.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/409046-the-first-championship-of-kobe-bryant
6. February 10, 2002- Kobe Comes Home to Philadelphia, Gets Booed and Still, Wins All- Star MVP.
Kobe Bryant finished with 31 points, seven rebounds and five assists to win MVP honors. Yet, as he collected the Most Valuable Player trophy, the boos became so deafening that no one could even hear his speech.
Kobe, who had played for Lower Merion High School before skipping college and joining the Los Angeles Lakers, was obviously upset.
"I was pretty - pretty upset," Bryant said. "Pretty hurt. I just wanted to go out there and just play - just play hard. But they booed, and, you know, I still like coming home, though. I still enjoy playing in Philly nonetheless."
Sources: http://articles.philly.com/2002-02-11/sports/25334658_1_tracy-mcgrady-kobe-bryant-allen-iverson
5. January 22, 2006- Kobe scores 81 points against the Toronto Raptors.
Kobe exploded against the Toronto Raptors as he poured in 81 points and lead his Lakers to victory. This game would go down as one of the most memorable and awe- inspiring in league history.
“Not even in my dreams,” Bryant said. “That was something that just happened. It’s tough to explain. It’s just one of those things. It really hasn’t, like, set in for me. It’s about the `W,’ that’s why I turned it on. It turned into something special. To sit here and say I grasp what happened, that would be lying.”
“That was something to behold,” Jackson said. “It was another level. I’ve seen some remarkable games, but I’ve never seen one like that before.”
Source: http://ballislife.com/this-day-in-history-1-22-06-kobe-bryant-scores-81-points/
4. August 24, 2008- Kobe wins his first Olympic gold medal against Spain.
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Kobe Bryant had 13 points and two assists in the fourth quarter as Team USA survived a gutsy performance by Spain to win the gold medal game, 118-107.
Kobe shot 44 percent going into this game and he wanted to take the clutch shots. He was the MVP of the NBA and walked out of the arena with a gold medal to add to his three NBA championships.
After the game, Doug Collins recalled what he said to Team USA when he spoke to the players in Las Vegas during their training camp: "There's a huge difference between being a winner and a champion. Once you're champions, you're champions together forever. No one can ever take it away from you. This moment the guys will relish the rest of their lives."
Sources: http://20secondtimeout.blogspot.com/2008/08/kobe-takes-over-in-fourth-quarter-team.html
3. June 17, 2010- Kobe finally defeats the Boston Celtics to get his fifth NBA ring.
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A Game 7 classic that finally went the Lakers' way. Kobe Bryant led his Lakers to another championship. This time, it was made sweeter as it was against their bitter rivals, the Boston Celtics.
Kobe Bryant, the finals MVP, scored 23 points despite 6-of-24 shooting and the Lakers won their 16th NBA championship in dramatic fashion as they rallied to beat the Boston Celtics 83-79 in Game 7 of the NBA finals.
Bryant earned his fifth title with the Lakers, who repeated as NBA champions for the first time since winning three straight from 2000-02.
"This one is by far the sweetest, because it's them," Bryant said. "This was the hardest one by far. I wanted it so bad, and sometimes when you want it so bad, it slips away from you. My guys picked me up."
"Let's go for it again," Bryant said, moments before hoisting the finals MVP trophy. Of course, this never happened as Kobe's Lakers have not won a title since beating Boston.
2. December 14, 2014- Kobe surpasses Michael Jordan on the all time scoring list
Kobe Bryant surpassed his idol Michael Jordan for third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He joined legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone as the only players to ever score at least 32,292 points.
“I think we’re both cursed with the obsession of trying to be the best that we can,” said Bryant. “It’s a blessing and a curse at the same time. We’re both very similar in that regard.”
“I really like Kobe Bryant’s competitive drive,” echoed Jordan on NBATV. “He’s cursed as much as I am. He can’t do the same things that he used to, and the success is not quite as simple as it used to be. He wants it so bad that he’s willing to go to the extreme.”
"Congratulations to Kobe Bryant and we celebrate with him as he adds another page to NBA history. Kobe's legacy will endure the passing of time and for me personally will live forever in my heart."
-Jeanie Buss,Lakers President and Governor
“Kobe Bryant in the past 18 years has changed the game of basketball. His fresh new style of play, partnered with his old-school work ethic and unmatched will to win has helped him become one of the top five players the game has ever seen.
When I first met Kobe in his rookie year, I knew there was something different about him that you don’t see in every player. Five NBA Championships, 11 All-NBA First Team selections, 2 NBA Finals MVP awards, an NBA MVP award and 4 NBA All-Star MVPs later, he has put together an amazing and unimaginable career. Kobe has not only dominated on offense, but he has been a relentless defender throughout his career landing 9 NBA All Defensive First Team selections.
Now, Kobe can add 3rd leading scorer in NBA History to a long resume of accomplishments. Just like we’ve never seen a player like Michael Jordan, we will never see another player like Kobe Bryant.
So, congratulations to my friend, Lakers great, a future Hall of Famer, Kobe Bryant on reaching another career milestone and further cementing his place in basketball history!”
-Magic Johnson, Laker Legend
"For two players that are so often compared to each other it is a great achievement for Kobe to pass a player that he looked up to growing up and patterned his game after. Congratulations"
-James Worthy, Laker Legend
“I think it’s huge. If you look at the top 10 scorers in this history of this game, obviously we’ll end up with No. 1 and 3 from this organization. So it’s an unbelievable feat, and again, it shows (Bryant’s) longevity and his greatness for so many years. Both (Kobe and Jordan) are vicious on the basketball court. They’re both just so competitive. They don’t like losing. And they take that losing to heart. And they’re tough. They demand their teammates to play as hard as they play, and I know that very similar (between) those two guys for sure … From my standpoint and knowing Kobe like I know, he has a lot of respect for MJ. So he’s probably looked at him as the guy he wants to pass in a number of categories — and I think rings are one of them as well. So I think for (Bryant), it’ll be very significant. And again, it just puts him in the category when you talk about the greatest players in this league. It’s gonna put his name in that category no matter what.”
-Byron Scott, Lakers Head CoachSources: http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/141212_kobePassesJordan
1. November 30, 2015- Kobe announces his retirement in social media through a self- made
poem entitled “Dear Basketball”
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Kobe Bryant announced on The Players' Tribune website that he would retire after this season, writing that "this season is all I have left to give."
In a first-person story titled "Dear Basketball," Kobe wrote in the form of a poem that the sport "gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream/And I'll always love you for it."
"But I can't love you obsessively for much longer," Bryant wrote. "This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind but my body knows it's time to say goodbye."
"And that's OK. I'm ready to let you go."
"I've known for a while," Bryant said. "A decision like this, you can't make that decision based on outside circumstances. It has to be an internal decision, and finally I've decided to accept that I can't actually do this anymore, and I'm OK with that."
"It takes a weight off my shoulders and everybody else's."
Kobe Bryant is one of just four players in NBA history with 25,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 6,000 assists in his career
"With 17 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals and a relentless work ethic, Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our game," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "Whether competing in the Finals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an unconditional love for the game."
"What you've done for me is far greater than anything I've done for you," Bryant wrote in the letter to fans. "I knew that each minute of each game I wore purple and gold. I honor it as I play today and for the rest of this season. My love for this city, this team and for each of you will never fade. Thank you for this incredible journey."
Sources: http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14254236/kobe-bryant-los-angeles-lakers-announces-retire-season
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