24 moments and quotes from Kobe Bryant for the Lakers legend’s birthday originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Eight and 24 are identical to Kobe Bryant, as are 23/8.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend was born on August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia. From there, she created one of the most legendary careers in basketball history during her 20 years in the NBA. Her resume is endless, with 18 All-Star picks, 15 All-NBA picks, five NBA championships, two scoring titles, a spot on the NBA’s 75th anniversary team, and more.
With Tuesday marking his 44th birthday, let’s take a look at 24 of Bryant’s most iconic moments:
1. Hornet composed Kobe Bryant in 1996
Charlotte picked Bryant with 13th overall pick in the loaded 1996 NBA Draft before trading him in Los Angeles for Vlade Divac. It’s fair to say it worked pretty well for Bryant in Los Angeles
2. Kobe won the 1997 NBA Dunk Contest
One of the first pieces of official NBA hardware Bryant acquired came from the 1997 NBA Dunk Contest in Cleveland, which he won as a rookie. As seen in this list, it is a sign of the damage he can do to the rims.
3. Kobe blew up Ben Wallace in the preseason
If the preseason hadn’t come, Bryant’s monstrous throw for four-time NBA defender of the year Ben Wallace would arguably be the best dunk of his career.
4. Kobe vs. Michael Jordan in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game
As documented in “The Last Dance,” Michael Jordan set his sights on Bryant who would compete in the 1998 All-Star Game. Bryant was the youngest All-Star in league history and led the Western Conference of 18 points in a star-studded ranking. shop window.
5. Kobe and Shaq connect for the 7 gang-oop game
22 years ago today …
Kobe Bryant and Shaq met in this iconic alley-oop
The Lakers (-340) erased a 13-point gap in the 4th quarter to send them to the NBA Finalspic.twitter.com/9SZv9aCmdO
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) June 4, 2022
Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal are among the best duos in NBA history, and their best game together came at a pivotal time. Bryant pitched O’Neal in the closing minutes of the final Western Conference win in Game 7 that destroyed the Staples Center and sent the Lakers to their first appearance in the final since 1991.
6. Kobe won his first NBA championship in 2000
Bryant and the Lakers started their third game with a 4-2 win over the Indiana Pacers.
7. Kobe and Lakers repeat themselves as champions in 2001
LA took home a second straight title in 2001 by wiping out the Philadelphia 76ers. The victory in the Final also provided one of the classic images of Bryant’s career, as seen above.
8. Kobe and Lakers completed three bogs in 2002
Bryant took the only final victory of his career when the Lakers beat the New Jersey Nets for a third consecutive title.
9. Kobe comes back for a crazy dunk
Bryant put Vincent Yarbrough in a blender for a ridiculous dunk against fasting during the 2003 Nuggets-Lakers fight.
10. Kobe sinks the Blazers with a shot from a draw and wins the game
As if hitting a highly contested 3-point at the end of the rulebook wasn’t strong enough, Bryant went on to sink another ridiculous 3-point to lift the Lakers past the Portland Trail Blazers on April 14, 2004.
11. Kobe introduces rookie Dwight Howard
Bryant and Dwight Howard had a tough season together in Los Angeles, but long before that Bryant introduced the NBA roughly at the heart of Magic.
12. Kobe scores 81 points against the Raptors
Bryant collected the second highest-scoring game in NBA history with an 81-point masterclass against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006. He scored 28 of 46 overall, 7 of 13 from 3-point distance and 18 of -20. from the free throw line in a 122-104 win.
13. Kobe gets extra time winner vs. Only in the playoffs
Like the 2004 game against the Blazers, Bryant hit two friction hits in Game 4 of the Lakers’ first round series against the Phoenix Suns in 2006. He hit a draw float in the closing seconds of the rulebook before draining a jumper from the average distance to the siren of extra time to put Los Angeles 3-1 ahead in the series.
14. Kobe won the Olympic gold medal with Redeem Team
Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade led the US team to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The team beat Spain 118-107 in the game for the gold medal when Bryant scored 20 points and had six assists. Bryant won a second gold medal at the London Olympics in 2012.
15. Kobe won his fourth NBA title in 2009
After leading the 2-0 series in the 2009 NBA Finals, Bryant gave one of the signatures of his career: “The work is not done”. It didn’t take long for Bryant and Co. to get the job done, as they beat the Orlando Magic in five games.
16. Kobe is undeterred by Matt Barnes
Matt Barnes tried to get inside Bryant’s head during the 2009 Finals rematch, but the Lakers star was not affected in the slightest.
17. Kobe leads the Lakers over the Celtics for the fifth NBA championship
Bryant won the fifth and final title of his career in 2010 against the Boston Celtics. He also received his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP for showing him in a seven-game series.
18. Kobe debuts with the Grinches at Christmas against LeBron
Bryant’s matches against LeBron James and the Miami Heat were the highlight of Christmas 2010, but that match also marked the debut of one of the sport’s most coveted sneakers, the Nike Kobe 6 Grinch.
19. Kanye West studied the “Kobe System”
“Are you a different animal? e the same beast? ” This is a question from Kanye West and we’re still trying to figure it out from the Bryant Nike ad.
20. Kobe goes on a rack attack against. Networks
One of the best dunks of Bryant’s late career came at the expense of Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries at Barclays Center in 2013.
21. Kobe ends his career with 60 points
Bryant’s last game was a complete Kobe experience. He made 50 shots, entered the clutch and finished with 60 points against the Utah Jazz on April 13, 2016, before stepping off the pitch for the last time.
22. Kobe will not allow Jalen Rose to forget his 81-point game
Jalen Rose may not be able to stop Kobe Bryant from scoring 81 points, but his 2017 ESPN spot with the Lakers icon shows he can be a good sportsman in that regard.
23. The Lakers withdraw both of Kobe’s numbers
The Lakers honored Bryant by retiring his number 8 and number 24 in a ceremony on December 18, 2017, before the game against the Golden State Warriors.
24. Kobe won an Oscar for “Dear Basketball”
Bryant added to his trophy collection after his basketball career, winning an Oscar in 2018 for the animated short “Dear Basketball,” based on a poem he wrote on the eve of his retirement from the NBA.
Source: www.nbcchicago.com
