This year’s NBA postseason is already shaping up to be an unmissable event for all basketball fans to enjoy, which can include browsing the latest NBA odds, as fans will be quick to question as to which teams and individual players will mount a charge towards championship stardom this season.
However, when it comes to bringing up an individual player that provided a unique mentality and overall presence on the court, there are very few players that can cater to the relentless work ethic and overriding passion that the legendary Kobe Bryant provided for NBA fans on a nightly basis.
Throughout his legendary career, the ‘Black Mamba’ became one of the games most illustrious and widely celebrated players as well as one of the most beloved athletes to ever live, with his preposterous tenure as an NBA superstar being one for the ages that very few have been capable of replicating.
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Heading to the league from high school:
Unlike various other players who have been drafted into the NBA from college or other professional basketball leagues, Kobe Bryant was one of the very few number of athletes who made the daring jump from high school straight to the NBA.
Kobe has joined an elite list of players such as LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Kevin Garnett as some of the top high school recruits in NBA history as he was picked with the 13th overall selection out of Lower Merion high school in a stacked 1996 Draft class that included the likes of hall of famers Allen Iverson, Steve Nash and Ray Allen.
The Charlotte Hornets were the original team that selected Bryant but after Lakers GM Jerry West sprung a genius trade for the young stud on draft night (sending Lakers Center Vlade Divac to the Queen City), it was confirmed that Kobe would suit up in the fabled purple and gold of the Lakers franchise.
West would also acquire the league’s best up and coming big man in Shaquille O’Neal later that summer from the Orlando Magic, forming arguably the greatest duo in NBA history in the process.
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Championship years with Shaq:
Kobe’s first few years in the league were impressive for the young starlet but it wasn’t until the year 2000 when he and Shaq truly cemented themselves as the best one-two punch in the NBA, alongside the hiring of legendary head coach Phil Jackson.
Shaq was named league MVP as he and Kobe led the Lakers to their first finals appearance since 1991, defeating the Indiana Pacers in six games.
The Lakers would repeat the next two years with a five game series win over the Philadelphia 76ers and their decisive sweep over the New Jersey Nets the following year.
Despite winning it all and reaching another finals appearance in 2004, the two superstars would soon start quarreling about their role on the team, with Kobe being increasingly frustrated about Shaq’s physique.
After their 2004 finals loss to the Detroit Pistons, Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat which left Kobe alone as the main focal franchise star of the Lakers.
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MVP season and winning it all with Pau:
Following Shaq’s departure, Kobe took his game to another level and became one of the best two-way threats that the league has ever witnessed, with one of his greatest ever performances being his 81 point demolition over the Toronto Raptors in 2006.
In 2008, after the Lakers traded for All-NBA power forward Pau Gasol, Bryant won his first and only league MVP award before ultimately losing to the heavily stacked ‘big three’ of the Boston Celtics in a tight NBA Finals series.
The following season saw the Lakers return to the Finals and defeat the Orlando Magic in a tight five game series with Bryant being named as the finals MVP for the first time in his career.
The Lakers would once again reach the Finals the very next season with Bryant getting revenge over the Celtics and claiming his second finals MVP trophy before ending the post-game press conference with a now infamous quote: “I’ve got one more than Shaq!”
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Final years as a Laker:
Kobe’s final years in the league were still impressive on an individual statistical standpoint but with the Lakers being unable to truly build around their ageing star and Bryant suffering his fair share of debilitating injuries, it was clear that it was time for the Mamba to retire.
His final game against the Utah Jazz in April 2016 is widely regarded as the best sendoff in NBA history as Bryant netted 60 points before leaving the court for the final time.
During his years away from the league, Bryant became heavily involved with numerous charitable organizations and was even able to open up more about his time in the league, which included making amends with Shaq.
Tragically in 2020, Kobe lost his life in a helicopter crash along with his daughter Gianna with his passing still being mourned and heavily impactful years later.
Kobe is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to ever live and remains adored by all NBA fans for his commitment to the game and outstanding play throughout his career.
He was an inspiration to every NBA star in the league today with his legacy living on forever.
