How do you measure the greatness of Kobe Bean Bryant?
In todayās stats-obsessed NBA, greatness is often reduced to numbers. The combination of Moneyball front-office culture and fantasy sport fandom has turned every GOAT conversation into a calculation. Efficiency metrics, offensive ratings, and other statistical achievements are the language we use to separate the great from the merely good.
But the quality that actually separates an icon from an all-star canāt be reduced to some numerical formula. What really makes a legend are the moments- the events in history that we enshrine in our collective memory, the things we remember. There are plenty of all-time great players who have only a handful of truly historic moments, if even that. Yet when it comes to Kobe Bryant, it feels like heās given us more moments than we can count.
In honor of Mamba Day, we went back and highlighted some of our favorite Mamba moments from a truly unforgettable career. From his first season to his first Oscar, here are the ten weāll remember the most:
Air Ball Party
Not all career highlights end in victory, or even strictly qualify as highlights. Some are the hard lessons that help mold a champion. In Game 5 of the 1997 Western Conference Semifinals, a brazen 18-year-old Kobe Bryant air-balled four of his shots in the final minutes of the game, helping Utah end the series 4-1. Missing critical shots, let alone air balling them, can be devastating to a rookieās confidence, especially in a high-stakes playoff game, and after the game, reporters questioned his fearless shooting down the stretch.Ā
But Kobe took the L like a seasoned pro. āI had some good looks, I just didnāt hit the shotsā, he said. This was the birth of the Mamba Mentality: mental toughness and fortitude that Kobe demonstrated throughout his career, and an inspiration to all who watched him. As such, the air balls themselves have become part of his legend. Today, we remember them, not as an embarrassment, but as the challenge Kobe so easily overcame, and the low point from which he ascended to greatness.
First All-Star Appearance
Image by Vincent Laforet/AFP via Getty Images
With Madison Square Garden as the setting, the 1998 NBA All-Star Game featured the undisputed GOAT Michael Jordan facing off against a 19-year-old Kobe Bryant, the youngest All-Star in NBA history. The game started in typical All-Star fashion with players foregoing competitive play and entertaining the fans with alley-oops and uncontested dunks. But as soon as Kobe took it to MJ a few times off the dribble and scored in style against his idol, the mood shifted and the game became a hard-fought showdown.Ā
Kobe and MJ went back and forth for the remainder of the game, legend versus future legend. In the end, Jordan proved his dominance, eventually taking home the All-Star MVP and the win. But the league was now on notice: Kobe Bryant could battle with the best of all-time and his star was on the rise.
Kobe 62, Mavericks 61
By 2005, there was no longer any question whether Kobe Bryant was the best basketball player in the world. Kobe wasnāt just outscoring other players; he was outscoring entire teams. In a matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, Kobe himself outscored the Mavs 62-61 through three quarters. The game turned into such a blowout that Phil Jackson sat Kobe for the rest of the fourth quarter. The moment would be remembered with a question mark: how many points was Kobe Bryant actually capable of scoring were he to play an entire game? One month later, we would have something of an answer.
81
Image by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
For younger basketball fans, the story of Wilt Chamberlain hanging 100 points on the Knicks has always seemed impossible – like a myth passed down from distant history when the rules of basketball were different. But if anyone could get anywhere near that number, it would be Kobe. On a cold Sunday night in Toronto in 2006, Kobe Bryant dropped 81 points on the Raptors. Eighty-one points. It is a staggering, dizzyingly, mind-bending number: a full 10 points higher than any other player-game from the last half-century. And where Wilt scored his 100 points in a blowout victory against an outmatched opposition, Kobeās haul was secured against stiff competition, with the Lakers rallying back from an 18-point third-quarter deficit. This feat has yet to be topped by any player in the modern age of basketball and is the kind of history we may never witness again.
The Redeem Team
Image by NBC Sports
Coming off of a devastating loss in the 2004 Olympics, USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo knew that the program needed a committed group of players in order to return to greatness. Rising stars like LeBron James and Dwayne Wade were bought in early on, but the crucial addition would be Kobe Bryant. He missed the past two Olympics due to extended postseasons, which hurt Team USA being that Kobe was one of the best in the game. A major selling point for Kobe was who the coach would be, and with the appointment of respected head coach Mike Krzyzewski, Kobe agreed to represent his country in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Kobe Bryantās leadership was infectious. At the beginning of the training camp, he was the only one in the gym at 5 A.M. By the end of camp, almost the entire team followed suit. The Mamba Mentality brought focus and determination to Team USA and in turn, helped them reclaim the gold medal and their status as the best team on the planet.
First Finals MVP
Image by NBA
After Shaquille OāNeal was traded to the Miami Heat in the summer of 2004, NBA fans were skeptical if Kobe Bryant could win another ring without the help of his partner in crime. Years went by without Laker success as the San Antonio Spurs dominated the West and new champions emerged from the East. The 2007-2008 season looked promising as the Lakers fought their way into the NBA Finals for the first time in four years, but in a six-game battle against the Celtics, they eventually fell.Ā
If history has shown us anything, itās that Kobe Bryant doesnāt stay down for long. The following year, Kobe made it back to the Finals and lead the Lakers to their fourth championship of the decade. He averaged over 32 points a game against Dwight Howardās Orlando Magic, helping him earn his very first NBA Finals MVP Award.
Last Ring
In the season following his fourth title, Kobe still had unfinished business. He showed the NBA that he could make it back to the top, but now the question was if he could stay on top. Like many challenges thrown his way, Kobe tackled it head on it, and in doing so, he was able to get a second opportunity to defeat the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
The Celtics started the series off strong. They got ahead three games to two after winning Games 4 and 5, despite 33 and 38 point performances by Kobe Bryant. But with the series on the line in Game 6, Kobe took over. He dominated offensively and on the boards, posting 26 points with 11 rebounds to help the Lakers smash the Celtics by 22 and force a Game 7.Ā
Greatness often appears in the final moments of a game when everything is on the line. Kobeās biggest test stood in front of him and with his legacy on the line, he made good on his promise. Kobe went off for his second double-double in the series, dropping 23 points and 15 rebounds. The Lakers came out of the game victorious, earning Kobe a ring for every finger on his hand.Ā
The Achilles Tear
Image by NY Times
If there is any moment that embodies the Mamba Mentality, it would be Kobeās last game against the Golden State Warriors in 2013. From fade away threes to pull-up jumpers, Kobe gave the Warriors the business right from tip-off. He dropped 32 points and led the Lakers back from a deficit, bringing them to within striking distance of the win. Then, horror struck. In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Kobe drove to the hoop looking to tie the game, got fouled, and tore his Achilles tendon. Most players would be carted off of the court in a wheelchair, similar to Paul Pierceās āincidentā in the 2008 NBA Finals. But Kobe was a different breed.Ā
Kobe fought through the pain, limped to the free-throw line, and made both free throws in order to tie the game. He exited the court with 34 points on the next dead ball and the Lakers secured the W shortly after. Talk about legendary.
Last Game
In the spring of 2016, Kobe was on the eve of retirement and years removed from the height of his powers. He was slower, stiffer, and several degrees less explosive. Yet in his final game, he delivered a sensational performance that stacks up against some of his greatest achievements. It had been almost seven seasons since Kobeās last 50 point game and the years of aging and injuries had slowly eroded his once-terrifying dominance. Then, in his last game, Kobe offered one final glimpse of his glory. He erupted for 60 points in a come-from-behind victory against the Utah Jazz. Laker fans around the world witnessed the impossible and Kobe said goodbye with a performance that perfectly summarized his magical career.
The Oscars
Image by ESPN
Even though his career on the basketball court was over, Kobeās determination to be the best stuck with him in new ventures, including film. In 2018, Kobe BryantāsĀ Dear Basketball won the Oscar for the Best Animated Short Film. The film is both a love letter to basketball and also a sad farewell. Kobeās body took some serious injuries later in his career which eventually led him into retirement, forcing him out of the game he loved. Dear Basketball speaks to Kobeās passion for the game and also the grief that comes with saying goodbye.Ā
For his fans, watching Kobe win an Oscar, after watching him win so many times on the court, was a reminder of Kobeās limitless potential. It also showed that, even after basketball, there so many future achievements – so many historic moments – still to come. It is such a great tragedy that the world was robbed of that future. Yet we are forever grateful for the history Kobe made in his time.
