Kobe Bean Bryant: as a Celtics fan you loved to hate him growing up in the late 2000s. As this legend retires, you cannot help but respect and admire what he has done for the game of basketball. What was so special about the Black Mamba?
Bryant was drafted out of Lower Merion High School in 1996 at the tender age of 17, at the time the only guard to ever be drafted out of high school. He dazzled from the start by winning the Dunk Contest in his rookie year. Bryant was an All-Star starter by his second year at the age of 19. The Los Angeles Lakers won three titles in a row from 2000-2002, with the combination of Kobe and Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal nearly unstoppable. Shaq and Kobe's terrible relationship ended with Shaq being traded to the Miami Heat. Who knows how many championships they could have won together.
After Shaq was traded the Lakers began experiencing playoff heartbreak year after year. Kobe still soared winning his first league MVP in 2008, but losing to the Boston Celtics in the Finals. In 2009 and 2010, Kobe made his way back to the top and won back-to-back championships. Five championships are nearly unheard of and it is a shame that he never got to six which would have tied MJ.
Personally, Bryant is the closest resemblance to Michael Jordan that we have seen. His numbers are absolutely insane and put him among the all-time greats. Eighteen All-Star Games, four All-Star Game MVPs, five-time NBA Champion, and Lakers All-Time leader scorer. You could tell he lived and breathed the game of basketball. His nickname, "The Black Mamba," suited him perfectly through the way he attacked the basket and viciously weaved through defenders. He was always a player that everyone hated which meant he must have been doing something right.
The man scored 81 points in a single game. His mentality, his drive, his heart will never be forgotten. I thought that we had seen it all, until his last game. Vintage Kobe was back in action scoring 60 points at the age of 37. Honestly, we should have known he would go out this way. His last game overshadowed the Warriors breaking the regular season wins mark. Kobe, you are an icon and your legacy will live on forever. Thanks for the memories. Mamba Out.
