Looking at Kobe Bryant's top 5 achievements in the NBA

NBA legend and hall-of-famer Kobe Bryant passed away on Sunday after a tragic helicopter accident in California. The news certainly broke the hearts of NBA fans around the world and celebrities.

Bryant was 41 years old at the time of his demise and is considered one of the most respected people to play in the NBA after accomplishing so much throughout his 20 years in the league. Kobe is a 5-time NBA Champion, 2-time NBA Finals MVP, 2008 NBA league MVP, 18-time NBA All-Star, 11-time All-NBA first team nominee, and more.

Outside of the league, Bryant was coaching his daughter's basketball team and helping the community in California. He was seen at several Los Angeles Lakers games, supporting the team that he spent his entire 20-year career with. He was known as the "Black Mamba" on the court since he was a very quick and aggressive player on the court.

Prayers and words of comfort are being sent to Bryant's family. We will all be in mourning for the rest of the season, our thoughts are with his family and the others who passed away in the accident.

In this article, we will take a look at some top achievements for one of the best players to hit the court.

#5 Having the 5th highest sneaker deal

Now with his passing, NBA players were certainly be honoring him by wearing his sneakers on the court. Previously, I had discussed in an article about the five biggest sneaker deals amongst NBA players. Kobe Bryant's sneaker deal landed at number 5 on the list according to Forbes.

Before joining forces with Nike, Bryant previously released shoes with Adidas first in 1997. He joined Nike in 2005 and announced the Air Zoom Kobe I as his first collaboration with Nike. It was certainly a surprise to see Kobe's shoes at number 5, especially considering the following he has from fans. Either way, now fans will commemorate Kobe by wearing his signature shoes.

#4 2008 NBA MVP award

Kobe Bryant collects the award from the then NBA Commissioner David Stern

Despite his performances throughout his time as a player, Bryant was named to just one NBA MVP. That occurred in the 2007-08 season, where Bryant averaged 28.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.4 apg, and 1.8 spg.

That was also the season where Bryant played all 82 regular season games since 2002-03 season, marking a healthy season for him after combating a few injuries the seasons prior. However, it is important to note that those averages were not his career highs. His career-high for points per game came in the 2005-06 season, where he averaged 35.4 of the same per outing.

While he could not help the Lakers past the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals, his performance in the regular season certainly made him deserve the MVP award. Bryant used that MVP award as a catalyst to drive the Lakers to the NBA Finals in the 2008-2009 season, where he helped bring a championship to Los Angeles. His winning mentality will certainly be missed by all NBA fans around the world.

#3 Winning 5 championships with the Lakers

NBA Finals Game 7: Boston Celtics v Los Angeles Lakers

While Kobe did not carry the Los Angeles Lakers for the most part, he certainly was part of the reason why they were able to win 5 NBA Championships in the 20 years he played for the franchise.

Kobe and the Lakers won the NBA Finals in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2010. Besides the Boston Celtics who had won 8 straight championships, the Lakers are the next team to win 3 straight back-to-back championships alongside the Chicago Bulls, who also have won 3 straight championships.

In the last championship win, Bryant led the team throughout the NBA Finals in scoring against the Boston Celtics. After a gruesome seven games, Bryant led a win in the series and won what would be his last championship and the Lakers' last win in the league (as of now). His performances not only brought a championship win to the city of Los Angeles, but also an NBA Finals MVP title for himself.

#2 Having the 2nd most NBA All-Star selections

Aside from five NBA Championships, two NBA Finals MVP, and 2008 NBA MVP, Bryant holds the second-most NBA All-Star selections with 18. He is just one shy of the all-time great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who currently holds the record for most All-Star game selections.

If holding the second most selections isn't enough for you, Bryant was also named the NBA All-Star Game MVP four times in the 2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011 All-Star Games. Kobe holds a tied record for the most All-Star Game MVPs with Bob Pettit, another legendary player in the NBA.

Despite the decrease in his production as the years went by, he was named to the All-Star game from 2000 all the way till 2016, which certainly showed that the players and fans respected him on the court.

#1 Scoring 60 points in his last game as a Laker

It feels as if it was just yesterday when the Black Mamba made a statement in his final game in the NBA. In the Lakers' 2015-16 season finale against the Utah Jazz, Bryant scored a season-high 60 points, giving the Lakers a win in the last game of the season. With this, Bryant became the oldest player in the league to score 60 or more points at the age of 37.

Fans and game-watchers were certainly excited for Bryant to go out with a bang. However, scoring 60 or more points was nothing new for him. He holds the position for the second-highest points scored in a game. On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. He also scored 65 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on the 16th of March in 2007.

Edited by Raunak J