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"KO-BE! KO-BE!" "M-V-P! M-V-P!"
Just a couple of chants that become synonymous with the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center for 20 years from 1996-2016, as a young boy from Lower Merion High School went on to create a legacy of his own and followed a long list of Hall of Famers to arguably become the greatest Lakers in franchise history.
This boy is none other than the great, Kobe Bryant. The Black Mamba, as he is popularly known, achieved everything possible in the NBA. The regular season MVP in 2008, a 4-time scoring champion (3 consecutive from 2005-07), 18-time NBA All-Star, 4-time All-Star Game MVP, 11 All-NBA First team selections, 9-time All NBA Defensive First team selections, NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner in 1997 and definitely not to forget, an incredible 5 NBA championships in 7 final appearances over his 2 decade career.
Many critics state that the sole reason for Kobe winning 3 consecutive titles was due to the fact that he had Shaquille O'Neal ("Shaq"). Of course, Kobe did have Shaq but in no ways did Kobe have a small role to play in those three seasons. Shaq was a monster, he was the single most dominant force in the NBA at the time and he proved that in the finals (2000-02) by bagging the Finals MVP award in all those seasons.
O'Neal and Bryant were unstoppable! They were the best duo since Michael Jordan and Pippen but more flashy. They brought ShowTime to the Lakers once again!
Having said that, Bryant always had a chip on his shoulder. People doubted whether Bryant would have won a ring without Shaq. He silenced his critics 7 years hence when he lifted the Larry O'Brien trophy as the leader of a Lakers team that had no All-Star names apart from the Spanish giant, Pau Gasol.
The new dynamic Laker duo went on to repeat the feat the following year in one of the most dramatic finals in NBA history, giving the Mamba his 5th and last NBA Championship.
Now to put things into perspective, let's rank Kobe's 5 NBA championships in terms of circumstances rather than in numbers. Ironically, the order is year wise, his last championship in 2010 being the best.
#5 2000: Against the Indiana Pacers in 6 games
The Lakers were absolutely dominant that year. They won 67 games during the regular season! They pretty much dismantled a very good Pacers side that featured Reggie Miller.
The centerpiece in the first of three consecutive titles for the Lakers was definitely Bryant’s teammate, Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq averaged 38 points and 16.7 rebounds in the finals. Kobe didn’t do too badly himself, contributing 15+ points, nearly 6 rebounds and 4+ assists per game. In fact, Bryant always played the second fiddle when the Lakers won the three-peat as Shaq went on to win the Finals MVP award on all three occasions.
One must not forget though that Shaq would have probably not won those three titles without his deputy, Bryant. They were the best duo in the league since Pippen and Jordan. They were probably even better than the former Bulls pair. The 2000 NBA title brought about the start of Kobe Bryant’s Lakers legacy and Los Angeles found a cornerstone for years to come.
#4 2001: Against the Philadelphia 76ers in 5 games
In the 2001 season, the Lakers looked far from their best. They finished with 56 wins and failed to finish in 1st in the Western Conference. Come the playoffs, they turned things around.
They swept all their playoff series till the final. The Lakers came into the finals with an 11-0 record. They ended with a then-playoff record of a 15-1 post the finals. The only loss came at the hands of Allen Iverson’s 76ers in OT in Game 1. It took 16 seasons to beat this record as the Golden State Warriors finished the playoffs 16-1 to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy for their 5th NBA Championship in the 2016-17 season.
#3 2002: Against the New Jersey Nets (now known as the Brooklyn Nets) in 4 games
This would probably have been the lowest ranked amongst the 5 NBA Championships since the finals were an absolute breeze for the Lakers but in 2002, the Lakers made it 3 championships in 3 consecutive seasons (known as a three-peat), only the second time in the history of the franchise (the Minneapolis Lakers were the first to do it in 1952-54).
It is such an incredible feat that this Lakers side has been the last one to achieve this feat. The Golden State Warriors will bid to do the same in the upcoming 2018-19 season.
The three-peat is special. After the Lakers did it for the first time 1954, the Boston Celtics won an unbelievable 8 straight NBA Champions from 1959-1966! It took 27 years for it to be repeated once again, thanks to none other than the great Michael Jordan, with the Chicago Bulls as he went on to lead his team to 3 consecutive titles twice in his career (1991-1993 and 1996-1998)!
One common factor for the Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers during these three peats was their head coach – Phil Jackson. Jackson is the most successful coach in not only basketball history but also sports history. He was an incredible leader who nurtured two of the best scorers in the game in Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
So 2002 definitely has to rank 3rd on Kobe’s list of championships, simply because three in a row is truly sweet. The Nets were annihilated by Los Angeles as they were swept. Shaq averaged 36.3 points and 12.3 rebounds whereas Kobe averaged 26.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists, in the finals.
#2 2009: Against the Orlando Magic in 5 games
The Lakers were strong in 2009. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to their 15th NBA Championship with substantial support from the 7-foot Spaniard, Pau Gasol. They developed a great relationship on the court and were hard to stop as the Lakers implemented Phil Jackson’s Triangle Offense and looked unstoppable.
The Lakers won 65 games in the regular season and that was enough proof to suggest that the Lakers were going to be tough to stop. But Orlando had an even better regular season record but were no match for the Purple and Gold. Bryant went on to win his first Finals MVP award as he averaged a series-best 32.4 points in the finals.
#1 2010: Against the Boston Celtics in 7 games
The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics rivalry are one of the biggest in the sports world. The Celtics are the most successful franchise in NBA history. They have 17 championships. The Lakers are the second most successful behind the Celtics with 16 rings to their name.
This definitely had to be the sweetest for Kobe Bryant and the best! Not only because of his loyalty to the Lakers but also due to the fact that the Lakers came back from a 3-2 deficit to retain the NBA championship. The 2010 finals will go down as one of the most entertaining finals in NBA history. It was nail biting till the end. The Celtics were a powerhouse. They had the big three in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. They were all facilitated by their genius and skillful point guard, Rajon Rondo who was tough to stop. The Lakers really struggled in dealing with Rondo.
But the Lakers grinded it out and were bailed out on more than one occasion by Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. The Lakers wanted to avenge the loss they suffered at the hands of the Celtics in 2008 and they really had to toil for it.
Coming back home to the Staples Center 3-2 down having lost back to back games at the TD Garden in Boston, the Lakers were on the back foot. But they grinded it out and home advantage paid dividends as they scrapped to victory in Game 7 after miserable shooting throughout the game. Even the great Kobe Bryant just shot 6-24 from the field in Game 7. Kobe ‘Bean’ Bryant still went on to win his 2nd and last Finals MVP award as he averaged 28.6 points, 8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.
There is a reason as to why both of Bryant's jerseys hang from the rafters. He won 3 NBA Championships wearing number 8 and the other two in the Lakers number 24. He scored 10,000+ points wearing each of these numbers and that speaks volumes of how incredible a player he truly was. Kobe Bryant was a fierce competitor. His stats prove how great he truly was. His legacy will always live on. His loyalty was unquestionable and his love for the game was unparalleled.
To add to his trophy collection of NBA titles, All-Star awards, dunk contest champions, Finals MVP, Regular season MVP and Olympic Gold, Bryant also won an Oscar for the Best Short Documentary. Some people are just born to be champions, aren't they?
When Kobe was asked which ring was the most special, he also said that he ranked the 2010 championship at the pinnacle because of how difficult it was, coming back from 3-2 to win 4-3 and that too, to beat the Boston Celtics.
So I guess we cannot disagree with the Mamba now, can we?
Guess the Lakers players!
