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Kobe Bryant has had some historic moments in his 17 seasons in the NBA. Bryant went from a four air-ball performance in a must-win playoff game in his rookie season and concluded with a 60-point farewell tour that was arguably a top 3 moment in basketball history. Keep watching to see the times that Kobe went too far in NBA Games. These moments aren’t times where he fought other players, but they’re times where he fought himself and presumably won.
May 12, 1997
On May 12, 1997, when the Lakers were playing in a hard-fought Game 5 in a second-round playoff series against the Jazz, down 3-1 in the series, it was a win or go home situation. Other Lakers like Byron Scott was out with a sprained wrist, Robert Horry had been ejected while Shaquille O’Neal had fouled out. Kobe, in his rookie season, was mostly a bench player but at this point he had to take over.
Kobe attempted a game-winning pull-up elbow jumper as time expired in regulation that was an airball. His next jump shot was an airball. And then he threw up two more air-balls for good measure as the Lakers lost the series.
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Kobe wasn’t too clutch off the bench on national television. Like every kid, Kobe had grown up picturing himself draining exactly those kinds of game-winners, and he had airballed them all while his team lost. Lakers fans were angry and destroyed what would be their most iconic player in Laker history. Fans ranted that the rookie didn’t know his place. Laker coach Del Harris was ripped in newspapers for leaving Kobe in the game.
Kobe then flew home with the Lakers on a flight after that loss. When he landed in Las Angeles, Kobe went directly to the Pacific Palisades High School gym and worked on his shot all night long into the morning. Kobe refused to let the failure in Utah define him and his practice throughout his sophomore season helped him reach the all-star game at 19 years of age.
Kobe put up four airballs in the closing seconds of a series ending game. There weren’t too many other options on the floor at the time, but four straight air balls was a little too far. However, his work ethic won over fans and he earned all the respect for how he played throughout his career after that loss.
The Black Mamba Game
On December 20th, 2005, Kobe Bryant scored 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks. What happened at Staples Center was shocking. The Lakers faced off with the Dallas Mavericks, a team that had one of the best records in the NBA. The Mavs finished the 2005 season with 60 wins, and ultimately reached the NBA Finals.They were led by Dirk Nowitzki and had a ton of very good defensive wings such as All-Star Josh Howard, Adrian Griffin, Devin Harris, and Marquis Daniels. Still, Kobe got in an absolute zone.
The Lakers dominated the Mavericks, 112-90, but the main story was Kobe, who scored 62 points and never touched the floor in the fourth quarter. In those same three quarters the entire Mavericks team scored just 61 points. Kobe had 62.
To recap, Kobe Bryant outscored a 60-win NBA Finals team through three quarters. As you could imagine, this is the only time since the shot clock was implemented that a player had done this.
Kobe was just unguardable. He shot 18-of-31 from the field and 22-of-25 from the free throw line. He only made four 3-pointers on the night. He was able to score consistently from anywhere on the floor. He didn’t just use the three point ball to increase his stats. No other Laker even scored in double-figures on the night. Kobe took all the spotlight in this one. In the fourth quarter, head coach Phil Jackson sent assistant Brian Shaw to ask Kobe if he wanted to return to the game in the fourth quarter. Kobe didn’t and told Shaw that he’d have another night like this.
A little over a month later, Kobe dropped 81 points on the Raptors. Kobe had a chance to add to his 62-point game and declined. If that’s not savage, I’m not sure what is.
81-Point Game
The 21-19 Lakers were playing the 14-26 Raptors. This game wasn’t nationally televised. This game was just another game. This wasn’t the prime of the Lakers. But it was still the prime of Kobe Bryant. Kobe’s team consisted of Kwame Brown, Smuth Parker, Chris Mihm and Lamar Odom.
The Raptors had a huge lead in the third quarter and blew it as Kobe got going. When Kobe was at 26 points, analyst Leo Rautins knew there was something brewing from Kobe and warned the Raptors to play better defense on Kobe. With the Raptors up by 18 points in the third quarter, the Staples Center heard a ton of booes. So Kobe hit his 50 and 51st point of the game. It was a dunk late in the third quarter to give the Lakers an 87-85 lead against the Raptors.
Bryant outscored the entire Raptors team in the second half 55-41. With the Lakers up 117-102, 1:58 left to play and Bryant at 76 points, there was reason why Kobe was still in the game. He wanted 80. As it turned out, Lakers coach Phil Jackson considered pulling Bryant short of 80 with the late lead, but assistant Frank Hamblen warned that it might incite the frenzied fans to riot. Bryant recorded his final seven points on foul shots, finishing 18 of 20 from the line and 28 of 46 from the field, including 7 of 13 from 3-point range.
The final score was Lakers 122, Raptors 104. There were no booes at the end of this game. However there were jaws dropping around the arena.
“This was not just a routine game, and I just, I was in awe,” Chuck Swarsky, the voice of the Raptors said, looking back. “To this day, after 18 years of college basketball with DePaul and Michigan, and now in my 22nd year in the NBA, there isn’t any question it was the single most remarkable event I’ve ever seen and ever called.
“To see a man go one on five, and he did go one on five, whether it was Bosh, Jalen Rose, Matt Bonner, Charlie Villanueva, Joey Graham, Mo Peterson, Mike James — I can go right down the list — and he just chewed them up, and that was that.” When Swirsky heard of Sunday’s fatal accident, however, the 81-point game was not the first thing that came to mind.
Farewell Game
Just four years ago, Bryant scored a spectacular 60 points in his farewell NBA game. Outside the arena before the game against the Utah Jazz on that day in April 13, 2016, fans had chanted, ‘Ko-be! Ko-be!’ Kobe fans paid north of $4,200 for three tickets that would’ve been $34 tickets if it weren’t Kobe’s final game. The people who bought the tickets didn’t seem phased by the price,
‘He’s the greatest of our generation,’ the fan said. ‘He’s been a great inspiration for all of us.’
Bryant had announced his retirement via the Players Tribune. Here’s a snippet from the letter.
‘This season is all I have left to give,’ he wrote in ‘Dear Basketball.’ ‘My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.
‘And that’s OK. I’m ready to let you go.’
It was the injuries that ended Bryant’s career but it really didn’t seem like his body was aching after this performance. He left it all out on the floor for the Lakers. Kobe was always teased by the media and his teammates that he never passes the ball. But this time, players, media and fans were hoping he never passed the ball again.
Again, the Lakers were trailing. They were trailing for most of the night against the Utah Jazz but it was Bryant that sparked the Lakers in the fourth quarter, rallying them to a 101-96 win.
With 4.1 seconds remaining, Bryant left the game and was quickly swarmed on the court afterward by former teammates and coaches.
‘I can’t believe how fast 20 years went by,’ Bryant told the Staples Center crowd as he thanked the fans, his teammates and his family after the game.
He recalled how it was his dream to play for the Lakers, his favorite team growing up.
‘You can’t write something better than this,’ he said. Bryant made 22 of 50 shots to complete the trend of never passing the ball. On the last night, he said, his teammates were telling him: ‘Don’t pass it!’
Bryant, whom Magic Johnson referred to in a pregame ceremony as the greatest Laker, finished his speech with ‘Mamba out’ — a reference to his nickname, ‘The Black Mamba’ — a kiss and a literal mic drop. Bryant outscored the Jazz in the fourth quarter 23-21 just like old times. With his team trailing with just under six minutes to go, Bryant scored 17 consecutive points for his team. With 40 seconds remaining, Bryant got the ball with the Lakers down one point.
We’ve seen this before. Bryant dribbled the ball upcourt, surveyed the defense, headed to his left then reversed and used a screen. With his man respecting Bryant’s ability to drive, Kobe pulled up from just inside the 3-point line with 31 seconds remaining. Splash. That’s Kobe for you. 60 points in his final game. Another game winner for a highlight reel full of incredible moments.
Torn Achilles Free Throws
Lakers athletic trainer Gary Vitti saw Kobe Bryant had just torn his left Achilles tendon in an April game against the Golden State Warriors. This injury was going to affect the Lakers a ton when going into the postseason as their star player was going to miss some time. But before taking in the reality that he’d have to sit out for a while, he pleaded one last time to take a couple free throws before exiting.
“The warrior that he is, Kobe says, ‘Maybe I can run on my heel,’” Vitti recalls Kobe saying. “I was like, ‘Come on. You have to go.’”
Vitti allowed Bryant to shoot his two free throws. Vitti then alerted the officials and Golden State’s coaching staff the Lakers would then foul immediately so Bryant could leave the game.
Of course, Bryant hit both foul shots on basically one foot. He then walked off the court on his own and then added an extra layer to his many list of amazing plays. Those free throws actually helped the Lakers tie the game with 3:09 remaining and eventually, the Lakers would win by two points, 118-116 victory over Golden State. This helped with their playoff birth too.
“I think it’s his gutsiest moment,” Vitti said of Bryant.
Vitti’s 30-year career with the Lakers included treating Bryant’s many injuries in his 17 seasons with the Lakers. Vitti has seen it all with Bryant playing three days after suffering a concussion and other injuries. Vitti is still in shock at how Bryant quickly overcame food poisoning before scoring 22 points in Game 2 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings.
“In the middle of the night, he had crawled up like a shrimp,” Vitti said. “He looked like he was on death’s door.”
Vitti was more shocked and continued to talk about Bryant’s free throws.
“To be walking off the floor with his own power,” Vitti said.“I’ve seen guys being taken off on wheel chairs for a shoulder injury.”
Vitti refused to say any names, but it sounded like he took a shot at a few players. A couple players that come to mind would be Miami Heat’s guard Dwyane Wade. He was taken off the court in a wheelchair, though he suffered a shoulder injury. Paul Pierce was hilariously wheel-chaired off the court for an apparent knee injury in Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals, only for the former Celtic to return minutes later and lead Boston to a win over the Lakers. It turns out Pierce just had to go to the bathroom.
Bryant’s injury was way more serious, though.
“There was a moment in the training room after he ruptured his Achilles that I saw the frustration and a second of doubt in his mind,” Vitti said. “It was a moment and then it passed. He was angry.”
The Mamba was angry. Of course, he’d get back to being himself and prove doubters wrong.
Vitti recalled receiving a call from Bryant around midnight informing him he planned to have surgery the following morning.
“That’s what’s remarkable about Kobe Bryant,” Vitti said. “He processed all that stuff and all those feelings and got to what we’re going to do next within two hours.”
Vitti had three words for that night where Bryant decided to do the unthinkable. He remembers, “That’s really cool.”
