when was the last time kobe bryant won a championship
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the U.S. men's basketball team, occasionally referred to as "The Redeem Team". He won another gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He led the Lakers to two more championships in 2009 and 2010, winning the Finals MVP award on both occasions. Bryant is an 18-time All-Star, which ranks second behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 19. He has been chosen a record 18 straight times, each time as a starter. On four occasions (2003, 2011, 2013, 2016) he was the leading vote-getter. Four times Bryant was named the All-Star MVP, a record he shares with Bob Pettit. He has been selected
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to the NBA Finals where they defeated the Boston Celtics in a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals won by the Celtics 4 games to 2. This time, the Lakers won the series 4 games to 3 for their 16th NBA title and handed Boston its first Game 7 loss in an NBA Finals in team history. Kobe Bryant won his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP as well as his fifth and final NBA Championship. On July 14, 2010, Phil Jackson won the 2010 ESPY Awards for Best Coach/Manager while Kobe Bryant won for Best NBA Player. The Lakers came
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in 1986. Scottie Pippen performed a last-second block in 1994. The first showdown featuring Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal as opponents occurred on Christmas, 2004. 2009 and 2010 featured faceoffs between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Phil Jackson becoming the fastest coach to win 1,000 games (it happened on December 25, 2008). In 2012, Kobe Bryant became the all-time Christmas Day scorer with 383 points, surpassing Oscar Robertson who scored 377 points. As a result of a lockout in 2011, Christmas Day was also the season opener. ESPN/ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy talked about that day, saying, "It's a different
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seniors after the previous season, the Aces once again reached the AAAA Quarterfinals, where they were defeated by La Salle College High School. Former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant led Lower Merion to the state championship before graduating in 1996. On December 16, 2010, the school held a sold-out dedication ceremony for Kobe Bryant, naming the school's new gym after him. The Lower Merion Varsity Tennis Team is currently under coach De-Sean Fennell. The Varsity Boys' team won the PIAA AAA state championship in 2006 and 2007 they finished second in 2008, as recently as 2013 they made the state quarterfinals
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hugging during the game. O'Neal told Bryant to keep the MVP trophy, but Bryant instead gave it to O'Neal's son. For O'Neal, Bryant's gesture marked a turning point in their relationship. Bryant and the Lakers would go to face the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals. Shaq showed support for Kobe, on his Twitter page saying: "thats right i am saying it today and today only, i want kobe bryant to get number 4, spread da word ". After the Lakers once again won the title in Game 7 of the 2010 Finals, Bryant was asked what it meant
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separately. Bryant signed a seven-year, $136 million contract a year after the allegations, and regained several of his endorsements from Nike, Spalding, and Coca-Cola. He was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2008 and the Finals' Most Valuable Player in 2009 and 2010. On December 16, 2011, Bryant's wife filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. However, Bryant and his wife reconciled in January 2013. Kobe Bryant sexual assault case The Kobe Bryant sexual assault case began in July 2003 when the news media reported that the sheriff's office in Eagle, Colorado had arrested professional basketball player Kobe Bryant in
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winning the conference championship. In the Finals against the Orlando Magic, several games were close, but the Lakers still won 4–1 and were crowned NBA Champions for the first time in 7 years. Kobe Bryant was named the Finals MVP. On July 3, 2009, the Lakers signed Houston Rockets forward Ron Artest to a five-year contract to replace Lakers forward Trevor Ariza who signed with the Rockets. The Lakers once again won the Western Conference and made it to their third straight finals. In the 2010 NBA Finals, the Lakers were rematched with the Boston Celtics. Faced against much of
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The music video of the single also features Bryant. The song was also used by Sprite in its 2011 marketing campaign in China. In 2009, rapper Lil Wayne titled a song "Kobe Bryant". Similarly, in 2010, the rapper Sho Baraka released a song called "Kobe Bryant On'em", which was featured on his album "Lions and Liars". Bryant is the official ambassador for After-School All-Stars (ASAS), an American non-profit organization that provides comprehensive after-school programs to children in thirteen US cities. Bryant also started the Kobe Bryant China Fund which partnered with the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, a charity backed by
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the U.S. men's basketball team, occasionally referred to as "The Redeem Team". He won another gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He led the Lakers to two more championships in 2009 and 2010, winning the Finals MVP award on both occasions. Bryant is an 18-time All-Star, which ranks second behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 19. He has been chosen a record 18 straight times, each time as a starter. On four occasions (2003, 2011, 2013, 2016) he was the leading vote-getter. Four times Bryant was named the All-Star MVP, a record he shares with Bob Pettit. He has been selected
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in the league through 2013 when the 34-year-old Bryant suffered a torn Achilles tendon. Although he recovered, his play was limited the following two years by season-ending injuries to his knee and shoulder, respectively. Citing his physical decline, he announced that he would retire after the 2015–16 season. At 34 years and 104 days of age, Bryant became the youngest player in league history to reach 30,000 career points. He became the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history on February 1, 2010, when he surpassed Jerry West. During his third year in the league, Bryant was chosen to start
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promoting Nike's Hyperdunk shoes, Bryant came out with the fourth edition of his signature line by Nike, the Zoom Kobe IV. In 2010 Nike launched another shoe, Nike Zoom Kobe V. In 2009, Bryant signed a deal with Nubeo to market the "Black Mamba collection", a line of sports/luxury watches that range from $25,000 to $285,000. On February 9, 2009, Bryant was featured on the cover of ESPN "The Magazine". However, it was not for anything basketball related, rather it was about Bryant being a big fan of FC Barcelona. CNN estimated Bryant's endorsement deals in 2007 to be worth
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the Chinese government. The Kobe Bryant China Fund raises money within China earmarked for education and health programs. On November 4, 2010, Bryant appeared alongside Zach Braff at the launch event at the Santa Monica Airport, where they presented a $1 million check to the Call of Duty Endowment, an Activision-founded nonprofit organization that helps veterans transition to civilian careers after their military service has ended. Bryant established Kobe Inc. to own and grow brands in the sports industry. The initial investment was a 10% stake in the Bodyarmor SuperDrink company for $6 million in March 2014. The headquarters are
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game with 15 rebounds. Bryant won his fifth championship and earned his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP award. This marked the first time the Lakers won a Game 7 against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Bryant said that this was the most satisfying of all of his five championships. Bryant wanted a sixth championship to match Jordan's total. The Lakers started the 2010–11 season by winning their first eight games. In his ninth game of the season, playing against the Denver Nuggets, Bryant became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 26,000 career points. Bryant also recorded
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won six championships in the 1990s playing in the triangle. His first three title-winning teams in Chicago featured superstars Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Jackson's later three titles with the Bulls came with Jordan, Pippen, and fellow superstar Dennis Rodman. Jackson's Los Angeles Lakers won five championships employing the triangle. His first three Lakers championship squads fielded superstars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, while his last two title teams saw him pair Bryant with fellow All-Star Pau Gasol. When Jackson became the head coach of the Chicago Bulls before the start of the 1989–1990 NBA season, he and Winter originally
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the floor and had Bryant take over the offense and lead the team to victory. Leading 110–109 with 1:32 remaining in Game 6, Jackson again spread the offense—even with O'Neal on the floor—and again allowed Bryant to take over; the Lakers won the game, 116–111, and won the championship. In the ensuing celebration, Bryant was the first person to embrace O'Neal. The season was not without confrontation, as O'Neal in one team meeting said, "I have something to say. I think Kobe is playing too selfishly for us to win." O'Neal felt pressure to be leader of the team and
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Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He entered the NBA directly from high school and won five NBA championships with the Lakers. Bryant is an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons and ranks third on the league's all-time regular season scoring and fourth on the all-time postseason scoring list. He holds the NBA record for
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looks back on his career with photos and his reflections. Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He entered the NBA directly from high school and won five NBA championships with the Lakers. Bryant is an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons and ranks third on the league's all-time regular season scoring and fourth on the
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the Lakers signed Phil Jackson as head coach. Jackson, famous for coaching Michael Jordan and the six-time champion Chicago Bulls, would build his triangle offense around Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. General Manager Jerry West surrounded O'Neal and Bryant with effective role players such as Glen Rice, Ron Harper (who had experience with Jackson's triangle offense as part of the '96–'98 Bulls), and A. C. Green (member of the last two Lakers championship teams). Along with these starters, the Lakers also possessed a strong bench. Robert Horry not only had championship experience with the Houston Rockets but also was a
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NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant is a basketball video game developed by Left Field Productions and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. The game was released in North America exclusively on October 31, 1999. It is the sequel to "Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside" and features NBA star Kobe Bryant on its cover. Bryant also performed the motion capture for the game. A Game Boy Color version of the game was released at the same time, entitled "NBA 3 on 3 featuring Kobe Bryant". The third and final edition in the "Courtside"
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time an NBA player has won this award, as well as the first Oscar win for Keane, a veteran Disney animator. On the eve of his retirement from the National Basketball Association (NBA); Kobe Bryant describes his love for the game, which began when he was a young child. From his youthful dreams of glory to his 20-year career, Bryant describes how basketball and he have given each other all they had while Bryant was in his prime. The short was included in The animation Showcase world touring screening 2017. Dear Basketball won Best Traditional Animation and Special Jury Award
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Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside is a basketball simulation game for the Nintendo 64. It was released in 1998 and received a Player's Choice designation after selling one-million copies. At the time of the game's release, Kobe Bryant was in his second NBA season and at age 19, was the youngest player to have a game to his namesake. It was followed by a sequel, "", released in 1999. "Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside" features 5-on-5 gameplay. There are three modes: Pre-Season (Exhibition), Season, and Playoffs. In both Season and Playoffs modes, players have the
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1988. Statistically, the 2000–01 season saw Bryant perform similarly to the previous year, but he averaged 6 more points a game (28.5). It was also the year when disagreements between Bryant and O'Neal began to surface. Once again he led the team in assists with 5 per game. The Lakers, however, only won 56 games, an 11-game drop off from last year. The Lakers would respond by going 15–1 in the playoffs. They easily swept the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs to advance to the Finals, before losing their first game against the Philadelphia 76ers in
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Bryant as a "Corvette" and himself as a "brick wall" in an interview with ABC's Al Michaels during halftime of "Monday Night Football". Before the opening tip, Bryant and O'Neal did not talk, but did greet each other by bumping forearms. During the game, Bryant was fouled by O'Neal several times but the contacts were not excessive. O'Neal fouled out late in the fourth quarter but the Heat still won the game in overtime, led by up-and-coming star, Dwyane Wade. Bryant missed a potentially game-winning shot as time expired. When asked about the brick wall comment, Bryant said, "I knew
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Payton, and Bryant, the Lakers were able to reach the NBA Finals. However, they were upset in five games by the Detroit Pistons, who won their first championship since 1990. In that series, Bryant averaged 22.6 points per game and 4.4 assists. He shot 35.1% from the field. Jackson's contract as coach was not renewed, and Rudy Tomjanovich took over. O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant. The following day, Bryant declined an offer to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers and re-signed a seven-year contract with the Lakers. Bryant was closely
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(ABL). He also served as the head coach of Rizing Fukuoka of the bj league. Bryant is married to Pam Cox, sister of former NBA player Chubby Cox. They have two daughters and one son: Sharia, Shaya, and Kobe. Kobe has won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. He also is the uncle of professional basketball player John Cox IV. Joe Bryant Joseph Washington "Jellybean" Bryant (born October 19, 1954) is an American retired professional basketball player, current coach, and the father of former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. Bryant was the head coach of the WNBA's
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"Bluegrass Miracle" also won the 2003 Best Play ESPY Award. It beat out plays from Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Vick and Barry Bonds. Devery Henderson accepted the award on behalf of the LSU team. It was the second time an LSU miracle play won an ESPY award: Warren Morris had won the 1997 Showstopper of the Year ESPY Award for his two out, walk-off home run in the 1996 College World Series championship game. It also marked the second time in as many years that LSU foiled a Kentucky football comeback in the final moments of the game. In
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divided by pettiness. Despite the rocky season, The Lakers won their third consecutive championship, defeating the New Jersey Nets, 4–0. It was the Lakers' first championship sweep in their history, and O'Neal won his third consecutive NBA Finals MVP. Bryant and O'Neal were complimentary of each other afterwards. The 2002–03 season began with the three-time defending champions getting off to one of their worst starts ever. The team was several games under .500 at 11–19 with their return to the playoffs questionable. O'Neal was sidelined with hallux rigidus, a degenerative arthritis in his toe. O'Neal could have had surgery on
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Houston Rockets did it in their championship season of 1995. After the Lakers won the Finals in the preceding year, the team management wasted no time in making changes to the roster. Their most notable offseason player change was when Trevor Ariza departed to the Houston Rockets and was replaced by free agent Ron Artest. Longtime assistant coach and former head coach Kurt Rambis left the organization to pursue a head coaching opportunity with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers finished the regular season as the Pacific Division champion, compiling a 57–25 record. On February 1, Kobe Bryant moved past Jerry
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basketball team, including the squad which won a bronze medal at the FIBA Africa Championship 2007 in Angola. Professionally, Houtman played with the Boston Frenzy, coached by Joe Jellybean Bryant, father of Kobe Bryant after graduation. He is also a graduate ('97) of New Bedford High School. Marques Houtman Marques Houtman (born 18 August 1979 in New Bedford, Massachusetts) is a Cape Verdean American basketball point guard. He is an alumnus and two-time Hall of Fame inductee at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he played college basketball for 2.5 years following 3 semesters at Stonehill College finishing in the
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against the Indiana Pacers, Bryant injured his ankle in the second quarter of Game 2 after landing on the Pacers' Jalen Rose's foot. Rose later admitted he placed his foot under Bryant intentionally. Bryant did not return to the game, and he also missed Game 3 due to the injury. In Game 4, Bryant scored 22 points in the second half and led the team to an OT victory as O'Neal fouled out of the game. Bryant scored the winning shot to put the Lakers ahead 120–118. With a 116–111 Game 6 victory, the Lakers won their first championship since
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While rapping, O'Neal blamed Bryant for his divorce from his wife Shaunie and claims to have received a vasectomy, as part of a rhyme. He also taunted Bryant for not being able to win a championship without him. O'Neal led the audience to mockingly chant several times "Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes." O'Neal justified his act by saying "I was freestyling. That's all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever. That is what MCs do. They freestyle when called upon. I'm totally cool with Kobe. No issue at all." Although even other exponents of hip hop,
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to the 2006–2008 U.S. preliminary roster in 2006 by Jerry Colangelo. However, he was once again sidelined after knee surgery and didn't participate in the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Bryant's United States national team career finally began in 2007. He was a member of the 2007 USA Men's Senior National Team and USA FIBA Americas Championship Team that finished 10–0, won gold and qualified the United States men for the 2008 Olympics. He started in all 10 of the USA's FIBA Americas Championship games. Bryant averaged 15.3 points, 2.9 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game in the tournament.
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has to be ready for the second half run. I'm the one who has to close the middle down like I did last year.' ... He's not blaming everybody else." Fisher returned on March 13, upgrading the team's defense. The Lakers won their last eight games to finish the regular season with 56 wins. O'Neal averaged 33.7 points over the final 11 games. Bryant, upon returning from an injury, was willing to build off of O'Neal now that the center was in shape and playing defense. Bryant would play unselfishly in the playoffs. O'Neal referred to Bryant as "[his] idol"
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Kobe Bryant sexual assault case The Kobe Bryant sexual assault case began in July 2003 when the news media reported that the sheriff's office in Eagle, Colorado had arrested professional basketball player Kobe Bryant in connection with an investigation of a sexual assault complaint filed by a 19-year-old hotel employee. Bryant had checked into The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera, a hotel in Edwards, Colorado, on June 30 in advance of having surgery near there on July 2 under Richard Steadman. The woman accused Bryant of raping her in his hotel room on July 1, the night before the surgery.
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taken off the floor with 4.1 second remaining, to an uproarious Staples Center crowd. O'Neal, who was in attendance, was the first person that Bryant embraced upon returning to the bench. When asked about Kobe's legacy during a segment on TNT, Shaq repeated his praise of Bryant as "the greatest Laker ever." One year later, O'Neal was honored by the Lakers with a statue of his likeness outside Staples Center. Bryant was in attendance of the statue's unveiling and spoke at the event, which O'Neal said "meant a lot" to him. Addressing Kobe during the ceremony, O'Neal said, "Next time
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we're out here for a statue, it'll probably be your statue." In February 2018, both players recorded a 'Players Only' special for NBATV where they spoke about their history together, the mutual respect and appreciation, and explanations and regrets over the tensions and feud. O'Neal was 7–4 all-time against Bryant, though Bryant outscored O'Neal in each meeting. Shaq–Kobe feud The "Kobe-Shaq feud" (or "Shaq-Kobe feud") was the conflict between National Basketball Association (NBA) players Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, who played together on the Los Angeles Lakers team from 1996 to 2004. The two were able to win three consecutive
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the only son of former NBA player Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. He is also the maternal nephew of basketball player John "Chubby" Cox. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu. His middle name, Bean, is derived from his father's nickname "Jellybean". Bryant was raised Roman Catholic. When Bryant was six, his father retired from the NBA and moved his family to Rieti in Italy to continue playing professional basketball at a lower level. Kobe became accustomed to his new lifestyle and learned to speak fluent Italian. During
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Bryant was assigned by the Lakers to play in the 1997 NBA Summer League to improve as a team player and learn where to send the ball when he drew double teams. The following season, Bryant was voted as a starter in the 1998 All-Star Game though he was a reserve on the Lakers. The Lakers struggled after the All-Star break, losing seven of their first 12 games, and Bryant had a stretch where he made only 30 of 100 shots. O'Neal wanted a championship immediately, and he did not want to wait for Bryant to mature as a player.
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On Saturday, the 5th of February, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers went to San Antonio, Texas to play the San Antonio Spurs for Kobe's final game there. The Spurs honored Kobe Bryant with a 2½ minute video while the spotlight shone on Kobe, seated on the Lakers bench. The video showed highlight plays of Kobe, and interviews with Coach Greg Popovich, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. 3 of spurs players who have faced Kobe during his entire career. The Spurs won the game with 106-102 and Kobe finished the game with 25 points and converted just
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first time since 2002 that a team has won back-to-back championships; that team was also the Lakers, led by Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal. Kobe Bryant was named Finals MVP for the second straight year. One of the lasting effects on the Lakers–Celtics rivalry was the usage of the famous "Beat L.A.!" chant, sung by fans in opposing arenas whenever a Los Angeles-based team plays in their home venue. The chant originated during Game 7 of the 1982 Eastern Conference Championships at Boston Garden when the Boston fans urged the victorious Philadelphia 76ers to "Beat L.A." In January 2011 before an
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Kobe Bryant scored 36 points going 18-18 from the free throw line including the last 2 free throws that put the Lakers up by 3. Game 4 ended with a 100-103 Thunder win. The Lakers held a 9-point lead with 6:01 to play in the 4th quarter but were unable to sustain. This time it was Kevin Durant with the go-ahead three-pointer over Metta World Peace. Kobe Bryant had 38 points to lead the Lakers but Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant were able to both match him combining for 68 points. Ultimately, the eventual Western Conference Champions Thunder proved too
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or a full-blown arcade experience. Plays such as the isolation play, the post up, and the triangle offense can be called. NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant is a basketball video game developed by Left Field Productions and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. The game was released in North America exclusively on October 31, 1999. It is the sequel to "Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside" and features NBA star Kobe Bryant on its cover. Bryant also performed the motion capture for the game. A Game Boy Color version of the game was
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had proven I could win anywhere—not just with some shot-happy guard in Los Angeles." O'Neal indirectly referenced the feud in his cameo appearance in the 2006 movie "Scary Movie 4". O'Neal is kidnapped in the movie in a "Saw" parody, and he hears a frightening voice. A terrified O'Neal then asks, "Kobe?" In 2007, O'Neal said that Bryant should have won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, which was awarded to Dirk Nowitzki. During the offseason, Bryant was "beyond furious" at reports from a Laker insider that Bryant had insisted O'Neal be traded from the Lakers. Bryant reported that Buss
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make difficult shots has also drawn criticism of his shot selection. Throughout his career, Bryant was disparaged for being a selfish, high-volume shooter; he missed more field goal attempts in his career than any other player in NBA history. Phil Jackson, who coached Bryant for many years, stated that Bryant "tends to force the action, especially when the game isn't going his way. When his shot is off, Kobe will pound away relentlessly until his luck turns." According to Bryant, "I would go 0 for 30 before I would go 0 for 9; 0 for 9 means you beat yourself,
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by many as a personal success for Finals MVP Kobe Bryant, winning his first championship and succeeding in the playoffs without the presence of former Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal where some people had previously speculated that Bryant could not "win one without Shaq". Head coach Phil Jackson captured his 10th NBA championship as a coach, surpassing Red Auerbach for most championships all-time by an NBA coach. Jackson also passed Auerbach and NHL coach Scotty Bowman for most championships all-time by a head coach in a major American sports league. Having achieved three Game 1 victories throughout the postseason (first round
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had a better regular season record than the Magic. Kobe Bryant led the team to a Game 1 win with 40 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Game 2 was a high-scoring affair that the Lakers ultimately won on both strong defensive play and last minute heroics by Bryant, Derek Fisher, and Pau Gasol during the overtime. A record-breaking performance from the Magic's 65% team shooting ensured the team a Game 3 win and the first Finals victory in franchise history. Although they trailed the Magic as much as 12 at halftime, the Lakers won Game 4 in overtime on
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refused to refer to each other by name while talking to the media. The Lakers and the Heat faced off again on Christmas Day in 2005, with the Heat winning the second time. Unlike last year, Bryant and O'Neal did not shake hands nor make eye contact with each other before and after the game. O'Neal said, "It was just another game to me." Bryant said "I wasn't even thinking about it. It is what it is." Prior to their January 16, 2006 meeting, O'Neal greeted Bryant on the court warmly, a departure from his previous attitude toward Bryant. The
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fifth time in the team's history. Jackson returned to the Lakers in the offseason; despite writing a book called "", in which he voiced disdain for Kobe Bryant by calling him 'uncoachable', he and Bryant would bury the hatchet once the season began. Jackson and Bryant would later produce three more NBA Finals appearances and two more NBA championships in six seasons before Jackson retired at the conclusion of the 2011 NBA Playoffs after the Lakers were swept by the Mavericks. The Pistons' win was the 21st championship among the four professional sports teams in Detroit (NFL's Lions, MLB's Tigers
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offers educational, healthcare, and sports programs to young people". Many people like and admire Kobe Bryant but most NBA players do not "receive the same wild reception" as he does when he goes to China. Bryant has been on billboards, reality shows, commercials, and websites both in the United States and China. "Three factors driving Bryant's popularity in China are his on-court talent, his philanthropic actions, and his appreciation of the country's culture". Apart from Yao Ming, Bryant is said to have the largest fan base in China and his no.24 jersey outsells the national hero Ming. Kobe Bryant China
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for only taking responsibility when the team won. He accused O'Neal of threatening not to put forth his best effort if he was not passed the ball more often. Bryant was also upset that O'Neal did not personally contact him amidst his legal troubles in the summer. O'Neal had his bodyguard, Jerome Crawford, call Bryant. "Everyone knows Jerome is me", said O'Neal. The following day, Lakers scout and former teammate Brian Shaw mediated between a furious O'Neal and Bryant. Shaw reprimanded O'Neal for yelling "Pay me" at Buss after dunking during a preseason game. Shaw turned to Bryant and told
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to him personally. He responded, "Just one more than Shaq ... I can take that to the bank." Bryant had won five NBA titles, and O'Neal had won four. Bryant added, "You guys know how I am. I don't forget anything." O'Neal again congratulated Bryant on his Twitter page: "Congratulations Kobe, u deserve it. U played great. Enjoy it man enjoy it. I know what ur sayin 'Shaq how my ass taste' ." Upon hearing Bryant's comment about having more titles than O'Neal, Wyc Grousbeck, principal owner of the Boston Celtics, said to Danny Ainge, Celtics' president, "Let's go get
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were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals. Bryant's fortunes would improve when Phil Jackson took over as coach of the Lakers in 1999. After years of steady improvement, Bryant became one of the premier shooting guards in the league, earning appearances in the league's All-NBA, All-Star, and All-Defensive teams. The Lakers became championship contenders under Bryant and O'Neal, who formed a legendary center-guard combination. Jackson utilized the triangle offense that he implemented to win six championships with the Chicago Bulls; this offense would help both Bryant and O'Neal rise to the elite class of the
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out by 23, with O'Neal leading the way again, putting up 40 points and 12 rebounds and coming within 2 assists of a triple double. This brought the series to New Jersey with the Lakers up 2-0. Game 3 was a close matchup with Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant all scoring 26 or more points. Bryant and O'Neal's combined 71 points was too much for the Nets to handle though, and the Lakers took a 3-0 series lead. In Game 4, O'Neal put up 34 points and the Lakers won the game and the championship, accomplishing the
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Kobe Doin' Work Kobe Doin' Work is a 2009 documentary film directed by Spike Lee. It focuses on Kobe Bryant during one day of the 2007–08 Los Angeles Lakers season. Bryant granted filmmaker Spike Lee and 30 cameras unprecedented access to his life for one day. "Kobe: Doin' Work" premiered on ESPN on May 16, 2009. Kobe Doin’ Work is an 84-minute exploration of Kobe Bryant’s work ethic, his in game mentality, and his bluntness that makes Kobe a great competitor. [1] It focuses on Kobe Bryant during one day of the 2007–08 Los Angeles Lakers season. Bryant granted filmmaker
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ball into the stands to accentuate Bryant's turnovers. O'Neal said it was an inside joke between Kobe and him. Jackson and Winter relied on the triangle offense to heal the relationship between O'Neal and Bryant. The coaches believed that the offense was so structured that the relationship between the two players would be smoother on the court. The coaches would also tell the team they did not see the selfishness in Bryant that the players saw. Winter even put together a video for O'Neal to show that Bryant was playing his role correctly. In 2001, the Lakers won the title
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NBA. Three resulting championships were won consecutively in 2000, 2001, and 2002, further proving such a fact. Bryant was sidelined for six weeks prior to the start of the 1999–2000 season due to a hand injury that he had incurred during a preseason game against the Washington Wizards. When Bryant was back and playing over 38 minutes a game, he had an increase in all statistical categories during the 1999–2000 season. This included leading the team in assists per game and steals per game. The duo of O'Neal and Bryant backed with a strong bench led to the Lakers winning
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Kobe Bryant China Fund Kobe Bryant made his way over to China for the 2008 Olympics, held in Beijing, and launched the China Fund in 2009. The Kobe Bryant China Fund was set up to "raise money for education, sports, and culture programs for children from China and the United States". "In the US, Bryant's existing fund, the Kobe Bryant Family Foundation, set up in 2006, will also work to strengthen ties between the two countries by teaching middle school students about Chinese language and culture". As of 2009, the fund has "raised a total of 42 million yuan, which
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of his list; however, when Kevin Garnett went in the first round of the 1995 NBA draft, he began considering going directly to the pros. At Adidas ABCD camp, Bryant earned the 1995 senior MVP award while playing alongside future NBA teammate Lamar Odom. While in high school, then 76ers coach John Lucas invited Bryant to work out and scrimmage with the team, where he played one-on-one with Jerry Stackhouse. In his senior year of high school, Bryant led the Aces to their first state championship in 53 years. During the run, he averaged 30.8 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists,
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to the All-NBA Team on 15 occasions, tied for the most with Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan, and his 11 first-team honors are tied for the second most ever with Karl Malone. Bryant is also a 12-time All-Defensive Team selection, trailing only Duncan's 15, and nine times he was named to the All-Defensive First Team, tied with Jordan, Garnett, and Gary Payton for the most all-time. He was the first guard to play 20 seasons in the NBA. He also won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1997 and is its youngest winner. In his career, Bryant has scored 40-plus points
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(3) Boston Celtics Last Playoff Meeting: This is the first meeting between the Nets and Celtics. The following scoring summary is written in a line score format, except that the quarter numbers are replaced by game numbers. Amid tensions between co-captains Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the franchise had another stellar season, finishing 58–24 (.707), good for second in the Pacific Division and earning the third seed in the Western Conference. Bryant and O'Neal were voted starters in the 2002 NBA All-Star Game, where Bryant won the game MVP trophy in his hometown Philadelphia. The duo appeared on the All-NBA
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the fourth quarter. Bryant shot four air balls at the end of the game; the Jazz won 98–93 in overtime to eliminate the Lakers 4–1. He first whiffed a game-winning 2-point jump shot in the fourth quarter, and then misfired three three-point field goals in overtime, including two tying shots in the final minute. O'Neal commented that "[Bryant] was the only guy who had the guts at the time to take shots like that." In Bryant's second season, he received more playing time and began to show more of his abilities as a talented young guard. As a result, Bryant's
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his retirement. When asked who was the greatest player he ever played with during his career, O'Neal did not answer but Bryant was the only player whose name was mentioned. He also mentioned that his departure from Los Angeles has nothing to do with Kobe Bryant, saying "the reason I left wasn't about what Kobe did; it was about something else. I was making maximum dollars and felt I deserved more. It was a business end." When asked whether leaving Los Angeles was a bad decision, he answered "I don't like to live in a world of ifs. But if
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Lakers team that had Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. The Lakers won the NBA Finals in 6 games. Following the season, Head Coach Larry Bird would step down, citing the daily grind of coaching. (1) Indiana Pacers vs. (8) Milwaukee Bucks Last Playoff Meeting: 1999 Eastern Conference First Round (Indiana won 3-2) (1) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Philadelphia 76ers Last Playoff Meeting: 1999 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Indiana won 4-2) (1) Indiana Pacers vs. (3) New York Knicks Last Playoff Meeting: 1999 Eastern Conference Finals (New York won 4-2) The following scoring summary is written in a line score format, except
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Western Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year and 30th time in franchise history, extending their NBA record for most Finals appearances. On June 14, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 4–1 in the best of seven series to become the 2009 NBA Champions, winning the 15th Championship for the franchise. Kobe Bryant was awarded the 2009 NBA Finals MVP. Following the season, Trevor Ariza signed as a free agent with the Houston Rockets. On July 15, 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers won the 2009 ESPY Awards for Best Team and Best
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to Bryant's wishes with the departure of Jackson. O'Neal's trade to the Miami Heat was the end of the "Trifecta" that had led the Lakers to three championship titles. That fall, Jackson released "", a book which describes his point of view of the tensions that surrounded the 2003–04 Lakers team. The book was pointedly critical of Kobe Bryant. Without Jackson and O'Neal the Lakers were forced to become a faster paced team on the court. Though they achieved some success in the first half of the season, injuries to several players including Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom forced the
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the most seasons playing with one franchise for an entire career and is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Bryant is the first guard in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons. The son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, Kobe Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania, where he was recognized as the top high school basketball player in the country. He declared for the NBA draft upon graduation and was selected in the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft by the
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Dr. Buss more as a man if he would have told me that himself, because I know he said it." In 2008, O'Neal reiterated his belief that Bryant deserved the MVP award. Bryant went on to win the award for the first time in his career that season. During the offseason, O'Neal was at a party, and got up to rap in front of the crowd. O'Neal mentioned Bryant multiple times in the rap, saying that "Kobe couldn't do it without me", referring to Bryant and the Lakers loss in the 2008 NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics. He also
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was selected as a frontcourt starter for the first time. Playing in his first All-Star game since 2013, Bryant had 10 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. West teammates offered to feed him the ball in an attempt to get him another All-Star MVP, but he declined. In the season finale on April 13, Bryant scored an NBA season-high 60 points against Utah in his last NBA game, outscoring the entire Jazz team 23–21 in the fourth quarter, in the Lakers' 101–96 victory. He became the oldest player to score 60 or more points in a game at 37 years
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40 points with two steals, and he passed Magic Johnson (1,724) as the Lakers career leader in steals. However, the Lakers lost the game to the Clippers and started the season 0–3 for the first time in 34 years and just the fourth time in franchise history. After starting the season 1–4, coach Brown was fired. He was replaced by Mike D'Antoni, who Bryant knew as a child when Bryant's father was playing in Italy and D'Antoni was also a star player there. Bryant had grown close with D'Antoni during their time with Team USA. On December 5 against New
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Bryant averaged 43.4 points per game, the eighth highest single month scoring average in NBA history and highest for any player other than Chamberlain. By the end of the 2005–06 season, Bryant set Lakers single-season franchise records for most 40-point games (27) and most points scored (2,832). He won the league's scoring title for the first time by averaging 35.4 points per game, becoming just the fifth player in league history to average at least 35 in a season. Bryant finished in fourth place in the voting for the 2006 NBA Most Valuable Player Award but received 22 first place
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and had been outscored by an average of 11 points. Bryant, selected to his 13th straight All-Star game after becoming the leading vote-getter, had 37 points, 14 rebounds, and three steals in the 2011 All-Star Game and won his fourth All-Star MVP, tying Hall of Famer Bob Pettit for the most All-Star MVP awards. During the season, Bryant moved from 12th to 6th place on the NBA all-time career scoring list, passing John Havlicek, Dominique Wilkins, Oscar Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes, and Moses Malone. Bryant finished the season averaging less than 20 shots a game, his fewest since the
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Lakers. Lakers head coach Phil Jackson would later write a book entitled "", reflecting on the troubles Bryant and O'Neal had during their last season together. In 1996, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired the draft rights to high school player Kobe Bryant from the Charlotte Hornets by trading established center Vlade Divac. No NBA team had previously drafted a guard straight from high school. After freeing up salary by parting with other veteran players, they signed free agent All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal later that year. The two sparred in their first three seasons playing together from 1996–1999. Bryant kept his
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two shook hands and hugged before tip-off. After Bryant scored 81 points in a single game against the Toronto Raptors, O'Neal refused to comment to the media about it. O'Neal broke his silence a few weeks later during a media session at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, when he acknowledged that he had watched Bryant's 81-point game and offered praise for the performance. During the All-Star Game itself, the two were seen laughing and joking together. O'Neal and the Heat won the NBA title that season. In his 2011 autobiography, "Shaq Uncut: My Story", O'Neal wrote of the championship, "I
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and 234 days old. The Lakers finished the season with a 17–65 record, their worst record in franchise history. Bryant declined to play in the 2000 Olympics because he was getting married in the off-season. He also decided not to play in the 2002 FIBA World Championship. Bryant was originally selected for the FIBA Americas Championship in 2003 but withdrew after undergoing arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgeries. In the following summer, he had to withdraw from the Olympic team because of his sexual assault case. Along with LeBron James, he was one of the first two players to publicly named
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the Lakers prior to the 1982–83 season. NBA.com credits West in creating the great 1980s Lakers dynasty, which brought five championship rings (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988) to Los Angeles. After a slump in the early 1990s, West rebuilt the team of coach Del Harris around center Vlade Divac, forward Cedric Ceballos, and guard Nick Van Exel, which won 48 games, and went to the Western Conference Semifinals; for turning the team around, West received his first Executive of the Year Award. By trading Vlade Divac for Kobe Bryant, signing free agent center Shaquille O'Neal, and signing six-time NBA
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NBA playoffs. O'Neal had 18 points and 9 rebounds, and Bryant had 25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocked shots. The two players complimented each other on the alley-oop play after the game, and assistant coach Tex Winter thought they came to respect each other. The Lakers went on to defeat the Indiana Pacers in six games and won their first NBA championship since 1988. The Lakers led the series 2–0 behind O'Neal's dominating presence. The Lakers lost Game 3, which Bryant missed with an ankle injury. After O'Neal fouled out in overtime of Game 4, Jackson spread
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in the 2007 NBA Finals. Duncan won the Finals MVP in 1999, 2003 and 2005. In 2007, Tony Parker was named MVP, becoming the first European-born player to win the award. From 2000 to 2002, the Lakers, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, won three straight NBA Championships. O'Neal won the finals MVP all three times. Their first championship came at the expense of the Indiana Pacers, whom the Lakers defeated in 6 games. During their 2001 postseason run, the Lakers swept their first 3 series and won the Finals in 5 games, finishing with an unprecedented 15–1 record,
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all appearances, the two men worked together well the second time around, leading the Lakers back into the playoffs. Bryant's individual scoring accomplishments posted resulted in the finest statistical season of his career. On December 20, 2005, Bryant scored 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks. Entering the fourth quarter, Bryant outscored the entire Mavericks team 62–61, the only time a player has done this through three quarters since the introduction of the shot clock. When the Lakers faced the Miami Heat on January 16, 2006, Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal made headlines by engaging in handshakes and hugs
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both Harper and Kobe Bryant when injured. The Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals and defeated the Indiana Pacers in 6 games to win the 2000 NBA championship, Fisher's first. Due to a stress fracture in his right foot, Fisher missed the first 62 games of the 2000–01 season. During his absence, the Lakers were not winning as frequently as the previous season, which led to teammates Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal rekindling their feud over the team's offense. Assistant coach Bill Bertka, however, believed a key factor in the team's struggles was the team's defense without Fisher. Fisher returned on
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and Kobe Bryant (81 points) have scored 70 or more points in a single game. Robinson is also noteworthy for his harmonious relationship with Tim Duncan. Sportswriter Chris Sheridan noted that it was rare for someone like Robinson to have welcomed and mentored Duncan as willingly as he did. David Robinson was a member of the United States national team at the 1986 FIBA World Championship, the 1988 Summer Olympics, 1992 Summer Olympics, and the 1996 Summer Olympics. He won the gold medal at all games except the 1988 Summer Olympics, where he won a bronze medal. Robinson married Valerie
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he "always did love Kobe." On Jackson, O'Neal claimed he is "the greatest coach ever. And he's done a lot for me. Phil's my guy. It's all marketing, baby." O'Neal also added that had he stayed with the Lakers, he and Bryant would have won another three or four titles. "We're still the greatest little-man, big-man 1-2 punch ever created in the history of the game", O'Neal said. At the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, O'Neal, Bryant, and Jackson were all reunited on the West squad. O'Neal and Bryant were both named co-MVPs for the game and were shown laughing and
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100. The perception was that Kobe’s in game influence was overshadowed by highlights and pointless in-game commentary, and not enough surrounding Kobe’s relentlessness on and off the court. Kobe’s commentary on the documentary did receive much praise for its value to the film. Overall, the film received a decent review, but some have argued for the overuse of 30 different camera angles that were needed to capture Bryant’s every move. This, according to some, distracted viewers from Bryant. 1 "Kobe Bryant Stats." Kobe Bryant-ESPN. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2013. http://espn.go.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/110/kobe-bryant 2 "Spike Lee Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 2013.
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a best-of-five. They also set an NBA record for most playoff games ever needed to win a championship, with 26, surpassing the previous record of 24 by the Lakers in 1988. This was the third straight year in which the L.A. Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals. Much of both rosters had been kept intact since the teams last meeting in 2008 and the Celtics' veterans Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rasheed Wallace looked to add to their championship résumés, while Kobe Bryant and the Lakers looked to even the score against the Celtics. The Lakers were the
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Conference's leading vote-getter was Shaquille O'Neal, who earned his seventh consecutive All-Star Game selection with 1,807,609 votes. Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan completed the Western Conference starting positions. Bryant, Garnett, and O'Neal were starters for the previous year's Western Conference team. Duncan became an All-Star Game starter for the first time after he was selected as a reserve in last year's game. The Western Conference reserves include two first-time selections, Rasheed Wallace and Michael Finley. The team is rounded out by Gary Payton, Chris Webber, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and David Robinson. Three teams, Los Angeles
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expressed to management that he did not believe the team could win a championship with Bryant. Winter observed that O'Neal influenced the entire team against Bryant. Winter thought that Bryant made it a point to get the ball to O'Neal that year, but O'Neal did not appreciate what Bryant was doing to help him. During that season's All-Star Game, Bryant did not participate in the Slam Dunk Contest and a matchup against Vince Carter, following Jackson's request to pass on individual accomplishments to keep the focus on the team. During All-Star warm-ups, O'Neal mimicked Bryant's crossover dribble but threw the
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Lakers. In the rematch, the underdog Pistons, led by Ben Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince, and coached by Larry Brown, upset the star-studded future Hall-of-Fame Lakers team of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton, and coached by Phil Jackson, in five games. 1989 NBA Finals The 1989 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1988–89 NBA season. The series was a rematch of the previous year's championship round between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers. During the season, the Lakers had won their division, with Magic Johnson collecting his
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Richard Hamilton, effectively ending the game. The Pistons went on to win the series and, eventually, the NBA championship. When the Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one in the NBA Finals, Prince's tough defense on Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was credited as a key factor in the Pistons' victory, holding Bryant to only 11 points in an 88–68 win in Game 3 of the 2004 NBA Finals. Prince continued to show improvement in the 2004–05 season, setting career highs in scoring (14.7 points per game), rebounding (5.3 per game), assists (3.0) and blocks (0.9). He was
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The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul is a book by the former American basketball coach Phil Jackson, originally published by the Penguin Press in 2004. The book deals with the ups and downs of the Los Angeles Lakers' 2003-04 season and offers Jackson's insight into the team's season that ended in a breakup but not a championship, despite boasting four potential future Hall of Famers: Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton. In the prologue, Jackson says: "I didn't want this book to be
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ended. Since Bryant was still 17 at the time, his parents had to cosign his contract with the Lakers until he was able to sign his own when he turned 18 before the season began. Bryant signed a three-year rookie contract totalling $3.5 million. Bryant debuted in the Summer Pro League in Long Beach, California, scoring 25 points in front of a standing-room-only crowd. Defenders struggled to get in front of him, and his performance excited West and Lakers coach Del Harris. He scored 36 points in the finale and finished with averages of 24.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in
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Dear Basketball Dear Basketball is a 2017 American animated short film written and narrated by Kobe Bryant and directed and animated by Glen Keane, with music by John Williams. The film is based on a letter Kobe Bryant wrote to "The Players' Tribune" on November 29, 2015 announcing his retirement from basketball. It was distributed online through go90. The animation, which carries the same name as Kobe's retirement letter, was made in partnership with Granity Studios and Believe Entertainment Group. The short film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 90th Academy Awards, marking the first
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at the 2017 World Animation Celebration International Film Festival held at Sony Pictures Animation. Dear Basketball Dear Basketball is a 2017 American animated short film written and narrated by Kobe Bryant and directed and animated by Glen Keane, with music by John Williams. The film is based on a letter Kobe Bryant wrote to "The Players' Tribune" on November 29, 2015 announcing his retirement from basketball. It was distributed online through go90. The animation, which carries the same name as Kobe's retirement letter, was made in partnership with Granity Studios and Believe Entertainment Group. The short film won the Academy
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size. Iverson sparked the comeback scoring 15 of his 25 points in the final nine minutes of the game. Stephon Marbury also helped the East by hitting two three-pointers in the final 53 seconds, including one with 28 seconds left, which proved to be the game-winner. Kobe Bryant scored the most points for the West squad (19 points), which led by as much as twenty-one points before the team squandered the lead. Bryant, the NBA's leading scorer at the time, could have taken the last shot; instead, he threw a pass that resulted in a last-second miss by Tim Duncan.
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the All-Star Game, and he would continue to be selected to start that game for a record 18 consecutive appearances until his retirement. His four All-Star MVP Awards are tied for the most in NBA history. At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals as a member of the U.S. national team. "Sporting News" and TNT named Bryant the top NBA player of the 2000s. In 2018, Bryant won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for his film "Dear Basketball". Bryant was born in 1978 in Philadelphia; he was the youngest of three children and
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win an Olympic Gold Medal, an NCAA Championship and a WNBA Championship. In 2011, she was voted by fans as one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time. On June 18, 2017, Taurasi became the WNBA all-time leading scorer. Considered one of the greatest women to play basketball, Taurasi's penchant for scoring in crucial situations has earned her the nickname "White Mamba", first coined by Kobe Bryant. Current Phoenix Suns center DeAndre Ayton also labelled her as the Michael Jordan of the WNBA. Taurasi grew up in Chino, California, where she attended and played basketball at Don Antonio
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OT. They would go on to win the next 4 games and bring their second championship to Los Angeles in as many seasons. During the playoffs, Bryant played heavy minutes which brought his stats up to 29.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. In the playoffs, teammate O'Neal declared Bryant the best player in the league. Bryant ended up making the All NBA Second team and All NBA Defensive Team for the second year in a row. In addition, he was also voted to start in the NBA All-Star Game for the 3rd year in a row (no
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point averages more than doubled from 7.6 to 15.4 points per game. Bryant would see an increase in minutes when the Lakers "played small", which would feature Bryant playing small forward alongside the guards he would usually back up. Bryant was the runner-up for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award, and through fan voting, he also became the youngest NBA All-Star starter in NBA history. He was joined by teammates O'Neal, Van Exel, and Jones, making it the first time since 1983 that four players on the same team were selected to play in the same All-Star Game.
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to play in Greece, where he joined the Greek Basket League team Panathinaikos, for 7 games, and earning about €300,000 euros net income. In 1999, Salley joined a Lakers team led by superstars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant and head coach Phil Jackson. He saw little action for the Lakers en route to their first of three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. In 2000, he retired again following the first Lakers championship season after proudly proclaiming that he had won "four championship rings, with three different teams, in three different decades and two different millenniums". John Salley had
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prior to the Angels' World Series victory in October. The successes of Los Angeles area teams led "Sporting News" magazine to declare Anaheim/Los Angeles as "Best Sports City" in 2003. As of 2018, the Lakers are the last team to pull off a 'three-peat' in North American professional sports. The Lakers were off to a slow start in the 2002–03 NBA season. By this time, the relationship between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal began to show cracks. Injuries were also starting to slow the Lakers down. Nevertheless, the Lakers won 50 games, but would only earn the fifth seed, thereby
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championship run. Finally healthy in 2017–18, he became a regular in the Warriors' rotation as an undersized center, helping them win a second straight championship. Looney was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Doug and Victoria Looney. As a youngster, he watched his older brother Kevin, who was six years older, play pickup games. Like his brother, Looney became a Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant fan, and would watch tapes of Bryant and copy the Lakers star's moves. Looney was the best player on his high school team at Alexander Hamilton High in Milwaukee. He was already being recruited by
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Gregg Popovich combined to make 13 Finals in 16 seasons, with 10 titles. Tim Duncan and David Robinson won the 1999 championship with the Spurs, and Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant started the 2000s with three consecutive championships for the Lakers. The Spurs reclaimed the title in 2003 against the Nets. In 2004, the Lakers returned to the Finals, only to lose in five games to the Detroit Pistons. After the Spurs took home the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy in 2005, the 2006 Finals featured two franchises making their inaugural Finals appearances. The Miami Heat, led by their star shooting
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their 'Big Three' of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. Los Angeles was led by MVP Kobe Bryant and All-Star Pau Gasol. The Celtics' 66–16 record gave them home court advantage over Los Angeles (57–25). The Celtics won Game 1 98–88, highlighted by a dramatic comeback by Paul Pierce after a third quarter knee injury. In Game 2, the Celtics had a comfortable 24-point lead in the fourth quarter, before Kobe Bryant led a furious Lakers run that cut the lead to two. However the Celtics would hold on to win 108-102, taking the commanding 2–0 series lead. As
Celtics–Lakers rivalry