Kobe Bryant Crypto Arena Statue!

Kobe Bryant Crypto Arena Statue!

This was a bittersweet moment for NBA fans. We are happy to see Kobe getting the credit he deserves. He was the greatest Laker ever. He changed the way we view life. His mentality was one of a kind. The mindset of killing everything he saw was special. Bean scored when needed. He defended the best players on opposing teams night after night. Mamba gave us legendary moments, like when he dropped 81 on Jalen Rose or when he dropped 60 before retiring. While we remember the greatness Kobe gave us, it is sad that he can't celebrate with us. It has been four long years since we heard the tragic news of Kobe and his daughter passing away. It shocked the world, as nobody was ready for this unexpected news. Mamba died young, but his career is endless. In this post, I'll highlight the career of Kobe Bean Bryant.

The Hornets drafted Kobe in the 1996, but they traded him to LA. Jerry West was confident in the high schooler that he would be perfect next to the new superstar Shaq. Mamba played off the bench his rookie year, playing behind Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones. He had a horrible playoff moment, like when he airballed four shots against the veteran Jazz. In Kobe's second season, he got the All-Star nod, showing that he is an up-and-coming superstar. The youngest player to achieve this feat. Bean had his first 20-point per game season in his third year and made another All-Star selection. The Lakers made their conference final trip in 1998. The Jazz, led by veterans Karl Malone and John Stockton, defeated them. Then there was a huge change in coaching.

After getting swept by the San Antonio Spurs, who had an upcoming superstar in Tim Duncan, Here comes Phil Jackson. The Zin Master, who coached Kobe's role model, Michael Jordan. He was everything that the Lakers needed to win an NBA final. Shaq was soon entering his prime, and Kobe was one of the best young stars around.Along with many veterans like Rick Foxx, Brain Shaw, and Robert Horry,. The first year Phil came to LA, they beat the Indiana Pacers, led by veteran Reggie Miller. The journey was tough. The Lakers beat the Blazers. The Blazers had Rasheed Wallace, Sabonis, and veteran Scottie Pippen. In game seven of the Western Conference, the Lakers went ape shit and dominated. Outscoring Portland by 30–13. Even after hurting his ankle, Kobe still played his tail off, which won them their first final.

Man, the Lakers made their mark in the 2001 season. Shaq and Kobe dominated the season. It seems like nothing could stop them as they swept the Tim Duncan-led Spurs. They went 15-1 in the playoffs which the only team that can match is 2017 Warriors. Allen Iverson the MVP of that year was the one to hand Kobe and the Lakers their one loss. Then in 2002 the Lakers did the unthinkable. They won their third NBA finals. Sweeping the New Jersey Nets led by Jason Kidd. At this point Kobe was a superstar and one of the greatest shooting guards in the NBA. Kobe was the ultimate competitor, giving us a ton of legendary rivalries and moments.

During Kobe's early parts of his career, we had a ton of fun moments. Like his series against the Kings, where both teams looked to rip each other apart. It was fun seeing LA match up against Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, and Peja Stojakovic. The Portland series was one for the books. Both teams gave each other hell for seven games. Another tough team the Lakers always came across was the Spurs. They were an upcoming team with the greatest power forward ever. If it weren't for San Antonio, who knows how many championships the Lakers would have had? Kobe's first chapter was legendary, but his second one is as great.

The second half of Kobe's career started off with controversy. Bean and Shaq had two different personalities. One is a workaholic, and the other likes to have fun. Kobe also exposed Shaq's off-court antics. This was when Kobe was dealing with a career-ending case. The Lakers had gotten two future Hall of Famers, Gary Payton and Karl Malone. Kobe and Malone did not get along. The Pistons beat the Lakers in five games, which was a huge feat. The direction of Kobe's career was about to change.

The following season, Shaq saw himself getting traded. Shaq now has a new young guard in Dwayne Wade. The duo went on to win an NBA championship in the 2006 finals, while Kobe missed the playoffs. The Lakers were struggling. Phil Jackson left the organization and returned a few months later, The team replaced Shaq with Kwame Brown. And the Lakers replaced longtime point guard Derek Fisher with Smush Parker. Kobe had a shit roster, but he had some solid guys like Caron Butler and Lamar Odom. The Lakers went out to get another straight-out of high school player in Andrew Bynum. Kobe also changed his number to 24. During that time, there were many legendary moments. For example, Kobe dropped 81 against the Raptors. Bean was averaging 35 points per game, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Mamba found himself eliminated in the first round twice. Los Angeles needed a change!

In 2007, Kobe's frustration became clear. He demanded a trade. He was looking at the Chicago Bulls, where his role model played. This put Dr. Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak on notice. They had to make a move that would ensure that Kobe would stay. Then the legendary trade happened for Pau Gasol. That changed the direction of the Lakers. In the 2007–08 off-season, Derek Fisher made his return to LA. There were also good role players like Trevor Ariza, who was a good wing man. That year, Los Angeles made it to the finals. This was a huge feat for Bean, as he was being dissed for not being able to lead his team anywhere. The Lakers had a tough battle against the Celtics in the finals, which they lost in six games. Paul Peirce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen won their first titles. It was a very tough loss for the Lakers.

Kobe won his MVP award in 2008. A long-deserved award, which he finally got now that he was winning. That year, Kobe played for the Olympic team. That stacked team ran through the world and won a gold medal. This was an important achievement after a disappointing 2004 Olympics. Then, when the season started, the Lakers had a new hunger. They wanted to win a championship. Kobe wanted his fourth championship. Kobe put his medal in Gasol’s locker room to motivate him to take his game to another level. The Lakers had a great conference final where they played Carmelo Anthony for six games. Then the Lakers played the Orlando Magic, where they beat Dwight Howard in five games. Kobe finally got his fourth championship Now looking for another one.

The Lakers and Kobe came hungry in the 2009–10 season. The Lakers went out and replaced Trevor Ariza with veteran Ron Artist. The Lakers finished the season with a 57-25 record. The Kobe-led Lakers beat the Phoenix Suns led by Steve Nash in six games. And they got the big rematch that they wanted against the Celtics. It was a tough seven-game series where he played with a broken finger. Mamba proved it to himself and the world when he won his fifth. Passing up Shaq in the ring count. Now, the Mamba and Phil were looking for another three peats.

In the 2010–11 season, the decline of the Lakers started. Locker room culture was on the decline with Shannon Brown and Pau Gasol drama. Jordan Farmer left the same off-season. The fans wanted the Lakers to win. It seemed like they would win when they beat the Chris Paul-led New Orleans team. Yet, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks had different plans. They swept the Lakers in the second round. During the season, the Lakers wanted to shake up the roster. They were about to make a major move by getting Chris Paul. The league vetoed it, which hurt team chemistry. LA then lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Future MVPs James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook led them. The Lakers were an aging team that needed to shake up the roster.

In the 2012 off-season, the Lakers changed up the roster. Despite LA not being able to get Chris Paul, they got another superstar in Dwight Howard. People expected this new duo to become the next Shaq and Kobe, but the pair did not get along. The Lakers went out and got an aging former MVP in Steve Nash. The Rockets traded for Derek Fisher and then bought him out, after which he signed with the OKC Thunder. Dallas traded Lamar Odom, which turned out to be a bad move. They also brought back Ron Artist. Phil Jackson decided not to return to the team. The team hired Mike Brown as the replacement coach, but let him go after a 1-4 start. Replaced by Mike D'Antoni. Dwight Howard and Steve Nash got injured. Kobe had a major injury. He tore his Achilles.

In the 2012 off-season, Dwight Howard signed with the Houston Rockets. He joined James Harden on the team. The Lakers still had Gasol, but no real talent. They signed Nick Young that off-season. LA only won 27 games, which was a sign of a career being close to over. Bean only played six games that season. In the 2014 off-season, the end of an era was official. The longtime side kick Pau Gasol signed with the Bulls to team up with MVP Derrick Rose. The Lakers traded for Jeremy Lin. LA now has a record of 21 wins. Kobe only played 38 games.

Now, Kobe had to embrace a new role. No longer are the days of being a winner. He was now a veteran to All-NBA player Julius Randle. Along with All-Star D'Angelo Russell, who played his rookie season with Kobe, Jordan Clarkson, the future six-man of the year. And Larry Nance Jr., who has become a rotational player in the NBA. At the start of the 15-16 season, Kobe announced his retirement. It was an end of the Kobe era. In his last game, Kobe dropped a legendary 60-point game. It was the most beautiful ending to an amazing career. Mamba retired in 2016 along with Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.

Not only did Kobe win on the court, but he also won off the court. Mamba wrote a coffee book about his basketball career. Along with some children's books. He also won an Oscar for his short movie. Bean embraced retirement as he coached his daughter Gigi in her basketball games. He also congratulated LeBron James for passing him up on the all-time scoring list. Then one day, Kobe had an accident. On January 26, 2020, Kobe passed away. It was news that shocked the world. Kobe was a star all over the world. One of the most beloved superstars to ever play the game is gone.

The same year, Kobe became a Hall of Famer. The 2020 class was stacked as Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett joined with him. It was nice to see Kobe get inducted, but it was upsetting not to have the chance to hear his speech. Many of his competitors talked about the greatness of the Bean. Last week, the Lakers unveiled the Kobe statue. He was one of the greatest Lakers of all time. One of the greatest superstars to ever step on the court. Now, players study the mindset of Mamba in the hopes of being like him.

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