So, in 2010, the NBA added the Amnesty Clause to its bargaining agreements, which gave all teams the right to get rid of any contract while not being responsible for any financial obligations. That brings us to 2013 when Mavericks owner Mark Cuban hypothetically suggested the Lakers use the Amnesty Clause on Kobe Bryant, who made more than $27 million during the 2012-2013 season.
Kobe’s response was absolutely amazing. He faced the Mavs and finished with 38 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists, which led the Lakers to win 103-99 over the Mavericks. After that, Bryant tweeted a simple little message for anyone that was reading: “Amnesty THAT.”
If you want to talk about one of his biggest achievements (if not his single greatest single-game peak), we’re gonna have to bring up his 81-point masterpiece against the Raptors on January 22, 2006. This night, Kobe beat his own record by scoring the second-highest number of points in a game, only after Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in ’62.
Some say that Kobe’s achievement was superior because Chamberlain was in a better position due to his size and strength back then, “especially given the lack of defensive sophistication in those days,” says ESPN’s Marc Stein. Today? All we can say is that 81 points in a single game is unimaginable, but if anyone could do it, Kobe would be the one.
It wasn’t all about what happened on the courts. Kobe had some pretty stunning moments elsewhere, too. Anyone that’s a fan has seen or at least heard of Dear Basketball, a short film that brought Kobe’s poem of the same name to life. In 2018, Kobe won an Oscar for the short.
As he accepted his Oscar, Kobe responded by saying, “I don’t know if it’s possible. I mean, as basketball players we’re really supposed to shut-up and dribble but I’m glad we do a little bit more than that.” He also said, “I feel better than winning a championship. It’s crazy.”
One thing Kobe was known for was his steely resolve. It was hard to rattle him, no matter how hard other players tried. One player certainly did his best – Matt Barnes. That whole game, Matt Barnes and Kobe had some pretty tense moments, but Kobe kept his cool.
As the game went on, tensions were there, and technical fouls were called. Barnes was set to pass the ball, but instead, he pump-faked a hard pass straight into Kobe’s face. Kobe didn’t flinch. He didn’t move from his spot. He stood his guard.
Basketball players are as susceptible to injuries as any other sports stars, but Kobe didn’t let it keep him down. On April 12, 2013, the Lakers were playing the Golden State Warriors. Kobe was destroying as usual. He drove left past Harrison Barnes, but his Achilles stretched wrong.
Right then, we knew he was hurt. Everyone knew. Still, he walked up to the free-throw line and effortlessly tossed in two without any problems. Later, we learned that he had ruptured his Achilles, but that didn’t stop him from scoring. Nothing could stop Kobe.
Early on, we all knew that Kobe Bryant was going to be something amazing. Of course, we were excited to see him play against other legends of the game, especially his idol, Michael Jordan. We knew this would be a game to remember.
In 1997, Kobe went head-to-head with basketball superstar Michael Jordan for the first time. By the end of the game, Kobe, a second-year player, scored a total of 33 points, dished out two assists, and snagged three rebounds.
Kobe’s best work was accomplished when he was under pressure and scrutinized by tabloids. In 2009, he’d heard plenty of times that he was never going to reach the same level he’d been at without Shaq. No doubt Shaq helped, but Kobe was magic.
During Game 1 of the 2009 finals, he showed everyone up. This was his first game without Shaq by his side, and Kobe dropped a 40-8-8. Everyone who doubted him was speechless at that point. This move set the tone for the rest of the series, in which he would win his first Finals MVP award.
One of Kobe’s finest moments was his last game with the Lakers. Fans all over the world tuned in to watch Kobe walk back onto the court. The moment his number was announced, the crowd erupted with the loudest cheers we’ve ever heard, but Kobe was focused on the game.
True to form, Kobe notched a total of 60 points in his final game. It was against the Utah Jazz, and it really reminded everyone what kind of beast he was on the court. After the game, Kobe was interviewed saying, “What else can I say? Mamba out.” Legend.
Kobe and Shaq were one of the greatest pairs in NBA history. Alongside Shaq, Kobe won three straight NBA titles, and they dominated the courts. In 2000, they were on their way to their first championship when the pair found themselves down 15 to the Portland Trailblazers.
It was the fourth quarter of Game 7, but they couldn’t be held down. They started to make a comeback, but that wasn’t what blew everyone away. That was the famous alley-oop. Bryant threw the ball up, and Shaq slammed it down with thunder that only the crowd could match in cheers.
Kobe Bryant had a lot of accomplishments under his belt. Among those was his first (of five) NBA Championship win. It was the LA Lakers against the Indiana Pacers. Shaq and Kobe had been in-sync, playing amazingly, but Kobe really shined.
He was just 21 years old, and he averaged 15.6 points, which was the second-most on his team. On top of that, he had 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. This win set the tone and showed that Kobe and Shaq were clearly one of the best dynamic duos in sports.
It all started in 2003 when Kobe was the youngest player to score 10,000 points. No one had scored that much before their 25th birthday, and Kobe was just 24. Then, in 2007, he became the youngest player to score 20,000 points, which happened at the same place where he’d scored his first point.
Finally, in 2012, Kobe broke the record yet again by being the youngest player to score a whopping 30,000 points. He was 34 and was the fifth player to join the 30,000-point club. At this point, he joined the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, and Wilt Chamberlain.
Kobe was one of the youngest NBA players to ever start a game. While that’s impressive, we want to talk about days before that record-breaking achievement. Less than three months after Kobe’s 18th birthday, he hit one of two free throws early in the second quarter of Lakers v Knicks in 1996.
While we didn’t know it at the time, this score would be his first point of what would later become a 30,000-plus career. Kobe was also the youngest player to ever play in the NBA at just 18 years and 72 days old.
Winning the Olympic gold is often one of the highlights of an athlete’s career. Kobe won the gold not once, but twice during his reign. His first was in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He and his teammates desperately wanted to make up for a poor performance during the 2004 Olympics, so they came back strong.
They captured the gold by defeating Spain 118-107. That win earned them the title of “The Redeem Team.” Later, they would win again at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Once again, they would beat Spain 100-78. It was an intense game and one that would later end his international career.
The 2008-2009 season was heartbreaking since the Big Three-era Boston Celtics beat the Lakers in six games. It was tough, but it gave Kobe the fire to come back strong. The next year, he and the Lakers beat the Orlando magic five times. By the end, he earned the Finals MVP honors, but next year? Even better.
Kobe and the Lakers had their chance to get revenge on the Celtics. The rivalry was beyond tense. Everyone was on the edge of their seat. Kobe averaged 28.6 points, and he secured his Finals MVP trophy. In Game 7, he shot 6-of-24 from the field, but he managed to snag 15 rebounds. Scoring was his strength, but he could impact the ways in more ways than one.
Kobe is legendary for his 81-point game, but we can’t forget his 62-point outburst. This one was against the Dallas Mavericks on December 20, 2005. During this game, the Mavs had 61 points as a team when Kobe checked out for the final time that night.
Kobe, on the other hand, in just 33 minutes, had 62 points on 18-of-31 shooting from the field, 4-of-10 from three, and 22-of-25 from the line. No one can deny who the MVP of that night was. It isn’t easy outscoring an entire team, but Kobe made it look like child’s play.
It’s customary to retire jerseys when someone has made a mark on history, whether it’s football, basketball, baseball, or whatever. In all of history, only 31 players have retired two numbers, including Shaq.
That’s an accomplishment and all, but Kobe? Even better. Kobe managed to retire two numbers, two jerseys, on the same team. Kobe’s legendary status changed what it meant to wear a number eight and a number 24 jersey forever.
