Image via Complex Original
Happy birthday Kobe Bryant! The Lakers legend turns 33 today, and we're not sure if we're surpised he's that young or surprised he's that young. On the one hand it feels like he's been around forever, on the other, he's accomplished so much.
So we've compiled one great play for each of his years, sort of like YouTube candles. Kobe could live to be 100 and we still wouldn't have enough room on this list, though. 15 seasons of crossovers, dunks and buzzer beaters is a lot to sort through without omitting some pretty worthy candidates. But what we do have are several of the most amazing and definitive moments in a surefire Hall of Fame career. It's not an end to the lockout, or even a rematch with the Mavericks, but it'll have to do. Happy bornday! here are the 33 Greatest Plays of Kobe Bryant's Career.
33. Bad Dream
Date: 4/26/1999
Complex Says: Ranking 1st (3,830) and 11th (13,748) in all time blocks and rebounds, respectively, Hakeem Olajuwon is as intimidating a force as the paint has ever seen. So it was startling enough that he didn't even attempt to block a 37-year-old Derek Harper's layup. But when he failed to box out after Harper's miss? Ouch. The play didn't count due to Kobe grabbing the rim, but seeing the Dream brought to his knees was still a sight to behold.
32. Nothing But Net
Date: 11/22/2009
Complex Says: Off one foot, balancing himself to stay in bounds, over the defender and the backboard. While the rest of us were conjuring up memories of Larry Bird, Kobe was angry he didn't get the foul call. Typical.
31. Made You Look
Date: 6/11/2009
Complex Says: Kobe is widely known for his late game heroics. Most of them are big shots, but an assist lights up the scoreboard just the same, no? With the Lakers down 5 and just seconds remaining in Game 4 of the '09 Finals, Bryant raced up court only to find himself surrounded by four defenders. One deft spin move and a flick over his shoulder later, L.A. narrowed the deficit to three as the Lakers would go on to win in overtime to take a 3-1 series lead. Dwight Howard is still wondering how Kobe got that pass off. So is Pau Gasol.
30. Put Em on the Glass
Date: 5/9/2008
Complex Says: Late in Game 3 of the 2008 Semifinals against Utah, Kobe Bryant found himself in a bit of a predicament: trapped between Andrei Kirelenko and Kyle Korver with nowhere to go. When double teamed eighteen feet from the basket, most players would try to pass the ball, right? So would Kobe. To himself, that is. Splitting the defenders, firing it off the backboard and dunking home an 'easy' two before the defense could react. Simple, isn't it?
29. Who's the Mac?
Date: 6/7/2002
Complex Says: For three straight years Shaquille O'Neal feasted on overmatched centers in the Finals. He backed them down, pivoted and dunked on them all. But by 2002, the acrimony between Shaq and Kobe became so contentious that they weren't only arguing over the ball, but who would dunk on poor Todd MacCulloch the hardest. And the winner was…
28. Could He Even See The Basket?
Date: 3/26/2003
Complex Says: We've seen it before, we'll see it again: Kobe Bryant taking the game (and the lead) into his hands in the waining seconds. But never like this. You see, Yao Ming is 7'6". With his arms raised, he's more than 10 feet. To sink such a long shot over such an obstacle? And under such pressure? Well, that's a tall order.
27. You Need More People
Date: ?
Complex Says: Dashing through multiple defenders, drawing contact, contorting in mid-air and casually flipping in a blind layup. Where have we seen this before? Oh, that's right. Hated as he may be for his endless impressions of Michael Jordan, some of us need to admit that at times, we hate Kobe so much for succeeding.
26. Lump of Coal
Date: 12/25/1999
Complex Says: After breaking his right hand in a preseason tilt with the Wizards, Kobe missed the first six weeks of the '99-'00 season. Returning in time for a Christmas Day matchup with the Spurs, he didn't play one of his best games (he shot 7-19), however he did make every bucket count. A series of highlights was topped by this violent mid-air collision with Jaren Jackson that even the Grinch himself wouldn't wish on anyone.
25. What Else Is Left?
Date: 4/17/2005
Complex Says: Mark Cuban has risen from his seat plenty of times during a game: to support his players, to argue a call, even to lambast David Stern himself. However, rarely has he done so in recognition of the opposition. But hell, game recognize game right? Trapped in a corner with the shot clock running down, how many players would think to shoot with their off hand? And how many of them would actually make it?
24. Deke'd
Date: 2/8/1998
Complex Says: He didn't even start for his own team, but at 19 years old, Kobe Bryant became the youngest starter in All Star history. The game is largely remembered as the last All-Star event in Madison Square Garden and Michael Jordan's original farewell weekend, however an eager Frobe made sure to leave his imprint on the event with a team high 18 points, including the "Lob from God" and this bit of trickery over Dikembe Mutumbo. Faking the pass behind his back only to throw up a running hook? Even Mike hadn't seen that before.
23. No Translation Needed
Date: 2/18/2003
Complex Says: February of 2003 was a hell of a month for Kobe. Actually, it was hell for his opponents. With Shaq sidelined by injury, Bryant scored 40 or more points in 9 consecutive contests and averaged 40.6 per for the entire month, joining Wilt as the only other player in league history to do so. With such a lofty accomplishment, you'd think that would be discussed more than this dunk on Yao Ming. Well, at least Yao was hoping so.
22. Where Did He Go?
Date: 3/23/2008
Complex Says: There was a time when people questioned whether Kobe made his teammates better. It's also been said that Kobe isn't too fond of passing the ball. But maybe we should ask Rony Turiaf. From baseline to baseline, Rony met absolutely no resistance and ended up with two of the easiest points he's ever scored. Why? Because Kobe led a one man break in which he weaved through the Warriors like they were traffic cones.
21. What, Me? Worry?
Date: 12/12/2005
Complex Says: 35.4 points per game. 2006 was the year that Kobe seemingly couldn't miss and Adrian Griffin found out the hard way. Down by one and thirty feet from the basket, four seconds isn't much time to make a move. Losing the ball even further from the basket with three seconds left is a problem. Recovering it only to find yourself draped by a defender with two seconds left should induce panic. One second to square up and take a shot while fading out of bounds is no time at all. But for Kobe Bryant, it's an eternity.
20. Baptized
Date: 11/12/2005
Complex Says: For the last three years, Dwight Howard has reigned supreme as the NBA's best defender, with a strength and athleticism matched by few players in league history. But all of that means absolutely nothing if you don't know when to get the hell out of the way, a lesson he learned just six games into his career. Howard quickly slid into position upon recognizing Bryant's drive to the basket, however he couldn't decide whether to attempt the block or take the charge. Too late. Kobe displayed no such hesitation, rising for a dunk that was just…nuts.
19. Spin Cycle
Date: 11/10/2006
Complex Says: Seriously, you try to describe this shit. It's impossible.
18. Idol Worship
Date: 5/19/2001
Complex Says: While trouble was brewing underneath the surface from day one, the media didn't take notice of Shaq and Kobe's distaste for each other until 2001 as they openly took shots at each other all year. But this was before Bryant led them on the greatest playoff run of all time (15-1), with a series of ridiculous performances, including this 45 & 10 monster in Game 1 of the WCF. Sayeth the Shaq? “Kobe is my idol. Seriously. He's the best player in the league by far.” We're sure David Robinson would agree.
17. Ripped Off
Date: 6/8/2004
Complex Says: After a shocking Game 1 upset at the hands of Detroit's new Bad Boys, the Lakers found themselves on the ropes again late in Game 2. One of the toughest late game scenarios for an offense is being down three points in a one possession game. The element of surprise is gone and the defense simply has to guard the perimeter. Detroit did just that. It didn't matter. Of course with the ball in Kobe's hands with the game on the line, we shouldn't have been surprised by the outcome either.
16. With No Regard For Human Life!
Date: 2/6/2003
Complex Says: Every broadcaster has their schtick, their catchphrase. Kevin Harlan's is just yelling incoherently. But every once in a while, such gibberish perfectly encapsulates the moment. His most well known and often used utterance made its first appearance in 2003 when Kobe made quick and devastating work of Latrell Sprewel and his fellow Knicks along the MSG baseline. Rising from one side of the paint, extending himself, using the rim to shield the ball from defenders and violently cramming it through the net? We wouldn't have been surprised if someone actually did drop dead. Well said, Kevin.
15. Wolf at the Door
Date: 4/29/2003
Complex Says: Wash, rinse, add one of the most intimidating defensive presences of all time, repeat. Because once simply wasn't enough.
14. Ben There, Done That
Date: 1996 preseason
Complex Says: Kobe's nickname early in his career (unbeknownst to him) was "Showboat." We'll give you one guess as to who gave it to him. Then again, it was quite appropriate. You see, Bryant always had a flair for the dramatic, but many of his attempts at adding to his highlight reel ended up on the cutting room floor in a mess of turnovers, missed dunks and of course, airballs. During the 1998 preseason however, he was determined to prove that he was Showboat no more. The crossover alone was enough to drop a few jaws, but the dunk from 12 feet out over Ben Wallace? That's as Showtime as it gets. Ben probably grew that ghastly afro just so no one would recognize him.
13. What Did I Just See?!
Date: 2/11/2003
Complex Says: Another memorable moment from the shooting spree of February '03, and perhaps the strongest example of what a savant Kobe Bryant is with a basketball. Chasing down a full court pass would lead to a few players stumbling out of bounds. A couple would stumble into a few pump fakes before passing back out to a trailing teammate and even the most talented players would settle for drawing a foul on the ensuing layup attempt. But to make the catch, evade the defender by going behind the back and pirouette into a 180 dunk with one seamless motion? Without traveling? Shit, it would take a lifetime before we even thought of it, much less achieved it.
12. Shaw It Coming
Date: 12/5/2000
Complex Says: What an awful pass. Allen Iverson, fronting Kobe on the right block, is generously listed at 6' tall in comparison to Bryant's 6'6". Tyrone Hill, on the other hand (and the other block) is 6'8". So when Kobe slips past Iverson and breaks towards the basket for an alley oop, which side of the rim would you expect Shaw to toss it to? Instead, Shaw inexplicably lofts it left, almost directly at Hill. But Kobe rises on the right, hovers towards the left, twists in mid-air in order to deny Hill the ball and finishes the oop. Maybe there's no such thing as a bad pass to Kobe.
11. Take It to the Bank
Date: 12/4/2009
Complex Says: Dwyane Wade is one of the league's best defenders. With a two-point lead and only three seconds left, he's as good an option as any to defend Kobe with the game on the line. And he defended him perfectly, matching Bryant step for step, forcing an off balance, 30-foot runner off of one leg. It didn't matter. Erik Spolestra just stood there, slack jawed. The rest of the Heat stuck around for an official ruling, hoping that Kobe didn't get the shot off in time or that his foot was on the line. As for Wade? He headed straight for the locker room, knowing that sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.
10. He's Gotta Have It
Date: 2/1/2009
Complex Says: For 25 years, Bernard King held the MSG scoring record with his 60 point explosion against the lowly Nets on Christmas Day 1984. Of course many folks thought that Michael Jordan's "Double Nickel" in '95 was the best performance, but Kobe put any such debate to rest with one torrid performance. 19-31 from the field, 20-20 from the line and a pivot that made Spike Lee double over with laughter. Wilson Chandler almost fell over. After the game, Spike and Kobe spent the night editing his documentary, Kobe Doin Work, where surely they discussed Kob's "Two Quarters, Dime and a Penny." Doesn't have nearly the same ring to it, but it was just as pretty.
9. Unreal!
Date: 3/16/2007
Complex Says: “You run out of adjectives at times trying to describe what he does.” Trust us, Stu. We know the feeling. Sinking the bucket that gave him 63 points on a 65-point night, it's times like these where you can't help but wonder if this is all some cosmic joke. If a double team in the corner with three seconds on the clock can't stop Kobe, then what can? And it wasn't just a hot night, it was a hot week. After torching the Blazers for 65, Bryant would set fire to the Wolves, Grizzlies and Hornets for 50, 60 and 50 more, respectively. It was quite real, but we still can't believe it.
8. Double Clutch
Date: 6/14/2009
Complex Says: Dwight Howard was still looking for that block. But Kobe was just one win from vindication—his first title without Shaq—and something had to give. He didn't have nearly enough lift in his legs to match Howard's anymore, but was just as crafty as ever. Floating across the lane, with a "Now you see it, now you don't" routine that left Howard grasping at air, Bryant landed with two points and had all but broken the Magic's spirits en route to a 13-point victory. Maybe next time, Dwight.
7. Tricks Are For Kidd
Date: 5/10/2000
Complex Says: At this point in his playoff career, Kobe wasn't known for much more than chucking airballs. So this possession was about much more than winning the second game of a semifinal against Phoenix, Kobe was shooting for redemption. With Jason Kidd staring him down, intent on denying victory, it wouldn't be easy. When another defender joined Kidd as Bryant rose from 18 feet, it wasn't any easier. For the old Kobe, that is. Game over.
6. The Big Putback
Date: 5/12/2002
Complex Says: Kobe Bryant had just sunk two three pointers to help erase an eight point deficit and now with seconds remaining in a tie game, he sized up his defender...and dribbled the ball off his foot. Whoops. Thankfully, Derek Fisher recovered it, but Kobe wasn't just thankful. He wanted the ball back. Even if it meant chasing down the rebound over David Robinson and Tim Duncan in order to put it back. With that fearless foray into the paint, the Lakers secured a 3-1 series lead and the rival Spurs were left wondering just what happened. Again.
5. Whooooooooo!
Date: 4/30/2006
Complex Says: It's impossible to separate these two shots. Without the first, the second never happens and without the second, the first doesn't matter. The first, as hard as a layup can possibly be under such circumstances and the second a dagger over two defenders for a 3-1 series lead. A bittersweet moment for Bryant, as L.A. would go on to lose the series in seven, but still as clutch as he's ever been.
4. Oops
Date: 6/4/2000
Complex Says: The definitive play of the Shaq & Kobe era. The one that started it all. After years of struggling to advance, the Lakers were just one win away from their first Finals appearance in almost a decade. Then they found themselves just one quarter from blowing a 3-1 series lead as Portland carried a 15-point advantage into the 4th. But L.A. came, um, blazing back and sealed the victory with this oop for the ages.
3. I Got You
Date: 6/14/2000
Complex Says: Kobe was still hobbling around on a sprained ankle and Shaq had just fouled out. Overtime of Game 4 should've belonged to the Pacers. Kobe decided to have his coming out party instead. No, not that kind. If the Michael Jordan comparisons can be traced back to any single moment, it's this one. As Shaq woefully trudged towards the bench, Kobe calmly reassured him. “I got you.” If that wasn't enough, he repeated it after practically every bucket he drained, none more important than the tip in with six seconds remaining.
2. Are You Kidding Me?!
Date: 4/14/2004
Complex Says: Two games prior, Kobe Bryant took just two shots in the second half of a 17-point loss to Sacramento, a supposed act of defiance to some, treason to others. But in the final game of the regular season, he needed just two shots to save the Pacific Division title and home court advantage in the playoffs. The impressiveness of Bryant's buzzer beaters over the years is not in the sheer volume, but the degree of difficulty. None were more difficult than these. Two threes, both with only a second to shoot and a defender suffocating him. Two threes, all net.
1. Only Wilt Can Judge Me Now
Date: 1/22/2006
Complex Says: Yeah, yeah. It's just a free throw. But when it's the free throw after 80 other points, it's pretty fucking great.