Hoops Habit
Fansided

Kobe Bryant: 50 Greatest Moments of Black Mamba’s Career

By Maxwell Ogden

Jan 20, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) warms up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
10 of 51
Next

42. Sinking The Team That Drafted Him

Kobe Bryant’s career began when the Charlotte Hornets selected him at No. 13 overall in the 1996 NBA Draft. Bryant was swiftly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for center Vlade Divac, but the moment remains.

On February 22, 2002, Bryant made the Hornets pay for trading him away.

Bryant was already a two-time NBA champion and a household name at this point in time. With an opportunity to beat the Hornets in Charlotte, however, Bryant thoroughly established himself as a young man with ice in his veins.

As the clock trickled down to double-zeros, Bryant pulled up, pump faked, and drained the flat-footed game-winner.

Bryant hadn’t played his greatest game up to that point, but that’s what made this shot so sensational. Even when he struggled, Bryant was not afraid to step up and take the biggest shot of all.

His success rate spoke volumes.

Next: The First Star Moment

Home/Los Angeles Lakers