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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 /
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41. The Slam Dunk Contest

The Slam Dunk Contest isn’t an event that makes or breaks a player’s career—unless, of course, you really hate LeBron James. What it does, however, is propel a player into the spotlight for a reasonable period of time.

In 1997, an 18-year-old Kobe Bryant utilized the event to capture the spotlight by making it abundantly clear that he was every bit as explosive as the scouting report suggested.

Despite his being a rookie, Bryant was viewed by many a favorite to win the event in 1997. Not only did he go on to win the competition, but he showed out in unforgettable fashion.

Any and all concerns about the supposed Slam Dunk Contest Winner curse clearly didn’t come to fruition.

Before it was cool to do so, Bryant brought the crowd to its feet by going between his legs for a vicious windmill dunk. That throwdown was enough for Bryant to emerge as the leader and potential winner of the competition, netting a score of 49.0

It’s not exactly an NBA championship, but this performance helped signal Bryant’s arrival as an athletic force to be reckoned with.

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