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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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3. Matching Shaq

For the better part of his career, Kobe Bryant lived in the shadow of Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal, who is often regarded as the most physically dominant player in NBA history, won Finals MVP during each of he and Bryant’s three runs to the championship, and won a fourth ring with the Miami Heat.

Three years after O’Neal extended the length of the shadow, Bryant finally proved that he could win without The Big Aristotle.

The 2008-09 regular season wasn’t the most individually prolific of Bryant’s career, but he led the Los Angeles Lakers to a league-best 65 wins. Despite not winning MVP, No. 24 stepped up when it mattered most.

That phrase could be applied to a vast majority of Bryant’s NBA career.

Come the playoffs, Bryant averaged 30.2 points, 5.5 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks as he led Los Angeles to its first championship of the post-O’Neal era. He won Finals MVP and ripped the proverbial monkey off of his back.

In dramatic fashion, Bryant matched his former teammate with an elusive fourth championship, thus proving that he could win big as the unquestioned go-to option.

Next: The Big One

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