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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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46. Making All-Star History

It didn’t take very long for Kobe Bryant to evolve from a Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard into an NBA All-Star. With 18 appearances and counting, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that Bryant’s first one may have been his most significant.

In 1998, Bryant became the youngest All-Star in NBA history at 19 years old.

LeBron James came close, but he was 20 years and one month old when he played in his first All-Star Game. By comparison, Bryant did so at 19 years and five months—a record that holds an eight-month advantage over the No. 2 player on the list.

With players now being forced to spend a full season out of high school before entering the NBA Draft, this record may never be broken.

The Black Mamba averaged 15.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.9 3-point field goal made in 26.0 minutes of action. Those aren’t necessarily All-Star numbers, but the hype train ran rampant as Bryant began to show flashes of being the, “Next Michael Jordan.”

In response to those who said he didn’t deserve to be voted in by the fans, Bryant led all Western Conference All-Stars with 18 points—and he did so against Michael Jordan.

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