Source: Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Bryant attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on December 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
I’ll never forget where I was and what I was doing the morning of Jan. 26, 2020, nearly five years ago now. That Sunday started out like any other in college for me, which at the time involved heading over to my newspaper’s office, the Northern Star, to layout and design the sports section pages for Monday’s edition, since I was sports editor. While waiting for one of my pages to be approved, I scrolled through my timeline and stopped in my tracks when I happened upon TMZ’s article: Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash.
I couldn’t comprehend what I read. I felt numb. Kobe at the time was still one of the biggest names in all of sports – he felt larger than life – “there’s no way Kobe Bryant is dead.” Our newsroom froze. The news got worse and worse as more major news outlets confirmed the news and elaborated on the details. His young daughter, Gianna Bryant, along with two of her basketball teammates, three other parents and the pilot died in the crash as well.
If you were a basketball fan in the 2000s and 2010s, you essentially watched Gianna grow up on live TV, a constant presence at Los Angeles Lakers games throughout the latter half of Kobe’s career. We watched the promising 13-year-old basketball player blossom under the tutelage of her father, one of the greatest players to ever live. It was gut-wrenching to hear her young life and those of her teammates ended so abruptly.
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I threw out my mostly-planned pages and dedicated Monday’s edition as a tribute to Kobe, one of the foundational pillars of my love for basketball, which indirectly influenced me to pursue a career in media, and why I’m a writer writing this article now.
Kobe wasn’t a perfect man, but after his retirement he went on to do many great things in the short four years after he hung up his Nikes. One of the greatest things about him was how he championed girls and women’s sports, which in my mind helped put women’s basketball at the college and pro levels peak in the 2020s. He embraced being a model father to his four daughters, coining the now popular term “girl dad.”
In remembrance of Bryant, five years since he and eight others tragically lost their lives in the Calabasas, California, crash, here’s 25 “Kobe” moments we love. The world will never forget you, Kobe. Thank you for all the memories you left us, and the inspiration you’ve given to so many that continues to drive them forward today:
25 Kobe Moments We Love:
1. Kobe Wins 1997 Dunk Contest
Kobe won the 1997 NBA Dunk Contest at just 18 years old! It would be the first NBA trophy of many in his career.
2. Kobe's First All-Star Game (1998)
Kobe was selected as an NBA All-Star during his second season in the NBA, being selected by the fans as the youngest All-Star starter in NBA history. He led all Western Conference All-Stars in scoring with 18 points, and even went toe-to-toe with Michael Jordan.
3. Kobe's Lob to Shaq in WCF Game 7 (2000)
Kobe had an amazing game, scoring 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to close out the Portland Trail Blazers and help the Lakers advance to the 2000 NBA Finals. The most iconic moment of the game was his alley-oop pass to Shaquille O’Neal that clinched the game and series for Los Angeles.
4. Kobe's Iconic Locker Room Trophy Photo (2001)
The photo of Kobe in the locker room shower holding the Larry O’Brien trophy after winning the 2001 NBA Finals might be one of the most-iconic photos in sports history. It’s been endlessly recreated by athletes at all levels in all sports, but the origin of his pose is rather sad. He’s taking in the moment alone, reportedly glum because his father, former 76ers player Joe Bryant, didn’t attend a single game during the Finals after a falling out between the two.
5. Kobe Wins First All-Star MVP in Philadelphia (2002)
Source: TOM MIHALEK/AFP via Getty Images
Kobe won his first of four NBA All-Star Game MVP awards in his hometown of Philadelphia. Kobe was booed by his hometown crowd, partly given that several months earlier his Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 NBA Finals. The All-Star Game MVP award is now called the “NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player” award in his honor.
6. Kobe's Iconic 360º Dunk (2003)
One of the smoothest plays in NBA history.
7. Kobe Trash Talks MJ During Final All-Star Game (2003)
Jordan was on his way out of the NBA for the final time during the 2002-03 NBA season. He and Kobe shared a few moments during the game, trash talking and enjoying one of their final moments sharing a basketball court together. The student had now become the master
8. Kobe Scores Career-High 81 Points (2006)
The mid 2000s were a rather forgettable time in Bryant’s career with the Lakers, as O’Neal was traded away in the 2004 offseason and the team wasn’t very good. However, things began to turn around during the 2005-06 season, highlighted by Kobe scoring a career-high 81 points, a Lakers record, in a 122-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Include that “81 olives” commercial with Kobe and Jalen Rose over a decade later in this moment.
9. Kobe Switches from '8' to '24' (2006)
Source: Getty
Kobe made the switch from his iconic No. 8 jersey to his equally-iconic No. 24 jersey number. This in a way signaled a new chapter in his NBA career. It can be argued that the “8” and “24” eras could’ve been individual hall-of-fame careers alone.
10. Kobe Bryant Wins MVP Award (2008)
Source: Getty
Kobe finally won the NBA’s MVP award, after controversially losing out in past seasons. The 2007-08 NBA season was a return to form for the Los Angeles Lakers, as Kobe really settled into his leadership role with the team, leading them back to the NBA Finals with new co-star Pau Gasol.
11. Kobe and the 'Redeem Team'
Kobe was the leader of the 2008 USA Men’s Basketball team, which returned the United States to international prominence at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. This included a memorable matchup with new Lakers teammate Pau Gasol, as the U.S. played Spain in the gold medal game.
12. Kobe Wins First NBA Title Without Shaq (2009)
Source: STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images
The stigma of the Kobe-Shaq feud where many claimed Kobe was the reason O’Neal left, and that the Lakers couldn’t win with him as the best player followed him for years. That all changed when the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in five games to win the 2009 NBA Championship, the fourth in his career at the time. He also earned his first Finals MVP.
13. Kobe Doesn't Flinch (2010)
During an intense rematch of the 2009 NBA Finals, former Lakers teammate Matt Barnes goes to inbound a ball, and fakes a pass right in Kobe’s face. the Veteran guard didn’t flinch a single muscle. Mamba mentality for sure.
14. Kobe Finally Defeats Celtics in NBA Finals (2010)
Source: Nathaniel S Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Kobe finally defeated the arch-rival Boston Celtics, who defeated his Lakers in 2008 Finals, in the 2010 Finals. It was the third time in his career he repeated as an NBA champion, and the first time the Lakers won a Game 7 against the Celtics in franchise history.
15. Kobe Wins Fourth NBA All-Star Game MVP Award (2011)
Source: John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images
Kobe wins his fourth and final All-Star Game MVP award, tying Bob Pettit for the most in NBA history.
16. Kobe Shoots Free Throws After Tearing Achilles (2013)
Kobe tore his achilles late in the season during a game against the Golden State Warriors while attempting to score. The visibly injured Bryant limped to the sideline with one of the most feared injuries for any athlete, as few players return to form after suffering achilles tears. Bryant came out of the huddle, limped to the free throw line and sank both. His teammates then fouled so he could sub out of the game.
17. Kobe's Disgust On Jimmy Kimmel Live (2015)
Kobe was sidelined with a torn rotator cuff late in his career, and as a result the Lakers were in terrible shape. While on Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show, Kimmel showed him a video after his Lakers teammates broke their losing streak, and the veteran shooting guard was not amused.
18. Kobe's Last All-Star Game (2016)
Source: Elsa/Getty Images
Kobe’s final All-Star Game came during the 2015-16 NBA season in Toronto. The All-Star weekend was sort of celebration of Kobe’s career as he would retire by season’s end. He shared many special moments on the court before, during and after the game with former teammates and past rivals.
19. The Conductor (2016)
This Nike commercial hit then, and it hits harder now for obviously different reasons. The commercial features former rivals in Celtics forward Paul pierce and Trail Blazers and Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace, former Lakers head coach Phil Jackson and Lakers owner Jeanie Bus. It was the perfect ad to close Kobe’s run as an active Nike athlete.
20. Kobe's Final Game (2016)
Everyone knew Kobe’s final NBA game would be a spectacle; no one expected him to drop 60 points. A few days prior to the final game in a post-game interview with Inside the NBA, former teammate O’Neal joked with Kobe, asking if he’d score 50 points. Kobe laughed off the suggestion. Fast forward to the fourth quarter and Kobe had reached an unfathomable 50 points at the age of 37. He continued his relentless offensive barrage against the Utah Jazz in the final minutes of his NBA career, reaching 60 points for a grand total of 33,643. Like poetry walking off the page, Bryant’s final points came from the same spot as his first points did; at the free throw line.
Not only did Kobe secure 60 in his final game, he brought the Lakers back while trailing the Jazz and won the game, eliminating Utah from playoff contention. It was a sight to see live, and I was one of the many that opted to watch his final game rather than the Warriors breaking the Chicago Bulls’ 72-win season record.
21. Kobe Wins Oscar for 'Dear Basketball' (2018)
Kobe owns the Oscar for “Best Animated Short Film” at the 90th Oscars for Dear Basketball.
22. Kobe and Shaq 'Players Only' Interview (2018)
In 2018, Kobe and O’Neal sat down together to talk about the ups and downs of their relationship during their time together in the NBA. Being one of the most iconic duos in NBA history, the rift between the two was a bit of a bummer for NBA fans. It was great to see the two bury the hatchet before Kobe’s untimely passing.
23. Kobe and Gianna's Last Lakers Game (2019)
Source: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Bryant attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on December 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. The photo is iconic. During the game the TV broadcast kept cutting to the Bryants as Kobe was breaking down the game in realtime to Gianna. It’s probably one of the last public appearances the two shared together. There was also a special moment between Kobe and Mavericks star Luka Doncic, where the young player was shocked to see Kobe cheekily talk trash to him in his native Slovenian.
24. Kobe is Posthumously Inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame (2021)
Source: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, and Jordan posthumously inducted the late Lakers legend into the Basketball Hall of Fame, as a member of the 2020 class.
