Take a trip down memory lane as we share a crazy moment at the podium, an amazing posterization, an absolute on-court fail or a memorable shooting performance from the postseason of the National Basketball Association in This Day in NBA Playoffs History.
Was Kobe Bryant following Phil Jackson's game plan of having him pass more and shoot less? Or was The Black Mamba stubbornly trying to prove a point that the Los Angeles Lakers needed an offensively minded Bryant in order to win games? Whatever the case, Kobe's absence in the scoring department cost the Lakers an opportunity to topple the No. 2 seeded Phoenix Suns in Game 7.
With the Lakers up three games to two, Kobe scored an impressive 50 points on 20/35 shooting, however, L.A. still failed to come away with the victory. With the series heading to a win or go home Game 7, people started criticizing Bryant, calling him selfish and a ball hog. Kobe responded to the critics by practically refusing to shoot the ball. In fact, KB only took three shots in the entire second half. Three!
Bryant finished with 24 points on 8/16 shooting from the field. And while his performance may have been a response to the people who said he didn't get his teammates involved, Kobe didn't do much to hush those individuals since he only ended up one assist on the night.