Image via Complex Original
Wait, wait! Before you go on reading the rest of this intro, cue this up first. Okay, ready? Kobe Bryant was born on August 23, 1978. Weighing in at... well, we don't know. Anyway, in three days, Kobe will be celebrating his 36th birthday. You're still playing the instrumental, right? We're sure that when it comes time to make a wish and blow out the candles, Bryant will be hoping for a successful and more importantly, healthy 19th season in the league starting on October 28 against the Houston Rockets. And he's not alone in that hope.
For a little more than half of his life, Bryant has left us all amazed, perplexed and feeling just about every other human emotion at one point or another because of what he can do on an NBA court. From those moments of eager anticipation as Kobe held the rock in his hands with the game on the line to dropping ridiculous point totals as if it were a walk in the park to the many accolades which put him up there in the conversation of being one of the greatest to ever play the game, this generation of basketball fans are lucky to live in an era featuring the Black Mamba. If you don't believe us, then let's take the time to remember everything that Vino has done in his many years in The Association and beyond with The Story of Kobe Bryant's Career As Told Thru GIFs.
Draft Day
Date: 6/26/1996
After getting passed up by 12 NBA teams who shall remain nameless, the Charlotte Hornets selected Kobe Bryant out of Lower Marion High School. A selection which then-Hornets' head scout Bill Branch reveals already belonged to the Lakers because both teams had a deal in place the day before. “If I remember right, they didn't even tell us who they wanted us to pick until about five minutes before the pick was made,” says Branch. “So it was never a matter of us actually drafting Kobe.” Instead, Charlotte's main priority was to improve at the center position following the departure of Alonzo Mourning the previous year, so when the opportunity to acquire Vlade Divac from L.A. in exchange for the 13th overall pick came up, they accepted the offer.
Draft Day, Part II
Date: 6/26/1996
Meanwhile, the Lakers needed to get far enough under the cap to make a competitive offer for free agent Shaquille O'Neal. With Vlade Divac set to make $8.5 million the following season, L.A. found a willing trade partner in the Hornets. What ensued was arguably the deal of a lifetime: the 13th overall pick which turned out to be Kobe Bryant and the financial flexibility to sign Shaq. At the time, the Lakers were high on Kobe but drafting him was just a footnote to freeing up money for O'Neal. Little did they know what type of heist they just pulled off.
KB Adds Slam Dunk Contest Champ to His Resume
Date: 2/8/1997
At the young age of 18, Kobe Bryant made history by becoming the youngest player to win a Slam Dunk Contest. This accomplishment comes on the heels of a Rookie All-Star Game where the Black Mamba dropped a game-leading 31 points only to lose out on capturing the MVP trophy which was given to Allen Iverson who scored 19 points to go along with his nine assists and four rebounds.
Shining in His First All-Star Game at The Garden
Date: 2/8/1998
Kobe wasn’t just the youngest All-Star in NBA history at the age of 19, he also went on to lead the West in scoring with 18 points. Kobe added six boards to go with his 18 points in just 22 minutes, and Broadway was treated to quite a show. The biggest stars always come out on the biggest stage.
Kobe and Shaq Working at Peak Chemistry
Date: 6/4/2000
The 2000 NBA playoffs was a wild ride for Kobe and the Lakers, which eventually ended with Kobe and Shaq winning their first title together. En route to that title, the Lakers vanquished Portland in seven games in the Conference Finals, overturning a 15-point deficit in that Game 7 decider at home. The clincher was this earth-shattering alley-oop from Bryant to Shaq.
The First Ring and the Start of a Dynasty
Date: 6/19/2000
Kobe, Shaq, and the rest of the Lake show took out the Indiana Pacers in six games to capture the 2000 NBA championship. This victory signaled the first of three consecutive championships for Kobe, and the beginning of a new era in NBA dominance. You never forget your first.
Vincent Yarbrough Gets Put in a Spin Cycle
Date: 4/15/2003
Vincent Yarbrough should probably be thanking Kobe for this moment, because, well, would anyone really remember this dude otherwise? Yarbrough only played one season in the NBA, because he obviously couldn’t even risk another shaming like this at the hands of the mamba.
Vino Ages Better in Double OT Against the Blazers
Date: 4/14/2004
From knocking them out in Game 7 two years earlier to ruining their day in double OT, we wouldn’t be surprised if Kobe Bryant doesn’t receive the warmest welcome when he hits the streets of Portland. For anyone else this isn’t a high percentage look, but not everyone else is Kobe Bryant.
Where Did Dwight Howard Go?
Date: 11/12/2004
Dwight Howard’s only played one season in L.A., and maybe it’s because Kobe reminded him of this moment on the daily. For real, though, Dwight...are you trying to draw a charge here? Kobe’s too smooth for that, man. Kobe stay giving rookie lessons for free. Again, and again, and again.
Dropping 62 Points on the Mavs in Only Three Quarters
Date: 12/20/2005
It’s one thing to score 62 points in a game, it’s just not fair when you do it in only three quarters against an eventual NBA finalist. You really run out of superlatives after a while with this dude. After he retires, can we just call the baseline reverse “the Kobe?”
The 81-Point Game
Date: 1/22/2006
You know you’re reaching historic scoring heights in a game when you have your own namesake points counter on the bottom of the screen. Ya, that type of rich. Few will forget Kobe’s 81-point performance against the Raptors back in 2006, except for maybe Drake. The second-highest points total in a single game in NBA history behind Wilt’s 100, it could be a very long time before Kobe’s 81 is bested.
Steve Nash Never Had a Prayer
Date: 4/26/2006
We’re not trying to disrespect a back-to-back NBA MVP, but this play is too ugggggh not to highlight among Kobe’s career-defining moments. Even Joey Crawford, who’s no stranger to the spotlight, has a little look at Nash as if to say, ‘the fck was you thinking?’
Kobe Blocks Out the Suns
Date: 4/30/2006
One of the few moments of shock and disappointment for Kobe Bryant came during the Lakers 2006 playoff series against the Phoenix Suns. Already up 2-1 in the series, Kobe put the purple and gold practically out of reach with this overtime game winner in Game 4. But the basketball gods can be cruel, and the Suns behind Steven Nash would go on to win three games in a row and knock Kobe out in the first round. Yes, he is human.
Capturing the Gold
Date: 8/24/2008
The 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball squad was out for redemption after their bronze medal disappointment of four years earlier, and they called upon who else but Kobe to lead them back to the top of the international basketball landscape. Kobe, who was of course team captain under Coach K, scored 13 points in the gold medal game against Spain, and led the stars and stripes to a 118-107 victory.
Kobe Takes Broadway for 61
Date: 2/2/2009
In the same week in which LeBron James dropped 52 on the Knicks at MSG, Kobe stole the headlines that Monday by subjecting Spike Lee and the Knicks to his one-man show entitled, 61. It got rave reviews from all the West coast papers, and left Mike D’Antoni in a fit on the sideline.
Kobe Proves Once Again He Can Win Chips All by Himself
Date: 6/17/2010
Aside from Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace, Kobe Bryant was pretty much a one-man wrecking crew during the 2009-10 NBA season, up until and including the NBA Finals. With dudes like Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar, and Adam Morrison on the roster, where else was Kobe going to look but in the mirror? Kobe finished with the second-highest point total in his playoff career, scoring 671 points, and he successfully defended the Lakers championship of the previous year to capture his fifth and most recent title.
The Only Time Emeka Okafor Was Seen on a Poster
Date: 4/26/2011
A quick swipe of the left, and a big time throw down with the right, Emeka Okafor never knew what hit him once the Mamba took flight. The 2010-11 playoff performance might have been the Lakers’ worst in the previous four seasons, but they’ll always have this highlight to look back on. Dunking on Steve Nash is one thing, putting a giant like Emeka Okafor on a poster shows the full range of Kobe's abilities.
The Death Stare
Date: 11/7/2012
Ever heard of the phrase, “If looks could kill”? That is this moment right here. When Kobe gave then-Lakers head coach Mike Brown the mean staredown, you knew his days with the team were numbered.
The Achilles Injury Felt 'Round the World
Date: 4/12/2013
If there was ever a universal moment on the court that caused millions to cringe in unison, it had to be Kobe Bryant going down with this achilles injury a little over a year ago. The world held their collective breath when Kobe went down, and after surgery and rehab, we’re still wondering what the future holds for the Mamba. Fun fact few might remember: immediately following the injury, Kobe came back on the court and made two free throws before eventually hobbling to the locker room.
Kobe's First Dunk Since Returning From Achilles Injury
Date: 12/11/2013
Some people may shrug at the sight of Kobe Bryant throwing down this pretty basic dunk, but try putting yourself in the Black Mamba's shoes. After coming back from a serious torn Achilles tendon injury which could've put an end to his basketball career, Bryant recovered, got back onto that court and managed to get enough lift in a live-action game to slam it home. It may be a small victory but it's a victory nonetheless.
