your favorite Kobe memory

[snaquille oatmeal]

there is already a thread about the sad news of Kobe's passing, but i wanted to open a thread where we write a a special memory or story of the Black Mamba.

my favorite memory is game 7 against the Celtics. the game was a defensive juggernaut and Kobe having a bad shooting night, but he was determined to make an impact on the game and had 15 hard fought rebounds. then talking to the press asking Shaq how his a** taste.

[bellabiyel]

2004 nba finals game 2 the tying shot ..that was the first time i saw kobe hitting clutch shots that was the first time i been a fan before becoming another player fan i was only 13 yrs old in elementary i was just starting to love the gam of bball.. when he hit the shot i was jumping up and down.. although they lost that series.. next was the gamewinner against phoenix game 4 and the last the last game of the mamba

[bellabiyel]

2004 nba finals game 2 the tying shot ..that was the first time i saw kobe hitting clutch shots that was the first time i been a fan before becoming another player fan i was only 13 yrs old in elementary i was just starting to love the gam of bball.. when he hit the shot i was jumping up and down.. although they lost that series.. next was the gamewinner against phoenix game 4 and the last the last game of the mamba

[Slink]

Watch on YouTube

[semi-sentient]

Kobe to Shaq in G7 against Portland comes to mind first, at least for individual moments. Maybe G7 against the Celtics overall. I remember being infuriated with his play in the first half only to be wowed by his composure as the game wound down, helping deliver us another championship. Truly a great moment and quite a rollercoaster ride.

2009 vs ORL

2001 vs SAS

62-60.

The 81-point game.

It's really hard to pick a favorite.

I'm reposting this from the other thread, but this is one of the best memories of my life and Kobe was a part of it:

Kobe and the Lakers have been a huge part of my life. I've been a fan for 35+ years and had the pleasure of watching Kobe's entire career. Love him or hate him, he's an inspiration and has achieved remarkable heights as a human.

Here's a pic I'd like to share with me and my wife after getting married at our home in 2010. He'll be forever in our memories.

PS: I look nothing like that now. What was once on my head has migrated down to my face, mountain man style.

[moonpie]

There's so many I could name - 81 point game, game winner in OT against the Suns in 06 to put the Lakers up 3-1, putting up 60 in his last ever game, etc... but the one that stands out to me the most, the one that personifies and symbolizes Kobe Bean Bryant, is when he shuffled his way to the free throw line after tearing his achilles and knocked down 2 free throws in a close game in the midst of chasing a playoff berth.

Watch on YouTube

[Kilroy]

For me, it was his final game. What he did was so otherworldly in that game. I had chills and was grinning and crying the whole second half. It was such a perfect final tribute.

After that, it was probably the last victory over the Celtics in the finals.

On a personal interaction note... I was at the first championship parade of the Shaq/Kobe era and when the double Decker bus went by, I quickly tried to do the math of the number of championships we won at that time, and wrongly came up with 8... So I stood there on the curb and threw up 8 fingers... Kobe saw me, grabbed Shaq and pointed at me laughing.
I couldn't figure out what I'd done to get his attention and then I realized I was throwing up his jersey number.

[MAMBAEMD]

G7 Portland crossover Pippen and alley-oop to Shaq (I was at the game).

Also standing on the scorers table after winning the title against BOS with arms raises in the air

[dockingsched]

I don’t know what it was about this picture, but it just for me represents a coming full circle to Kobe’s entire career. His superhuman effort in his last game, and handing over to the young guys in such a heartfelt way. This picture, despite what happened to the young guys after, just gives me a warm feeling of accomplishment and hope.

[karkinos]

62 in 3 quarters live
OT thriller against the suns
last game against utah highlights always made me teary eyed...now even more.

[Sedale Threatt]

G7 Portland crossover Pippen and alley-oop to Shaq (I was at the game).

Also standing on the scorers table after winning the title against BOS with arms raises in the air

The lob was possibly as overjoyed as I've ever been as a Lakers fan. To go from absolutely fuming that our dream season was circling the toilet to capping off a massive comeback with such an incredible play ... I was watching with a friend, and I still remember grabbing him and hopping around the living room like a couple of idiots. I got so, so sh*tfaced that night.

Living in San Antonio, watching him and Shaq completely wreck the Spurs in 2001 is very high on my list. Beating the vile Celtics for the 2010 title was probably my most satisfying moment as a Lakers fan. I wanted to win that game soooooooo bad...

The Jazz game ... he'd been so injury plagued over those final seasons, and just straight-up bad in the very last one that I was pretty much over it at that point. Sad to see him go but more than ready. But watching him turn back the clock for one last night, I just cackled my way through the second half. I never warmed up to hero ball even after 20 years, but that was the most fitting finale you could possibly ask for. Shoot 50, score 60 -- the Mamba Way.

[TyCobb]

His entire career. Which is what made him great. Brought it every single night.

[SUN]

Watch on YouTube

I feel so terrible for not appreciating what I was witnessing at the time. Perspective, man.

[Slava]

The game winner in game 4 of the 2006 playoffs first round vs Phoenix.

I was probably a little too young to digest the three peat and took the Lakers being champions for granted but 2006 was so sweet after suffering my first genuine let down season as a fan. That game winner had me jumping up and down pounding my chest in my living room. There's so many great moments but that one stuck with me all through the years.

[LAKESHOW]

Tons of memories. But 1 year vs the spurs in the playoffs, at the Spurs. It was during our 3 run, forgot the year. But he was just devastating. A play i remember he lost the ball between him and fish, and just sank the shot and sank the hopes of a strong spurs team. They could not stop him. He personally broke their spirit with his play.
Another time, in portland, he dropped multiple shots and deep 3s to win the game, that looked virtually Impossible to hit.
Still another time defeating the Rival Celtics in 7 games.
Just tons of memories of a legendary player, that anyone would call proud to play for their franchise. But he didnt. He was a Laker. Rest in Peace Kobe, along with your daughter, we all pray for Vanessa and family during this tragedy.

[Kilroy]

I remember flashes of things... I watched the no flinch game against Barnes live... Think there was a game thread here for it...
I watched him clown Raja Bell after the clothesline... Countless dagger 3s... Talking smack with Pop during games...
Locking down LeBron in the All Star game.
And just that it always seemed he was playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers... There was nothing he couldn't do on the court.

[Dr Aki]

All the millions of times I yelled "NOOOOOOO" at an ill-advised Kobe shot, then yelling "**** KOBE" after he made the BS shot

[JVL]

For me, it was his final game. What he did was so otherworldly in that game. I had chills and was grinning and crying the whole second half. It was such a perfect final tribute.

Same for me. It was an otherworldly performance with the most bittersweet narrative possible.

[Beethoven]

My favorite memories of him are not only the myriads of fantastic plays and games and interviews we have seen but also the memory of the concept of Kobe Bryant for me...

I sometimes debate certain scenarios w my friends about certain things like , what if in an apocalyptic situation of aliens and huge earthquakes and you need a leader to choose behind a closed door to lead your family and neighborhood to a safe place while figuring out how to fight and escape the monsters along the way...if we open that door and got a tom cruise (mission impossible character in real life) or terminator or MacGyver (character in real life) im sure we would be fine. I d be like " alright let's go to battle im down w this leader "
But also, if we opened that door , and we got Kobe Bryant ? I'd be down w him too , id say " let's go to war im gonna succeed or fail w kobe I'm all in"

Because let say the aliens warped us into another dimension ? And the only way out is to devise a time machine back? Maybe MacGyver can do it. Perhaps. Maybe terminator can. But Kobe? He's got no idea....but given time he'll learn until he becomes a physicist and will build a time machine for us one day guaranteed.

[chefy]

There's so many I could name - 81 point game, game winner in OT against the Suns in 06 to put the Lakers up 3-1, putting up 60 in his last ever game, etc... but the one that stands out to me the most, the one that personifies and symbolizes Kobe Bean Bryant, is when he shuffled his way to the free throw line after tearing his achilles and knocked down 2 free throws in a close game in the midst of chasing a playoff berth.

Watch on YouTube

this.