After Three-Peat Glory Resulted in Heartbreak, How Did Kobe Bryant Rebuild His Legacy?

Like all good things, even NBA dynasties come to an end. From the Boston Celtics of the ’60s to the Chicago Bulls of the ’90s, both franchises had to go through a grueling rebuilding phase. That was the case with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s Los Angeles Lakers as well. The iconic duo led the team to three straight championships at the turn of the century, but things soon took a turn for the worse. Towards the end of their run, differences between the star duo became increasingly apparent. Eventually, the Lakers organization had to make a choice. Due to Shaq’s less-than-impressive workout routine that still haunts him today, the team chose to side with Kobe. But it was a tough road back to the top for the Black Mamba.

While O’Neal would quickly win his 4th, Kobe and the Los Angeles Lakers were in free fall. Even though Bryant was putting up record numbers, regularly averaging over 30 points per game and culminating with an 81-point masterclass, the team as a whole was struggling. Especially with postseason success. This is the story of how Kobe Bryant built his legacy as an all-time great after the departure of Shaquille O’Neal.

Kobe Bryant returned to the promised land in 2009

The 2007-08 season saw a dramatic change. While they had been middling for 3 years, they got off to a strong start. Then, the Pau Gasol trade went through and Kobe had a genuine second star on the roster. From there, another three-year run of sheer greatness began. The regular season’s conclusion finally saw Kobe win his first, and only, regular season MVP. But the job wasn’t done yet.

4 years after his last Finals trip, Kobe and the Lakers would embark on yet another run to the top. Unfortunately, the result would be the same as the last time.

Facing off against super-team and arch-nemesis, the Boston Celtics, the team would fail to win the big one. However, the recipe was clear. And a quest was underway for Kobe Bryant. The next year, as motivated as ever, the Lakers went on another strong season, once again finding themselves in the NBA Finals against Dwight Howard‘s Orlando Magic.

However, in his two losses, Bryant had understood the secret behind capturing the elusive prize. After a grueling season, it was done. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers were champions again. Of course, the job wasn’t over yet. In 2010, the Lakers once again met the Celtics in the Finals. The biggest rivalry in the sport, and a rematch of the same cores from 2008.

A hard-fought 7 game series later, the game was down to a single score at the Staples Center. With the game in the balance, Kobe would size up his defender. But, a double team was incoming. While a younger Kobe might have forced a tough shot, this was a more experienced, wiser version of the Black Mamba.

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As the story goes, Metta World Peace, aka Ron Artest, would get the pass from Kobe, sink the 3-pointer and gift wrap a 5th Championship for Bean. Kobe would take to the announcer’s table, ala Michael Jordan, his legacy was without question, set. An all-time great was amongst us.

Kobe Bryant’s 5th title and legacy

3x NBA champion Dwyane Wade?came to reveal how Kobe’s 5th title became the final straw to the formation of Miami’s Big Three. But the effect was far greater. By then, there were no further holes to poke in the Black Mamba‘s legacy. Whether it was individual or team accolades, he had them all. As a result, Bryant became the ultimate godfather-like figure to the entire NBA. The youth looked up to him, while current stars tried to eclipse him.

Mamba Mentality?took on a life of its own and became a code for athletes to live by. While Bryant continued to dazzle, with a 60-point swansong, his impact was far greater than just in the city of Angels. To this day, anecdotes, memories, and stories about Bean remain prevalent.

But what truly made him special was a simple ideology. Kobe Bryant grew up in front of the NBA world. Even though he came in as a mere 17-year-old whose parents had to co-sign his first NBA contract, he would leave as a grown 38-year-old. During that timeframe, we saw the multiple phases of Kobe.

Whether it was the teenager, the upstart, the Champion, the scoring machine, the selfish, the selfless, the teammate, the leader, the immortal, the Mamba, or an Oscar winner, every phase of his life was spent in front of the NBA fanbase. As a result, that gave birth to a relationship that was far deeper than just fan-athlete. Today, we can all hold on to the moments of pure artistry that Kobe Bryant crafted on the hardwood.

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