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On this day in 2008, the Boston Celtics handed the Los Angeles Lakers one of their biggest finals losses. It was game 6 of the finals and the Celtics were looking to close out the series and that is exactly what they did. Kobe Bryant took one of the biggest losses of his career in a 39 point washout by the Celtics.

According to Sue Bird, Kobe cut out a picture of Paul Pierce celebrating and kept it in his pocket to use as motivation. Considering that he won back-to-back championships after that, most people would say that it worked.

Everyone who knows the Black Mamba could instantly tell that he wasn’t going to take this laying down. Kobe was determined to take his revenge on Paul Pierce and the Celtics. However, Boston failed to make it to the finals next year despite having some of the best players in the league. The two NBA giants clashed in the finals again in 2010. The Lakers poetically won the series on the same date (June 17) as their loss 2 years prior.

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Read More: As Long as LeBron James Wants the NBA Season to Resume, it Will Resume: Reports

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Kobe Bryant called out Shaq after winning his 5th ring

When it comes to competitiveness, there are very few guys who even come close to the Black Mamba. After parting ways with Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe was beaten to a ring by his former teammate who won it in ’06. The 2008 MVP was keeping score. When he won his 5th ring, he let everyone know what it signified to him.

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