Gaming today is in its prime. With super-high graphics, the attention to detail almost makes gameplay feel realistic. However, games of older generations bring back a sense of nostalgia for a broad fanbase. One such game was NBA Courtside, which featured the late great Kobe Bryant on its cover.
Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside (1998)
Nintendo 64 pic.twitter.com/IA02kWIjU9— 90s NBA (@NBA90s) January 20, 2022
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As the cover of the game mentions “THE FASTEST MOST POWERFUL BASKETBALL GAME ON EARTH,” it was with great foresight that the developers saw what the Mamba would become – a legend of the game.
The game was released at a time when Kobe wasn’t even a regular starter for the Lakers, but was showing signs of his serious capabilities.
Let’s look at some fan reactions surrounding the tweet along with an analysis of the career of the ‘Black Mamba’ himself during the 1996-97 and 1997-98 NBA seasons.
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Fan Reactions to Kobe Bryant on the cover of NBA Courtside
For many fans, the game gave a sense of nostalgia surrounding their childhood. After all, the game was solely for the Nintendo 64 – a platform that was all the rage in the 90s.
I had this game. I feel old! Lol Kobe didn't even start on his own game! Crazy https://t.co/lO9fn9r9u2
— josh (@pastorjoshlc) January 20, 2022
This game was everything for me https://t.co/nGZDp7YSzd
— Crockett (@CrockettBrand) January 20, 2022
First ever video game I played https://t.co/uqX59qwYzF
— ENRAGED Cowboys Fan (@AirCharltonIV) January 21, 2022
This was my shit back in the day. Lol https://t.co/tlMQmPhenR
— Zaytoven_🎹🆔💯 (@ZayStayLit_53) January 21, 2022
My childhood https://t.co/SDs9qXE78I
— DOC🌹 (@DearOldCrimson) January 20, 2022
Furthermore, some fans shed light on how far gameplay graphics have come.
I coulda sworn the graphics looked better back when I used to play this game
— Romy Elswerky (@r_elswerky) January 21, 2022
I had 1 and 2 lol. Look at them graphics 😩😆 https://t.co/VUg1qYfZR0
— Kakarot (@ShadBoogie) January 20, 2022
Damn I thought these graphics looked good back then lol https://t.co/5EmBySBf5l
— aR (@VXTHXXY) January 21, 2022
Some spoke about how underrated the game was for its time.
A Tier Basketball game for it's time https://t.co/4L0sggQtE7
— Ryan Derreberry (@Ryan_DBerry) January 20, 2022
Such an underrated game 😩 https://t.co/5WxHvFxB8m
— J.B. Boogeystaff (@boogey216) January 20, 2022
Some other fans took it further, expressing their current possession of the game, while others started their own little battles in the comments with friendly banter.
I still have this game, including the sequel. I loved playing this back in the late 90s and first couple years of the 2000s https://t.co/hHkQwHuP0K
— be_rad93 (@be_rad93) January 20, 2022
Current in my N64 right now https://t.co/VfgXaUu9Mo
— Alex Hale (@TheCLESportsGuy) January 21, 2022
It wouldn’t even be a competition for you
— Cory Still (@thedukestill) January 20, 2022
All in all, fans looked at the game with nostalgia and their reactions say it all. Clearly, the game was a rage in the 90s, and the Mamba simply fueled the fun even more with his domination on-court.
Kobe Bryant in the 1997-98 NBA Season
Bryant had a season of improvement in the 1997-98 season in comparison to his rookie year. Despite only starting a single game that season, the Mamba took his scoring prowess a notch upwards with at least 20 points or more in 20 regular-season games. Moreover, the Lakers would finish that regular season with an impressive 61-21 record.
Clearly, Kobe improved his performance in the 1997-98 season as compared to his rookie year, with his points scoring average nearly doubling. Furthermore, the ‘Mamba’ would also go on to earn his first-ever All-Star Game appearance that season.
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His shooting would also considerably improve that year. Here’s a look at the type of shots he made over the 2 seasons.
Clearly, Kobe’s offensive arsenal took a major upgrade in the 1997-98 season, and the NBA Courtside game developers took advantage of this and put Kobe on the game’s cover. As they say, the rest is history.
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Let us know your favorite Kobe moments in the comments below.