With a Superior Postseason Record, Celtics Legend Reflects on the Challenge of Defending Kobe Bryant

Going up against Kobe Bryant in the playoffs can be one of the most challenging things in life. But a former Celtics legend did this during his time and came up victorious on the other side. As he kept making runs to the NBA finals, the team that got him in a spot of bother was the Boston Celtics. The Celtics got the better of him in 2008, and it was because of the 2x champion Ray Allen.

Ray Allen took on the primary task of defending Kobe Bryant, and this did wonders for the team. Although it was not possible to shut down the Los Angeles Lakers legend completely, Jesus Shuttlesworth did his best.

Ray Allen did his job against Kobe Bryant

Recently, Ray Allen talked about his experience of going up against Kobe Bryant in the NBA finals. According to Yahoo Sports, Allen knew it was a tough job to guard him, but he did it with all his might.

He and the Celtics knew that it was impossible to completely neutralize him. But they wanted Bryant to take tough shots and make each possession difficult for him. Allen said. “When he?s taking shots under duress or with fatigue, then I did my job.”

Kobe Bryant was known for his dedication and work ethic, so it was hard to contain him. He fought through every matchup and made as many shots as he could. But Ray Allen was not fazed by this, as he followed the game plan.

Allen said, “Some guys in the NBA, and Kobe was one of them; it?s impossible to keep him from taking those shots and not missing… It was a task for me, but I tried to get him as tired as much as I could because he was guarding me as well.?

Allen and Kobe in the NBA Finals

The Lakers and Kobe met the Celtics in the 2008 finals. The Celtics traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. They met the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals, and this brought back memories for all the basketball fans. Allen was the primary defender on Bryant, and he did his job well. In the 2008 finals, Kobe Bryant was held from shooting from the field and scored 25.7 PPG. At the same time, the big three of the Celtics contributed almost equally and won the championship.

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The two teams faced each other again in 2010. This time, things were different. Kobe trained rigorously for this matchup. He knew everything that needed to be done. He averaged 28.6 PPG and led his team to their first championship since the Shaq era.

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What do you think of the Ray Allen and Kobe Bryant matchup? Let us know in the comments!