How Many Times Has Kobe Been To The Finals
Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant made seven NBA Finals appearances and won five championships in his career. More than a few folks would consider Kobe to be the Goat because of his performance on the biggest stage.
Below is a breakup of all seven of Kobe Bryant's NBA Finals appearances.
2000 NBA Finals vs. Indiana Pacers
Finals averages: fifteen.half-dozen points (on 36.7% shooting), four.half dozen rebounds, iv.2 assists, 1.0 steal, ane.iv blocks
This was Kobe Bryant'due south first-e'er appearance in the NBA Finals, and this is perhaps virtually remembered for that infamous Jalen Rose moment. In the start quarter of Game two, Rose extended his leg to block off Bryant'southward landing on a jump shot. This resulted in Kobe spraining his ankle and missing the residual of the game.
Bryant bounced back tremendously in Game 4 after missing Game three, helping his side to a victory in Indiana with 28 points on 14-of-27 from the floor.
The Lakers won the serial in half dozen games, with Shaquille O'Neal winning Finals MVP honors.
2001 NBA Finals vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Finals averages: 24.6 points (on 41.five% shooting), 7.eight rebounds, 5.8 assists, ane.iv steals, ane.four blocks
The Lakers' entire playoff run in 2001 showcased the utter dominance of the Kobe-Shaq era of the Lakers. They swept all three rounds in the West to set upwardly a Finals matchup confronting Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philly shocked the Lakers past winning Game ane at Staples Middle. Bryant took matters into his own hands, scoring 63 points in Games ii and 3 combined. His all-time accommodating performance, however, came in the deciding Game v win, with Kobe finishing with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists to assist the Lakers to back-to-dorsum titles.
2002 NBA Finals vs. New Jersey Nets
Finals averages: 26.viii points (on 51.4% shooting), five.viii rebounds, five.iii assists, 1.5 steals
This serial was cakewalk for Kobe and the Lakers. They dominated the New Jersey Nets in four games en road to title No. three. Their toughest exam that year actually came in the Western Conference Finals, as the Sacramento Kings pushed them to seven games in the series.
Come up the Finals, all the same, Kobe and company knew that the job was not done yet. After winning Games i and 2 in Los Angeles, New Jersey put up quite a fight in Game 3 at home. It was a shut game throughout, and with the momentum of the series in the balance, Bryant made sure his squad would non provide the Nets with any glimmer of hope. Kobe came upward with his all-time performance of the serial in that game, logging 36 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
2004 NBA Finals vs. Detroit Pistons
Finals averages: 22.6 points (on 38.1% shooting), 2.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, i.eight steals
The Lakers were unable to defend their title in 2003, falling to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs. Los Angeles regrouped in the offseason, bringing in two futurity Hall of Famers in Gary Payton and Karl Malone. As expected, they went all the way to the Finals to face a gritty Detroit Pistons side.
Despite being the heavy favorite, though, the Lakers were shocked by the Pistons in the Finals as Kobe shot poorly throughout the serial. Detroit took the series, 4-i, and put an terminate to the Shaq-Kobe era, with O'Neal heading to the Miami Estrus that same summer.
2008 NBA Finals vs. Boston Celtics
Finals averages: 25.7 points (on 40.five% shooting), four.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, ii.vii steals
Four years afterwards the failure in 2004, Bryant took the Lakers to the Finals for the start time since Shaq's departure. The stage was set for Kobe to prove that he could win a title without his former partner-in-crime, and it was against the mighty Boston Celtics.
Boston'due south superteam of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo proved besides much for Bryant and the Lakers, however. The Lakers lost the ii opening games in Boston, but Bryant came up huge in Game 3 (series-loftier 36 points, seven rebounds) to go 1 game back for Los Angeles. The two teams split Games four and 5 earlier the Celtics won the title on their home floor in Game 6.
This was the second and the last Finals loss for Kobe.
2009 NBA Finals vs. Orlando Magic
Finals averages: 32.4 points (on 43.0% shooting), 5.6 rebounds, 7.iv assists, 1.4 steals, 1.four blocks
Redemption finally came for Kobe a yr subsequently when he led the Lakers to their get-go title in seven long years. It came at the expense of a Dwight Howard-led Orlando Magic squad.
This was easily Bryant's about dominant display in the Finals. Not only did he boilerplate a Finals-high 32.four points per game, merely most notably, he also dished out seven.4 dimes per competition (as well a Finals record for him).
Kobe set the tone early in this i, dropping a Finals career-loftier 40 points in Game ane against the Defensive Actor of the Year in Howard. The Lakers never looked dorsum and took the series in five games.
At this bespeak, Bryant finally proved all his doubters wrong by winning a championship without Shaq. Kobe also won his first Finals MVP title this year.
2010 NBA Finals vs. Boston Celtics
Finals averages: 28.6 points (on 40.five% shooting), 8.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, two.1 steals
Some might say that i championship without Shaq was a fluke, so Bryant went out and won another one. The sweetest function here is that he also managed to vanquish his demons from ii years earlier, equally he led the Lakers to a thrilling 7-game series victory in a rematch confronting the Celtics.
The Celtics were in the driver'due south seat heading into Boston for Games 3 through v with the series tied at 1-one. Kobe stepped it up in Game 3, though, as he led the Lakers to a victory in Boston to give his team a two-1 advantage in the series. Boston won Games iv and 5, however, and the Lakers ended up just one loss away from handing the championship to the Celtics all the same again.
Bryant made sure this was not going to be the case, leading the Lakers to victory in two directly must-win games at Staples Middle. Kobe double-doubled in both games, doing pretty much annihilation and everything to ensure the victories, even though he shot just 6-of-24 in Game 7. Pau Gasol and Ron Artest both also played massive roles in the deciding contest.
Kobe Bryant was awarded his 2nd consecutive Finals MVP trophy, and this championship brought his tally to a final total of five.
Source: https://clutchpoints.com/kobe-bryant-nba-finals-what-he-accomplished
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