- Kobe Bryant talked about finally beating the Boston Celtics superteam in the 2010 NBA Finals
- Bryant said he was dealing with an ankle injury throughout the series
- Kobe won the fifth NBA title was his career, surpassing Shaquille O’Neal’s tally
Kobe Bryant had a phenomenal 20-year career in the NBA. Bryant had numerous memorable moments during his time in the league. But defeating the Boston Celtics superteam in the 2010 NBA Finals remains arguably the biggest achievement of his career.
The Celtics had Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, and Rasheed Wallace on the team. But it was still not enough to stop a motivated Kobe Bryant in his tracks. In his famous 1-on-1 sitdown interview with Shaquille O’Neal, the Mamba shared a few unknown details about the 2010 NBA Finals.
“It was a tough series for me,” Bryant said. “Most people don’t know this, but I had a bone spurt in my ankle. A couple games, I had to leave the game, go back into the locker room and get it injected because I could barely walk. I had a broken finger that I was playing with a cast on my right finger.
“Then I was having to deal with Garnett, Pierce, Allen, Rondo, Rasheed, and all these guys. It was a relief to win.”
(Starts at 36:00)
Kobe Bryant was a man on a mission in the 2010 NBA Finals. He had vengeance on his mind after losing to the Celtics in six games in the 2008 NBA Finals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85nBQ_AoRwk
Bryant used that as motivation and averaged 28.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He led the Lakers to a 4-3 win in the series as the Purple and Gold won back-to-back NBA titles. It was the fifth NBA title of Bryant’s amazing career.
Shaquille O’Neal Destroyed His House When Kobe Bryant Won The Fifth Ring Of His Career
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles in 2000, 2001, and 2002.
But after Shaq left the Lakers in 2004, they became bitter rivals. O’Neal won his fourth ring in 2006 with the Miami Heat, but Kobe ultimately surpassed him in number of titles after winning two consecutive rings in 2009 and 2010.
Bryant’s success drew an agitated reaction from O’Neal. In fact, he admitted that he destroyed his house when he saw Bryant win Championship No. 5. Fortunately, the two legends put their differences aside and became friends after retiring from the NBA.
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