Kobe Bryant had the respect of the legends that came before him, the players that played with and against him, and the generation that has come after as well. His incredible skill and indomitable will made the Mamba a player’s favorite. And he had the iconic moments that players respect.
There is nothing NBA players respect as much as someone shutting up an opponent with their play and nothing else. Trash talk is a part of the game, but everyone knows not to do it to the best players, and this Kobe Bryant story proves it. Allen Iverson recounted the time Kobe Bryant destroyed Kenyon Martin for talking trash.
“We were playing them when I was in Denver, and Kenyon started guarding him and [Bryant] wasn’t doing anything,” Iverson told Complex. “They were going back and forth with each other, and Kenyon was like, ‘You put your sneakers like I put on mine, you put on your uniform like I put on mine. I ain’t scared of you. I’d beat your…’ Going crazy with him. And I’m sitting there like, ‘Oh my God.’ Because [Bryant] has been quiet.
“Man, this man started going crazy. I mean, dunks, threes, midrange. I mean killing us. I think he had like 49 or something. Somebody was shooting a free throw and he was like, ‘Chuck, I was chilling. And they shook the tree and the mamba fell out.’ That was my fondest moment when it came to him.”
Mamba was DIFFERENT 🐍 🔥
Allen Iverson shares his favorite Kobe Bryant story. pic.twitter.com/ZIYpDzxWDv
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) February 24, 2023
There is nothing quite like a legendary player turning it on and putting on a show because an opponent provided him. Michael Jordan was known for doing things like this regularly, and Kobe Bryant was cut from the same cloth. This was Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2008 NBA Finals, and the Lakers would go on to sweep Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, and Kenyon Martin in that series.
Kobe Bryant Scored Against The Nuggets In Every Way Possible During That Game
As Allen Iverson recounted, Kobe Bryant scored on all levels in that game against the Nuggets. He made 18 of his 27 field goals, which included five three-pointers. He also got to the free-throw line nine times, making eight of those. The domination was both pure and complete.
The rest of the series wasn’t any different. Over 4 games, Kobe Bryant averaged 33 points per game to go along with five rebounds and six assists. This was the beginning of the second prime of Bryant’s career, and he would go on to win two more championships in 2009 and 2010.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtlH_2Quuk8
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