• Kobe Bryant sent his Lakers teammates a message after single-handedly leading them to a Game 4 win in the 2000 NBA Finals
• Tryonn Lue revealed how Kobe’s self-belief led to him closing out the game by scoring 12 points in a row
• The Lakers won the 2000 NBA Finals over the Indiana Pacers
The 2000 NBA Finals was the crowning moment for the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal Lakers, as it was their first championship triumph as a duo.
The Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers in six games, with Game 4 ultimately causing a massive swing in the series. The game went to OT, where Kobe decided to take matters into his own hands after Shaq had fouled out, according to teammate Tyronn Lue.
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“Shaq fouled out, so everybody panicked. They were like, ‘We gotta move the ball and play a different style of basketball.’ I think Kobe had missed three shots in a row, so the guys were like, ‘You gotta move the ball’ and Phil was on him a little. We came out of the timeout and I think he might have scored 12 straight to something. He then hit a big shot and was like ‘Relax, I got this. After that, the series was over”
Kobe scored 10 points in OT to lead the Lakers to the win after a mostly disappointing performance through the first four quarters. He ended the game with 28 points.
Bryant averaged 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in that Finals series against the Pacers, still coming into his own as the leader of the franchise. He would be Shaq’s co-star for two more seasons before leading the Lakers to the title in 2009 and 2010 as the team’s unquestioned No. 1 option.
Kobe Bryant Was Always The Most Confident Player On The Court
It was hard for anyone to make Kobe doubt his own abilities as a basketball player. He was hunting to be one of the greatest of all time from day one, and he believed in his ability over his teammates even though he was still unproven in the 2000 Finals. Lue also revealed Kobe dismissed the entire Lakers roster while talking to the media.
“Reporters asked Kobe, ‘Your teammates say you don’t trust them, how do you feel about that?’ He said, ‘I feel like I got a better chance of making a shot over two people than a guy who’s wide open.'”
Kobe averaged 25.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists over the seven Finals appearances in his career. He has a pretty formidable 5-2 record in the Finals, losing only to the Detroit Pistons in 2004 and the Boston Celtics in 2008. He won two Finals MVPs over his five championships and established himself as one of the greatest to ever live.
