5. Posterization of Steve Nash
Crime Date: April 26, 2006
Scene of the Crime: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
Victim(s): Steve Nash aka Nashty
Accomplice(s): Lamar Odom
Eyewitness Statement:
DUNKS: Honorable Mentions | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1
It all started with a Luke Walton missed jumper, as the shot clock expired. Lamar Odom would beat Shawn Marion to the rebound, diving on the floor before finding Kobe.
Kobe would quickly drive by Raja Bell, before encountering Steve Nash attempting to take a charge at the rim. But Kobe wasn’t having any of it as he rose above Nash, slamming it down with force and hanging on the rim for good measure.
This dunk is one of the most memorable in Kobe’s history. The stage also elevates this dunk as it was in the playoffs against a very good Phoenix Suns team. This dunk was the punctuation mark as the Lakers stole Game 2 on the road.
Surprisingly, this wasn’t even Kobe’s best moment of this series, thanks to heroics in Game 4. But the dunk remains on every Kobe highlight reel. Ultimately it loses a couple points because it’s on Steve Nash as opposed to a big man known for being a shot-blocker…