Many players have never played a single minute in the NBA Playoffs and only a select few have ever reached the Finals. Steve Nash is one of the greatest players the league has ever seen, but he has never been able to reach the NBA Finals.
Those who struggle to get there aren’t guaranteed anything once the series is over. They can easily get swept by the opponent and their time on the league’s brightest stage could be over very quickly.
However, Kobe Bryant has been t0 seven different NBA Finals, and has been fortunate enough to win five of them. Those seven long series took a lot out of Kobe, but they brought the best of the future Hall of Famer. Kobe just celebrated his 34th birthday, but it is a safe bet that he will be appearing in several more NBA Finals.
Here are the top five Kobe Bryant NBA Finals moments.
5: 2004 NBA Finals vs. Detroit Pistons, Game 2
The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 Finals despite having Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton. Still, the series brought many unforgettable moments and Bryant was the one who led the Lakers in their only win of the series.
After the Pistons stole the opening game in Staples Center, the Lakers had to do what it took to go back to Detroit with one game under their belt. Bryant did his best to keep the Lakers in the game for the entire match and his heroics in the fourth quarter and overtime led the Lakers to a victory.
Kobe hit a miraculous shot over Richard Hamilton in the fourth quarter and propelled the Lakers in the extra period. Bryant finished the game with 33 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LflmD8vqzrw&feature=player_embedded#!
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