The greatest Lakers in team history is regarded as Kobe Bryant. The five-time champion spent his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. For the better part of the 2000s, Bryant was one of the best two-way players in the NBA. Bryant is a five-time champion, two-time Finals MVP, an 18-time All-Star, and a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team. That included nine appearances on the All-Defensive First Team and 11 appearances on the All-NBA First Team.
Bryant led the league in scoring two times and ranks fourth all-time in the regular season and postseason scoring. Bryant’s scoring was so sensational that he owns the second-most points in a game and inspired a generation that yelled “Kobe” when shooting crumpled-up paper balls at trash cans. At the end of the season, it was a guarantee that Bryant was going to have his name listed to some sort of award. Bryant’s best accomplishments span every season for two decades.
Let’s take a moment and highlight those moments right now. These are Bryant’s accomplishments per season.
1996-97 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: Slam Dunk Contest Champion, All-Rookie Second Team
Stats: 7.6 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.3 BPG
The Lakers need to free up some cap space so the team could sign star center Shaquille O’Neal to a long-term contract. The Charlotte Hornets were willing to trade their No. 13 pick to the Lakers the day before the draft for Vlade Divac. The Lakers changed history by snatching Bryant at thirteen and swindling the Hornets. Bryant signed a three-year contract with the Lakers that totaled $3.5 million.
Bryant scored 25 points in his Summer Pro League debut in front of a standing-room-only crowd. Bryant was the second-youngest player ever to play in an NBA game at 18 years and 72 days. He eventually was the youngest NBA starter in the league at 18 years and 158 days. Bryant came off of the bench to back up Eddie Jones and Nick Van Excel. It was the only season that Bryant averaged less than 10 points per game, but he showed everyone his star power when he won the Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie.
1997-98 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: All-Star
Stats: 15.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Bryant saw his playing time increase during this season. His talents showed that he was the next up-and-coming guard, and that led to fans voting for him to make the All-Star Game. His back and forth with Michael Jordan during the game was featured on The Last Dance and remains a viral clip of his first appearance.
Bryant was the youngest All-Star starter in NBA history. He was joined by teammates Shaquille O’Neal, Nick Van Excel, and Eddie Jones. It was the first time since 1983 that four players were selected to play together. Bryant’s season featured a doubled amount of scoring and a second-place finish in the Sixth Man of the Year voting.
1998-99 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: All-NBA Third Team
Stats: 19.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.0 BPG
This season did not feature an All-Star Game due to the lockout. Had there been an All-Star Game, Bryant would have made 19 consecutive All-Star appearances. Instead, the season was shortened to 50 games, but it did show the emergence of Bryant’s versatility on both ends of the floor. While Bryant missed out on the All-Defensive Team, he made his first All-NBA appearance of his career.
Bryant signed a six-year contract extension worth $70 million during the season. Bryant was getting comparisons to Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson during his playing time. The playoffs did not result in the type of performance from those superstars, as the Lakers were swept by the Spurs in the second round.
1999-00 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: NBA Champion, All-Star, All-NBA Second Team, All-Defensive First Team
Stats: 22.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.9 BPG
It took four years, but Bryant erupted for his first season with over 20 points per game. That led to his first appearance on the All-NBA Second Team while his defense jumped to the caliber of a First-Team player. Part of that might have been attributed to the team’s new head coach Phil Jackson and the triangle offense.
The team had a true number-one option on the team in Shaq. O’Neal eventually won the scoring title and the MVP Award, but Bryant also made the jump to one of the league’s best shooting guards. The Lakers won the NBA championship despite losing Bryant for six weeks during the season. Bryant had some clutch appearances during the playoffs, including a 25-point, 11-rebound, and 7-assists performance in Game 7 of the Conference Finals.
2000-01 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: NBA Champion, All-Star, All-NBA Second Team, All-Defensive Second Team
Stats: 28.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG
With the new millennium, there was a new superstar. Bryant continuously lived in the shadow of O’Neal because it was their star center that won three Finals MVP Awards during their three-peat run, but Bryant was always there performing. Bryant took the jump with his offensive production by scoring six more points. As Bryant began to blossom and O’Neal continuously played like the team’s face of the franchise, disagreements began to arise.
Those disagreements were put aside as the Lakers won 56 games and went 15-1 in the playoffs to win their second straight title. Bryant’s performances in the playoffs featured a 48-point, 16-rebound outburst in Game 4 against the Kings in the second round. Bryant averaged 29.5 points in the playoffs and made the Second Team on All-NBA and the All-Defensive Team.
2001-02 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: NBA Champion, All-Star, All-Star Game MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive Second Team
Stats: 25.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG
For the first time in his career, Bryant played 80 games in a season. During the season, Bryant reached a new career high in points with 56 points. At the All-Star Game, Bryant reached MVP status for the first time as well after a 31-point outburst. He did this despite the Philadelphia crowd booing him the entire game as the Lakers defeated the 76ers in the NBA Finals in 2001.
The Lakers finished the season with 58 wins but were second to the Kings in the divisional standings. However, the playoffs featured an intense Conference Finals with Sacramento. The series stretched seven games, and there was a controversy, but the Lakers came out on top. In the Finals, Bryant averaged 26.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists to win his third title. At 23 years old, he was the youngest player ever to win three titles.
2002-03 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: All-Star, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team
Stats: 30.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.9 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.8 BPG
After joining the likes of the Bulls and Celtics as legendary franchises to complete a three-peat, the team came up short in 2003. The team had the talent to win their fourth title in a row though. Bryant set an NBA record with 12 three-pointers in a game against the SuperSonics. Bryant posted 40 or more points in nine consecutive games, including a 40.6 scoring average during February.
The team did not live up to their standards of making the NBA Finals in the playoffs. The team was defeated by the Spurs in six games by the eventual champion Spurs in the Conference Finals. Bryant remained an elite two-way player by being named to the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team. Bryant came in third place for the MVP Award.
2003-04 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: All-Star, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team
Stats: 24.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.4 BPG
The following season was marred with distractions due to Bryant’s sexual assault accusations. This forced Bryant to miss some time at the beginning of the year. With that said, the team pushed past the adversity to make the NBA Finals. . Before the year, the team acquired Gary Payton and Karl Malone to bolster the roster. Despite a starting lineup of Bryant, Payton, Malone, and O’Neal, the team came up short against the Pistons.
The Pistons were seen as the underdog in the series but upset the Lakers in five games to win their first title since 1990. Bryant averaged 22.6 points and 4.4 assists in the Finals. In the end, the defensive force of Finals MVP Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace put the clamps down. Jackson was not retained as the coach, and the Lakers traded O’Neal in the offseason.
2004-05 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: All-Star, All-NBA Third Team
Stats: 27.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG
As mentioned, the Lakers were brought to a standstill and had to decide on keeping either O’Neal or Bryant. The team traded O’Neal to the Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Briant Grant. Bryant then declined a six-year, $100 million offer to sign with the Clippers and re-signed with the Lakers for seven years and $136 million. Bryant was heavily criticized for his choices last season, and his reputation took a hit, especially with three-time Finals MVP winner O’Neal traded.
Bryant had to prove he was the right choice, and his first season without Shaq was not it. The Lakers were 34-48 and missed the playoffs, while O’Neal and the Heat made a run to the Conference Finals. Bryant was called “uncoachable” in former coach Phil Jackson’s book. Bryant also had a public feud with Karl Malone and Ray Allen. It was a year of growth for Bryant despite finishing second in the scoring chase.
2005-06 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: All-Star, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team, Scoring Champion
Stats: 35.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Scoring came in big bunches this season as Bryant won the scoring title with a scoring average that was one of the best since the days of Wilt Chamberlain. Phil Jackson decided to return to the Lakers despite differences with Bryant, but the two men found a way to work past it. Bryant had one of the most legendary months of an NBA season ever. That included breaking the franchise record for points in a game. Bryant’s 81 points broke the former record of 71 set by Elgin Baylor and are the second-most to the 100 points by Chamberlain.
Bryant became the first player since 1964 to score at least 45 points in four consecutive games. Bryant averaged 43.4 points per game in the month, which is the eighth-highest mark in NBA history. Bryant scored at least 40 points 27 times and scored over 2,800 points for the season. It was just the fifth time that a player averaged at least 35 in a season, but he finished fourth in the MVP voting.
2006-07 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: All-Star, All-Star Game MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team, Scoring Champion
Stats: 31.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Before the season, Bryant changed his jersey from 8 to 24, which was his first high school number. Bryant wanted 24 as a rookie, but it was already being worn by George McCloud. Bryant continued to play at an All-Star level and won the All-Star Game MVP Award for a second time. In the game, Bryant scored 31 points, 6 assists, and 6 steals.
During the season, Bryant received a suspension for striking Manu Ginobili in the face and then again for a similar strike against Marko Jaric for trying to draw contact. Bryant scored a season-high 65 points during the season, which was the second-most points he scored up to date. Bryant then scored 50 points against the Timberwolves and then 60 points against the Grizzlies. It was the first time since 1987 that a player went three games of 50 or more. Bryant joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only player to do it four times in a row when he scored 50 points against New Orleans to make it four straight.
2007-08 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: MVP Award All-Star, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team
Stats: 28.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Rumors were swirling at the end of the 2006-07 season. There were reports that Bryant asked to be traded if Jerry West didn’t return. There was a video showing Bryant stating that the team should have traded Andrew Bynum for Jason Kidd. Bryant went on air claiming he wanted to be traded after being blamed for the O’Neal trade. Despite all of this, Bryant rose to the top of being the best player in the world.
At 29 years and 122 days old, Bryant became the youngest player to reach 20,000 career points. The record has been broken by LeBron James, but it’s another layer to Bryant’s greatness. Bryant played in all 82 games and denied getting surgery on his radial collateral ligament, which featured a complete tear. The Lakers made a run to the NBA Finals after acquiring Pau Gasol, but the team came up short of the Celtics.
2008-09 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: NBA Champion, Finals MVP, All-Star, All-Star Game MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team
Stats: 26.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG
Bryant could have had surgery to repair his right pinky, but he decided to push off surgery. Instead, Bryant led the team to a 17-2 record, which tied for the best start to a Lakers season ever. By 2009, Bryant was an All-Star Game starter, and the team continuously won games. In February, Bryant scored 61 points at Madison Square Garden to set a new record at the facility.
At the All-Star Game, Bryant won the MVP Award with former teammate Shaq after posting a game of 27 points and four rebounds, assists, and steals. The Lakers finished the season with 65 wins, and Bryant was the runner-up behind LeBron for the MVP Award. In the playoffs, the Lakers returned to the NBA Finals, where he led the team to a championship over the Magic in five games. Bryant was named Finals MVP after being named 32.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. This was one of his best performances in the NBA Finals.
2009-10 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: NBA Champion, Finals MVP, All-Star, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team
Stats: 27.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Bryant continued to live up to his reputation as a clutch player. He made six buzzer-beating shots this season. It was also another season where Bryant pushed through the pain to help his team to new heights. Bryant fractured his right index finger but decided to play on instead of resting the injury. During the season, Bryant reached 25,000 career points, which was the youngest player to reach that at 31 years and 151 days.
Bryant also passed Jerry West as the all-time leading scorer during the season. In the playoffs, Bryant marched to the NBA Finals for a third year. Bryant led the Lakers past the Celtics in a seven-game series, including scoring 10 of his game-high 23 points in Game 7 to clinch the series. Bryant won the Finals MVP Award after averaging 28.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists against a trio of superstars.
2010-11 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: All-Star, All-Star Game MVP, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team
Stats: 25.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Bryant’s historical climb up the scoring ladder continued this season. He passed John Havlicek, Dominique Wilkens, Oscar Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes, and Moses Malone to move to sixth place on the all-time scoring list. He also became one of seven players to record at least 25,000 career points, 5,000 rebounds, and 5.000 assists. All of these individual achievements did not matter, though, as Bryant was chasing down Michael Jordan’s sixth championship.
Bryant won his fourth All-Star Game MVP after finishing with 37 points and 14 rebounds. His fourth ASG MVP tied Bob Pettit for the most in the game’s history. Bryant was a First-Team player on both sides, but his ultimate goal came up short. The eventual champion Mavericks swept the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs.
2011-12 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: All-Star, All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive Second Team
Stats: 27.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.1 BPG
Before the season, Bryant was upset that he was ranked seventh by ESPN during the preseason player rankings. Bryant commented on the situation when he scored 48 points against the Suns midway through the season. Bryant then scored 40, 42, and 42 points the next three games to make it the sixth time in his career that he scored 40 or more points in four consecutive games.
At the All-Star Game, Bryant surpassed Michael Jordan as the career leader of the ASG scoring. During the game, he suffered a broken nose and concussion. Bryant missed seven games in April as well due to a bruised left shin. He could have contended for his third scoring title in the final game but sat it out despite needing 38 points to beat Kevin Durant. The Lakers did not travel far in the playoffs, as the team was beaten by the Thunder in the second round.
2012-13 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: All-Star, All-NBA First Team
Stats: 27.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG
The next four years began a turbulent time for Bryant’s career. The team acquired Dwight Howard and Steve Nash. On paper, the team’s roster was viewed as the favorite to make it out of the Western Conference. Instead, the team battled distractions, which featured Mike Brown being fired after a 1-4 start. Mike D’Antoni was replaced as the head coach. After a 17-25 start to the season, the Lakers finished the year with a 45-37 record and the seventh seed.
The 34-year-old Bryant carried this team to the playoffs, averaging 38.6 minutes per game. Bryant recorded the first game with 47 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and three steals. He reached 40 points eight times and had 11 games with 10 or more assists. With that said, Bryant had surgery on April 13 to repair a torn Achilles tendon and missed the rest of the season. Without Bryant, the Lakers were swept in the first round.
2013-14 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: All-Star
Stats: 13.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Bryant continued to heal from his injury but signed a two-year contract extension worth $48.5 million. The extension was heavily scrutinized because other stars were taking less money to allow their team to sign star players. Bryant was entering the later stages of his career but took more money. Meanwhile, players like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were riding modified salaries to make a fourth appearance in the NBA Finals together.
Despite being sidelined, Bryant was named to the All-Star. Bryant didn’t feel like he deserved the achievement, and he did not play. His knee continued to heal, and he was limited to six games. The Lakers finished 27-55 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
2014-15 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: All-Star
Stats: 22.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Before the season, the Lakers replaced D’Antoni with Byron Scott, Bryant’s former teammate. The season was lackluster from a team standpoint. The 21-61 record was the worst in franchise history at the time, but Bryant was still voted to the All-Star Game. The season featured numerous individual achievements.
That included passing Michael Jordan for third on the all-time scoring list and recording his 20th career triple-double. However, soreness to his knees, feet, back, and Achilles tendons forced Bryant to a reduced workload. Bryant had to get season-ending surgery for his right hand. His greatest claim to fame this season was recording multiple triple-doubles, becoming the third player to ever accomplish that at 36 years or older.
2015-16 NBA Season
Accolades and Awards: All-Star
Stats: 17.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG
By playing in the season opener of the season, Bryant surpassed John Stockton’s league record (19) for most seasons with the same team. The season was a farewell tour for Bryant who announced that he would retire at the end of the season. Despite not wanting to be honored at away stadiums, fans and venues honored him with video tributes and fan ovations. Bryant was named to the All-Star Game for the 18th time.
The end of the season featured one of the greatest moments for fans. In the season finale, Bryant scored an NBA season-high 60 points against the Jazz. Bryant outscored the entire Jazz team 23-21 in the fourth quarter to lead the team to a 101-96 victory. At 37 years old and 234 days, Bryant was the oldest player to score 60 or more points ever. The Lakers, however, finished with a franchise-worst record of 17-65.
Source: fadeawayworld
