My Top 5 favorite Kobe Bryant Plays/Moments

Kobe Bryant is about to hang-up his sneakers after this season.

So, I think it is only fitting to list down my top 5 favorite Kobe Bryant Play/Moments

As a Black Mamba fan, it is tough to see Kobe get beaten by Father Time so bad.

Every time he shots an airball or way-off shot, I really cringe because I know, We know, the whole world knows what he is capable of. We are spoiled because we know that there is no impossible shot for Kobe.

So excuse me, while I list down my favorite Kobe Bryant shots/moments whilst wiping my watery eyes knowing that we only have at least 5 months of seeing Mamba in action.

5. The 81-pt game (Lakers v. Raptors)

Of course, of course

4. 2007 1st Rd, GM.4 Buzzer beater (Lakers v. Suns)

The 7th seed Lakers pushes the 2nd seed Suns to the brink of elimination with a dagger from the Black Mamba.

3. 2008 Olympic Gold Medal Game (US v. Spain)

The following photo is so mamba-like

2. 2010 WCF, GM. 6 (Lakers v. Suns)

This game eliminated the tough and gritty Suns from the playoffs. I love this because Kobe slapped Gentry's ass after hitting a ridiculously tough J over Grant Hill.

1. 2009 NBA Finals (Lakers v. Magic)

You know Kobe wouldn't let another trip to the Finals left go empty-handed. From a 40-pt game 1 performance down to the Game 5, the Black Mamba was so potent.

THE TIME WHEN I BECAME A KOBE FAN

If you know really know me, I was not really a big Kobe fan growing up.

After the 2nd Retirement of Michael Jordan, my favorite post-Jordan Era player was Allen "The Answer" Iverson.

I hated Kobe Bryant because he has Shaq as a teammate. Shaq was really dominant that time. Every time the Lakers play, I always think that it is really unfair having that dominant specimen playing for your team. Not only that, I hated Kobe because he has that certain swagger that really irritated me. I hated him because I feel like he taunts every time he makes the fade-away jump shot which he copied from MJ. 

It goes without saying that I really hated the Lakers during their 3-peat run from 2000-2002. I cheered each time for their Eastern Conference counterpart in the Finals. I thought Reggie Miller would win a ring using his precise Outside Sniping in 2000. I really hoped Allen Iverson would beat Shaq ala David v. Goliath during the 2001 Finals. Then came the Nets which couldn't offer a strong resistance against the Lakers in 2002. 

Eventually I rejoiced when the Spurs beat the Lakers the next year. I was happy to see Kobe lose so much that I laughed at him and Shaq. However, the next year, my hatred towards the Kobe-Shaq duo suddenly dwindled. This is because Karl Malone, my another favorite player whom I copied the number 32 from, donned the Purple and Gold Jersey. 

When Shaq left the Lakers via a trade from Miami, I suddenly had an epiphany. 

Why would I hate the next closest thing to Michael Jordan??? I mean, I really asked myself that. 

When the Big Diesel is out of tinseltown, there was no other way for me to hate the Lakers and Kobe. 

So from 2005, I transitioned from being an Iverson fan to a Kobe fan.