Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant made seven NBA Finals appearances and won five championships in his career. More than a few folks would consider Kobe to be the GOAT because of his performance on the biggest stage.
Below is a breakdown of all seven of Kobe Bryant's NBA Finals appearances.
2000 NBA Finals vs. Indiana Pacers
Finals averages: 15.6 points (on 36.7% shooting), 4.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steal, 1.4 blocks
This was Kobe Bryant's first-ever appearance in the NBA Finals, and this is perhaps most remembered for that infamous Jalen Rose moment. In the first quarter of Game 2, Rose extended his leg to block off Bryant's landing on a jump shot. This resulted in Kobe spraining his ankle and missing the remainder of the game.
Bryant bounced back tremendously in Game 4 after missing Game 3, helping his side to a victory in Indiana with 28 points on 14-of-27 from the floor.
The Lakers won the series in six games, with Shaquille O'Neal winning Finals MVP honors.
2001 NBA Finals vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Finals averages: 24.6 points (on 41.5% shooting), 7.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.4 blocks
The Lakers' entire playoff run in 2001 showcased the utter dominance of the Kobe-Shaq era of the Lakers. They swept all three rounds in the West to set up a Finals matchup against Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philly shocked the Lakers by winning Game 1 at Staples Center. Bryant took matters into his own hands, scoring 63 points in Games 2 and 3 combined. His best all-around performance, however, came in the deciding Game 5 win, with Kobe finishing with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists to help the Lakers to back-to-back titles.
2002 NBA Finals vs. New Jersey Nets
Finals averages: 26.8 points (on 51.4% shooting), 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.5 steals
This series was cakewalk for Kobe and the Lakers. They dominated the New Jersey Nets in four games en route to title No. 3. Their toughest test that year actually came in the Western Conference Finals, as the Sacramento Kings pushed them to seven games in the series.
Come the Finals, however, Kobe and company knew that the job was not done yet. After winning Games 1 and 2 in Los Angeles, New Jersey put up quite a fight in Game 3 at home. It was a close game throughout, and with the momentum of the series in the balance, Bryant made sure his team would not provide the Nets with any glimmer of hope. Kobe came up with his best performance of the series in that game, logging 36 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
2004 NBA Finals vs. Detroit Pistons
Finals averages: 22.6 points (on 38.1% shooting), 2.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.8 steals
The Lakers were unable to defend their title in 2003, falling to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs. Los Angeles regrouped in the offseason, bringing in two future Hall of Famers in Gary Payton and Karl Malone. As expected, they went all the way to the Finals to face a gritty Detroit Pistons side.
Despite being the heavy favorite, though, the Lakers were shocked by the Pistons in the Finals as Kobe shot poorly throughout the series. Detroit took the series, 4-1, and put an end to the Shaq-Kobe era, with O'Neal heading to the Miami Heat that same summer.
2008 NBA Finals vs. Boston Celtics
Finals averages: 25.7 points (on 40.5% shooting), 4.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.7 steals
Four years after the failure in 2004, Bryant took the Lakers to the Finals for the first time since Shaq's departure. The stage was set for Kobe to prove that he could win a championship without his former partner-in-crime, and it was against the mighty Boston Celtics.
Boston's superteam of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo proved too much for Bryant and the Lakers, however. The Lakers lost the two opening games in Boston, but Bryant came up huge in Game 3 (series-high 36 points, seven rebounds) to get one game back for Los Angeles. The two teams split Games 4 and 5 before the Celtics won the title on their home floor in Game 6.
This was the second and the last Finals loss for Kobe.
2009 NBA Finals vs. Orlando Magic
Finals averages: 32.4 points (on 43.0% shooting), 5.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.4 blocks
Redemption finally came for Kobe a year later when he led the Lakers to their first title in seven long years. It came at the expense of a Dwight Howard-led Orlando Magic squad.
This was easily Bryant's most dominant display in the Finals. Not only did he average a Finals-high 32.4 points per game, but most notably, he also dished out 7.4 dimes per contest (also a Finals record for him).
Kobe set the tone early in this one, dropping a Finals career-high 40 points in Game 1 against the Defensive Player of the Year in Howard. The Lakers never looked back and took the series in five games.
At this point, Bryant finally proved all his doubters wrong by winning a championship without Shaq. Kobe also won his first Finals MVP title this year.
2010 NBA Finals vs. Boston Celtics
Finals averages: 28.6 points (on 40.5% shooting), 8.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.1 steals
Some might say that one championship without Shaq was a fluke, so Bryant went out and won another one. The sweetest part here is that he also managed to vanquish his demons from two years earlier, as he led the Lakers to a thrilling seven-game series victory in a rematch against the Celtics.
The Celtics were in the driver's seat heading into Boston for Games 3 through 5 with the series tied at 1-1. Kobe stepped it up in Game 3, though, as he led the Lakers to a victory in Boston to give his team a 2-1 advantage in the series. Boston won Games 4 and 5, however, and the Lakers ended up just one loss away from handing the title to the Celtics yet again.
Bryant made sure this was not going to be the case, leading the Lakers to victory in two straight must-win games at Staples Center. Kobe double-doubled in both games, doing pretty much anything and everything to ensure the victories, even though he shot just 6-of-24 in Game 7. Pau Gasol and Ron Artest both also played massive roles in the deciding contest.
Kobe Bryant was awarded his second consecutive Finals MVP trophy, and this championship brought his tally to a final total of five.
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