One of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant's first poster dunks in the NBA came at the expense of Ben Wallace and the Washington Wizards back in 1997.
Nick Van Exel, who was teammates with Bryant at the time, gave an inside scoop about the play.
“Kobe told us ‘I’m about to cross this fool up and dunk on him.’ That was our reaction on the bench because he said that.” @vanexel31 told @QRich and @21Blackking on The Knuckleheads Pod the inside story on one of Kobe’s most memorable dunks.
pic.twitter.com/QC6ASxvNGu— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) July 29, 2020
The first couple of years in the NBA were rough for Bryant. However, this dunk over Wallace was his way of showing everyone that his athleticism and jumping ability were right there with a young Michael Jordan.
Once Bryant learned how to play the NBA game, he never looked back. The Lakers icon is universally recognized as the second-best shooting guard in NBA history behind Jordan. Bryant won five championships, two Finals MVPs and one regular-season MVP with the Lakers.
In 1,346 regular-season games with the Lakers, Bryant established himself as the greatest player in franchise history. He averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. Along with the titles and MVPs, Bryant was an 18-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion. His legacy in Los Angeles will never be touched.
It's still sad to think about the fact that we won't get to hear Bryant speak at his Hall of Fame induction next year. Bryant, along with Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, was named a Hall of Famer this year but COVID-19 forced the committee to delay the ceremony until 2021.
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