3. Kobe Crosses Up Kidd, Ices Game 2
Unknown to most people these days, Kobe’s heroics against the Suns have been going on since the earliest days of his career. In the 2000 NBA Playoffs, as Kobe and Shaq began making their first of three championship runs, Kobe came into his own as one of the most clutch players in the league.
The Lakers faced Phoenix in the Western Conference Semifinals, in a showdown that featured two of the game’s best young perimeter players: Jason Kidd and Kobe Bryant.
After winning Game One comfortably, the Lakers were put to the test in Game 2. As the game wound down, the Lakers found themselves down one with under 20 seconds to go. Rather than looking for Shaq, it was time for a young Kobe to shine. Everyone cleared out as Kobe took on one of the best defenders of his era in Kidd.
Calmly dribbling out the clock, Bryant put a crossover on Kidd that sent the Suns guard reeling, clearing up some space for what would be the game-winning jumper from the elbow with 2.6 seconds remaining. This shot served as one of the early clutch moments in a career that would be full of them. The Lakers would go on to win the series 4-1 on their way to the first title of the Shaq-Kobe era.
Next: No. 2 How You Like Me Now, Alvin Gentry