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Los Angeles Lakers: Ranking all 20 seasons of Kobe Bryant’s illustrious career

By Justin Hickey

LOS ANGELES - JANUARY 22: Kobe Bryant #8 of the Los Angeles Lakers points in the air in a game he scored 81 points in against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2006 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - JANUARY 22: Kobe Bryant #8 of the Los Angeles Lakers points in the air in a game he scored 81 points in against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2006 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Ranking every Kobe Bryant season with the Lakers: 2. 2012-13

This was one of the most clutch seasons we have seen from a player in a long time. In the offseason the Lakers made trades to land Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to try and help Kobe tie Michael Jordan for a sixth NBA title. Starting out 17-25 that year the Lakers seemed bound to miss the playoffs amid a lot of drama.

Bryant had other plans and at age 34 he showed how dominant he could still be in the league. With Gasol and Nash missing extended periods of the season and an unmotivated Howard, Bryant single-handily carried the Lakers to a 28-12 record in the last 40 games sneaking the Lakers into the playoffs as the seventh seed.

Bryant’s defense dipped off and he didn’t make any defensive team, but his offense and clutch stats were elite. Across 78 games Kobe shot splits 46.3/32.4/83.9 and averaged 27.3 points, six assists and 5.6 rebounds per game. The Lakers with Bryant on the court were 108.5 and off the court, it went down to 99.4.

Bryant enjoyed his 14th straight All-Star selection during the season and another All-NBA first-team selection which would be the last of his career. He did everything for the Lakers that season and put them in position to get hot late. His eFG% was the highest of his career at 50.4% and the TS% of 57% was the third-highest of his career.

Unfortunately against the Warriors, Kobe took a wrong step and tore his Achilles tendon. It started the downfall of his career and put an end to an all-time clinic that we were watching. There is a lot of what-ifs on what else Bryant could’ve done after that season if he didn’t tear his Achilles.

Kobe was just built differently this season, there was no way around it. Whatever he wanted he went out and got it. The game he took over against the Raptors and ended them single-handedly was truly special.

He was past his prime by this time but if you watched highlights you’d think he was 27 years old again. Incredible what he did to teams that year, overall if it wasn’t for his crazy 2005-06 year this would be number one. SportsCenter every single night included an unreal Kobe highlight.

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