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

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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Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Ranking every Kobe Bryant season with the Lakers: 1. 2005-06

This was a given, 2005-06 Kobe was dominant, from an 81-point game to 27 40-point nights, he did it all. He carried a subpar cast to a 45-37 record and a playoff berth in Phil Jackson’s return to coaching. With defenses keying in on him and throwing double teams at him every night, it didn’t matter, because Bryant showed he had the mamba mentality.

He then went on to help the Lakers take the Suns seven games in the first round before losing the series 4-3. It was one of the better seasons that we have seen over the last 25 years in the NBA and was a treat to watch nightly. The Lakers had no business being close to the Suns in that series and Kobe almost pulled it off.

Bryant averaged 35.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He once again played over 40 minutes per night and even with an average team he had an offensive rating of 109.7 and a defensive rating of 105, for a net rating of +4.7. The team struggled very badly when Bryant went to the bench.

There was a huge controversy after the season for the first time with Steve Nash. As the Lakers finished 45-37 and the Suns finished 54-28, Nash won MVP. Although Bryant’s stats were better than Nash, Bryant somehow finished fourth in the voting but with 22 first-place votes that was only behind Nash.

Highlights of the season included making his seventh straight All-Star game. To top it off Bryant set many single-season Lakers records such as points scored and 40-point games. He also finished the season again as a All-NBA first-team selection, All-Defensive first-team selection and won his first scoring title by a wide margin.

Kobe has lived in the shadow for so long with Shaq, with people saying he couldn’t lead a team. Somehow he willed this team to 45 wins and competing in the first round of the playoffs. He would get his help a few years later and get that ring without Shaq.

To top it all off he scored 62 points in three quarters to single-handily outscore the Mavericks 62-61, this Kobe was from another planet.

Thank you, Kobe

Bryant will be inducted into the 2020 Hall of Fame class that was announced. He defined basketball along with Michael Jordan and was one of the few players that could dominate the game and win by carrying a team. Many kids around the world yell “Kobe” when shooting paper balls into the trash.

We saw things that have never been seen before and that we may never see again. From 60 point games to lockdown defense, to NBA championships and an MVP, Kobe was generational. As a fan, I grew up idolizing him in his prime and I loved to go and watch him play live.

His list of accomplishments is amazing and he set several records. Here were some of his accolades upon retirement:

  • Third all-time regular-season scoring
  • Third all-time postseason scoring
  • 18-time All-Star
  • 2008 NBA MVP
  • Two-time scoring champ
  • Five championships
  • Two finals MVP’s
  • 11 All-NBA first teams
  • Nine All-Defensive first teams
  • Four-time NBA All-Star MVP
  • Slam dunk champion
  • 134 40-point games
  • Lakers all-time points leader
  • Lakers all-time steals leader
  • Lakers all-time win shares at 172.7
  • Lakers all-time games played at 1,346

The list is so long that you could take up an entire workbook. Kobe was just built different, the game isn’t the same without him. He had his moments where he was questioned, he had his fair share of drama with coaches and players, but when you put in so many egos, that is going to happen.

Kobe flat out was a winner, plain and simple, there is no gray area, he was generational. Many people will sit there and critique every little thing and call him a ball hog but the ones who watched him play to know how great he was and cherish that.

The NBA and all the fans who were able to watch Kobe were lucky. The league will never see anything like it ever again, he was elite on both ends of the floor and that is very rare these days. Not many players take pride in both ends and even the ones that do can’t dominate for 40 minutes.

The Lakers have a rich history of Hall of Fame players and a lot of the best players in history have come through Los Angeles. But whatever list you make that does not have Kobe at number one should be left in the drafts.

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Thank you for everything you did for the game Kobe Bryant, you will always be remembered as one of the goats. There will never be another Mamba.

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