Whether he’s your hero or your villain, there's no denying Kobe Bryant is one of the most dominant personalities in NBA history. Known for his clutch shooting and his confidence, his killer instinct and his cockiness, Kobe has made a career out of being unapologetically himself both on and off the court.
So with Bryant’s retirement officially looming on the horizon, we sought to honor the five-time champion for both his play and, uh, distinctive personality, as he takes one last lap around the NBA’s 29 arenas this season.
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Here's to you, Mamba. Behold, 24 moments when Kobe Bryant perfectly played the part of, well, Kobe Bryant:
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That postgame interview when he claimed not to know who Jeremy Lin was mid-Linsanity.
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The time Bryant was caught on tape begging someone to “Ship [Andrew Bynum's] ass out!”
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That time he called Shaq fat.
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That game when a reporter insulted Kobe's three-point shooting, so he drilled an NBA record 12 three-pointers.
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When a teenage Bryant tried to outduel his hero at his first All-Star game.
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When he scored 42 points in one half against that hero in 2003.
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That week in 2007 when he scored 50 points in four straight games (and 40 points in five straight games) while being double-, triple- and quadruple-teamed.
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Those many, many times when Lakers head trainer Gary Vitti had to force Bryant to stop playing with broken bones, torn ligaments, sprained ankles and other injuries.
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This photo of an 11-year-old Kobe competing against full-blown adults.
Kobe Bryant at age 11 playing against adults in Italy. pic.twitter.com/YNbGLl9mTk
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) November 30, 2015
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When he knocked over, then stepped over, beloved teammate and “brother” Pau Gasol in an Olympic game.
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When he created his own nickname -- naming himself after a killer snake, of course.
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And of course, that time No. 8, Kobe Bean Bryant the Black Mamba, put up 81 points in a comeback victory against the Toronto Raptors.
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