Kobe Bryant thrived at All-Star Weekend.
When he had the opportunity to put his skillset on show against the best talent the World had to offer, the Mamba never disappointed.
The 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend will honour the late legend with a couple of different tributes:
- All-Star Game Jerseys: Every player on Team LeBron will wear No. 2 in honour of Gianna Bryant. Every player on Team Giannis will wear No. 24 in honour of Kobe.
- All-Star Game rules: The final score will be 24 more points than the leading team has entering the fourth quarter.
All-Star Weekend was Kobe's time to shine and while some of his records still hold to this day, his most memorable moments will last forever.
Take a look at some of Bryant's records and most memorable moments at the NBA All-Star Game.
Kobe Bryant's All-Star Game records
Most All-Star Game MVP: 4 (tied with Bob Pettit)
Most consecutive All-Star selections: 18* (from 1998-2016)
*There was no All-Star Game in 1999 due to the NBA lockout.
Most steals: 38
Most offensive rebounds in a game: 10 (2011)
Bryant also ranks second in All-Star starts (15) and most points (290), which have both been surpassed by LeBron James.
Kobe Bryant's most memorable All-Star Game moments
1998 – Youngest All-Star in NBA history
At 19-years-old, Bryant become the youngest All-Star in NBA history. Still coming off the bench for the Lakers, Bryant was voted in as a starter by the fans, making his All-Star Game debut at Madison Square Garden. The young phenom put on a bit of a show scoring 18 points to go with six rebounds in his first of many All-Star appearances to come.
2002 – Boo'd by his hometown crowd
The Lakers had just beaten the 76ers in the NBA Finals the year prior and Philly faithfuls didn't forget that. Even with Bryant being a Philadelphia native, the crowd echoed with boo's toward the star player that beat their hometown team in The Finals. Bryant responded exactly as you would expect him to, going off for 31 points to earn his first career All-Star Game MVP.
2007 – The second MVP
Bryant was incredible at the 2007 All-Star Game, getting it done for the Western Conference on both ends of the floor. He matched what was then his All-Star Game career-high 31 points to go with six rebounds, six steals and five assists to earn the win for the West. His efforts conveyed his second All-Star Game MVP.
2009 – Sharing the MVP trophy with a former teammate
At the 2009 All-Star Game, Bryant teamed up with Shaquille O'Neal for the first time in five years, dating back to O'Neal's trade from the Lakers. Bryant was the star of the show, going for 27 points (12-23 FG), four assists and four steals, but Shaq was dominant with 17 points in just 11 minutes of playing time going a near-perfect 8-for-9 from the field.
In a storybook ending, Bryant and O'Neal would share the 2009 All-Star Game MVP trophy.
2011 – Bryant dominates in Los Angeles
With the All-Star Game at his home venue STAPLES Center, who did you think was going to win MVP?
Bryant exploded for his All-Star Game career-high of 37 points in a double-double effort that included 14 rebounds. 10 of his 14 rebounds came on the offensive glass, marking a record that still stands to this day.
Bryant would earn his fourth All-Star Game MVP, tying him with Bob Pettit for the most in NBA history.
2012 – Passes Michael Jordan for most points despite a broken nose
Even a broken nose couldn't stop Bryant from competing in an exhibition game.
Kobe took a hard shot from Dwyane Wade in the third quarter but returned to action almost immediately, having to occasionally clean up some bleeding from his nose as the game went on. Bryant would finish with 27 points in a historic moment where he would pass Michael Jordan (262) for most total points all-time at the All-Star Game.
Bryant's all-time total points record would later be passed by LeBron James.
2016 – The final All-Star appearance
In Bryant's final season, he earned a remarkable 1.9 million votes from the fans to be elected as a starter. He put together a solid showing in his final All-Star Game, scoring 10 points to go with seven assists and six rebounds.
Kobe also recorded one steal in the contest, which passed Michael Jordan (37) for the most total steals in All-Star Game history, another record that still stands to this day.
Bryant exited the game to a well-deserved standing ovation from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
Below you can find a highlight clip the Lakers' social media team tweeted out ahead of Bryant's final All-Star Game in 2016, mashing together some of Kobe's greatest moments at the NBA's midseason showcase.
Let's take a look at some of #KobeBryant's best All-Star moments before his final game tonight. #NBAAllStarTOhttps://t.co/Oivuo6kIkM
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 14, 2016
