No player in NBA history has owned its biggest holiday more than Kobe Bryant.
The Lakers legend leads all players in Christmas appearances (15) and scoring (383), while ranking second in assists (82).
Along the way, Bryant has provided plenty of memories against some of the league’s most elite teams. Before his final December 25th showdown against the Clippers, here is a look back at his most impressive Christmas performances.
42 Points in Shaq’s Return (2004) One of the league’s most anticipated one-on-one matchups ever fittingly saw two former superstar teammates trade blows till the very end.
Shaquille O’Neal returned to Los Angeles for the first time since being traded to Miami and squeaked out a 104-102 overtime win despite Bryant going for his Christmas career-best 42 points.
O’Neal swatted Bryant on the game’s first possession, but the guard came back and splashed a pull-up jumper on the next one to start up a 15-point first quarter.
Bryant shot 12-of-30 in 50 minutes, along with a 5-of-13 clip on 3-pointers and 13-of-13 at the foul line. Though he added six assists, Bryant also turned the ball over nine times.
O’Neal (24 points, 11 rebounds) fouled out in the fourth, while Bryant scored nine, but the Big Fella got the last laugh.
Bryant went scoreless in overtime, missing on the game-winning 3 at the buzzer.
Near Triple-Double in Finals Rematch (2001) Hampered by a pulled muscle in his rib cage, Bryant was asked to carry the load a Philadelphia team that the Lakers faced in the NBA Finals just six months before.
O’Neal was out with a sore toe and Los Angeles tried by 10 at halftime, but Bryant muscled out a strong all-around effort to lead his team to an 88-82 victory.
While Allen Iverson put up his usual stellar scoring (31 points), Bryant shot just 2-of-14 through the first three quarters. But he heated up in the fourth, shooting 4-of-5, including eight points in a 25-4 L.A. run that turned a 13-point 76ers lead into a Lakers victory.
Bryant narrowly missed out on a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, while the purple and gold limited their guests to just 33 points in the second half.
Running Past the Suns (2007) Per usual against the 2000s Phoenix teams, it took a lot of offense to douse the Suns.
Bryant scored 26 of his 38 points in the second half to break open a 122-115 victory.
Then Phoenix’s two-time MVP, Nash kept his team alive with 24 points, including five 3-pointers, and 14 assists. Bryant retaliated by shooting his best Christmas clip (12-of-20), while also burying the Suns at the free throw line (13-of-14).
All the while, Andrew Bynum racked up a then career-high 28 points and 12 rebounds.
Dueling Carmelo (2012) Two of the decade’s greatest scorers gave each other all they could, as Bryant and Carmelo Anthony each piled up 34 points. But Kobe, who recorded his ninth-straight 30-point game, was the one who led his team to victory, 100-94.
The Lakers entered the final quarter down by one, but Bryant scored eight of his team’s first 10 points to grab a five-point advantage. From there it was all about keeping New York at bay.
Bryant shot 14-of-24 from the field, while Anthony went 13-of-23. The Lakers superstar got his team rolling early with 13 first-quarter points.
Meantime, Metta World Peace scored 16 of his 20 points in the second quarter, and was tasked with trying to limit Anthony. Steve Nash also provided 16 points and a Lakers Christmas-record 11 assists.
Revenge over Boston (2008) Just six months removed form being humiliated by their arch rivals on the NBA’s brightest stage, Bryant and the Lakers took it to Boston in a Finals rematch.
Bryant finished as the game’s leading scorer with 27 points on a 13-of-23 mark. He also collected nine rebounds and five assists to power the 92-83 win.
Boston’s franchise-record 19-game win streak came to a crashing end, as Bryant hit a late mid-range jumper to tie the game at 81. From there, the Lakers closed out on a 13-2 run.
Eighteen months later, Bryant would lead the Lakers to true vengeance with a seven-game Finals win over the Celtics.
Kobe’s Merry Dunkmas
