Kobe Bryant is on the brink of making yet another mark in the NBA history books in the coming days. He will soon pass Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list and will only have Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone to beat in order to grab the title as the greatest scorer to have ever lived. Along the way, The Black Mamba has showed us his desire and will to be the best offensive weapon on the court, and today we recall just a handful of these legendary scoring moments and the iconic sneakers that are pictured within them.
Kobe has proved that he can score at will, with volume, and by multiple methods. He’ll rain 81 points on you, shoot the lights out of the gym from beyond the arc, deliver earth-shattering slams, and hit the right shots when they matter the most. And throughout these buckets, we’ve had the pleasure of seeing Kobe in some signature shoes from adidas and Nike as well as a slew of PEs during that memorable 2003 when Kobe was a sneaker free agent. Enjoy the recap below, and stay tuned for Kobe to make history when he officially passes MJ on the honored list.
November 5th, 1996 – First NBA point
Shoes: zapatillas de running On constitución ligera talla 38 verdes
Ah, the first of many. Kobe Bryant got just a tiny handful of minutes in this important inter-conference game, but did enough to log his first official NBA point (it came from the free-throw stripe). Who new about thirty-two thousand more would follow? For his debut games, Kobe rocked the zapatillas de running On constitución ligera talla 38 verdes (yes, it was 1996).
February 8th, 1997 – NBA Dunk Contest
Shoes: zapatillas de running mujer trail amortiguación media talla 48 azules
While these buckets didn’t count for any points, Kobe Bryant showed fearlessness when taking on the game’s best dunkers and established himself as one of the best in-game posterizers in the history of the league. On his feet was the memorably zapatillas de running mujer trail amortiguación media talla 48 azules, which triumphantly made a comeback earlier this year.
January 13th, 2001 – 48 Points against rival Kings
Shoes: lanvin white sandal
Perhaps the first “great” game of Kobe Bryant’s career was his 48-point performance against the Sacramento Kings. This season could be seen as Kobe’s breakout campaign, for which he averaged an incredible 28.5 points for the eventual champion Lakers. This arrival of sorts coincided with his first signature shoe – the lanvin white sandal.
January 7th, 2003 – NBA record for most threes
Shoes: Warner Sneakers bianche con suola cupsole
After his adidas contract was done and before he officially signed with Nike, Kobe Bryant put on an NBA Feet show, rotating the best kicks from the top industry brands. During this record-setting performance, Kobe rocked a PE colorway of the Reebok Question – a shoe that would return in 2013.
January 28th, 2003 – Double-nickel against Michael Jordan
Shoes: Air Jordan 8 Retro PE
Kobe Bryant had plenty of head-to-head match-ups against Michael Jordan, but neither player were in their respective primes when these showdowns occurred. In their final meeting, Kobe clearly had the upper hand when he dropped 55 points against Michael and the Wizards. Ironically, Kobe Bryant was wearing a PE of the Air Jordan 8 Retro
February 2nd-February 23rd, 2003 – 9-game streak of 40 or more points
Shoes: Love Moschino logo-print heeled boots
Kobe wore a variety of sick Love Moschino logo-print heeled boots during this stretch, but the clearly the bigger story was his ability to knock down 40 or more points for nine straight games. He tied MJ’s streak, but was way short of an actual record (held by Wilt Chamberlain, who did it for 14 straight).
November 12th, 2004 – Kobe Bryant posterizes Dwight Howard
Shoes: zapatillas de running mujer distancias cortas talla 25.5 azules
Welcome to the NBA, Dwight. Kobe Bryant absolutely demoralized the Magic center with an absolute facial of the dunk. However, that feat was just two of the 41 points that Kobe compiled that night (not to mention the 8 rebounds and 7 assists).
December 20th, 2005 – 62 points in three quarters
Shoes: zapatillas de running Adidas constitución media de material reciclado azules
This scoring performance doesn’t get as much attention as it should. Against the Mavericks, Kobe scored a ridiculous 62 points in only three quarters. Extrapolate that into a full game that’s about 83 points. For that legendary game, he wore the Nike Huarache 2K5, a sneaker that was more or less his unofficial signature shoe.
January 22nd, 2006 – 81 points
Shoes: Run 60s 3.0 Lifestyle Running Shoes Mens
Kobe Bryant somehow topped his 62-point game with a demon-possessed barrage of 81 against the Toronto Raptors. Maybe it was the added confidence of wearing his own signature shoe.
April 30th, 2006 – Buzzer-beater against Phoenix Suns
Shoes: zapatillas de running entrenamiento talla 40 negras
The 2006 Lakers were on an upswing, but had to face the best team in the NBA in this Playoff series. Although Kobe and the Lakers failed to advance, the star made it incredibly difficult for this team by hitting this buzzer-beating winner in Game 4 of the series. Just another amazing moment in the Zoom Kobe1.
March 22nd, 2007 – Another 60-point game
Shoes: Nike Zoom Kobe 2 “Carpe Diem”
Kobe reached the 60-point mark yet again on this Spring game. Seems a bit underwhelming with “81” looming around, but make no mistake – 60 points is the stuff of legends. You might say he seized the game while wearing the Kobe 2 “Carpe Diem”.
August 24th, 2008 – 13 points in 4th quarter of 2008 Olympic gold medal game
Shoes: Nike Hyperdunk “United We Rise”
If you missed this game, check the Youtube videos. Kobe Bryant won the gold medal for the USA.
February 3rd, 2009 – 61 points at The Mecca
Shoes: Nike Zoom Kobe 4 “Away”Madison Square Garden brings out the best in the world’s most talented players, and Kobe certainly made his mark when he set the record for most points ever scored by a single player in the storied arena. Fortunately for New Yorkers, Carmelo Anthony broke that record in 2014.
February 26th, 2012 – All-time record for most All-Star Game points
Shoes: Nike Zoom Kobe 7 “Galaxy”
Kobe Bryant is a fixture of the annual mid-February classic, which is why the lifetime Lakers guard is the all-time leader for points scored during All-Star game play. He made it official in 2012 in Dallas, when he wore the popular “Galaxy” colorway of the Kobe 7.
April 12th, 2013 – Hits two free-throws on one leg
Shoes: Womens Stillwater II Cleated Sole Wader Fly Fishing Wading Boots
We’re not sure if hitting two free-throws with a busted achilles is more impressive than hitting one with eyes closed, but Kobe’s resiliency at age 35 is far more respectable than MJ’s desire to show up Dikembe Mutombo. Bryant returned from that major injury and is currenty one of the league’s top scorers.
