We all remember Kobe Bryant as a bonafide star but there was a time were journalists viewed him as an overhyped talent. Not my words but the criticism was deserved. During his first few years in the league, Kobe had dreadful performances in the playoffs, including shooting four airballs in five minutes in the ‘97 Western Conference Semifinals. His postseason play didn’t match his hype. Although, in the regular season, Kobe constantly kept elevating his game year by year and cemented himself as the second star on the Lakers behind Shaquille O'Neal. Even as he came closer to reaching star status, he was still regarded as Shaq’s sidekick. In the 2000 NBA Finals though, that view could potentially change.
During a back-and-forth Game Four against the Indiana Pacers, Shaq fouled out of the game with a little over two and a half minutes to play in overtime as the Lakers held a three-point lead. Instead of LA folding under the pressure of not having their franchise star, Kobe completely took over the game in overtime, putting the Lakers in a great position to take a three-game to-one series lead. It could be a defining moment in his young career but as the Lakers found themselves up two points with seconds remaining on the clock, Reggie Miller is about to fire up a game-winning three.
Reggie was still in pursuit of his first NBA title which escaped him for years and as one of the most clutch shooters in the NBA, this shot could crush Kobe's moment and become the Reggie Miller game. Before we witness what comes next, it’s important to remember the moments that got us here. To do that, we need to rewind.
Written and produced by: Joe Ali
Edited by: Jiazhen Zhang, and Philip Pasternak
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