In the spring of 2002, the Los Angeles Lakers were going for a third straight NBA championship, but it wouldn’t be nearly as easy as their second title was the prior year.
While they went 15-1 in the 2001 playoffs, they struggled in 2002, and one reason was Shaquille O’Neal’s health. He was battling a painful, arthritic big toe, and it was limiting his dominance and performance.
Against the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the playoffs, L.A. split the first two games at Staples Center and was in trouble in Game 3 in Texas.
With O’Neal managing just 22 points that night, someone else needed to step up. Luckily, that night became Kobe Bryant time.
He put up 31 points on 15-of-31 shooting, six assists and six rebounds as he turned a close game through three quarters into a 99-89 win.
Bryant came up clutch again down the stretch of Game 4 and Game 5, and what looked to be a barn-burner of a series early on turned into a one-sided 4-1 Lakers triumph.
If anyone had doubted that he had become the most clutch player in the NBA, that series offered more proof beyond any doubt.
[mm-video type=video id=01gaw7q51cepg51pw6tf playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gaw7q51cepg51pw6tf/01gaw7q51cepg51pw6tf-3c9dfa13232b0900f6cbe6622d3122fe.jpg]
[listicle id=85345]