Late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was a persistent dream come true for countless fans of the franchise. He helped lead the Lakers to five NBA championships and had numerous moments of transcendent individual personal greatness that no one will ever forget.
But for players and fans of other teams, he was a frightening nightmare. While no athlete has ever been truly unstoppable, Bryant reduced many defenders to rubble throughout his 20-year career.
When he faced the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in 2008 and 2010, Paul Pierce spent time trying to guard him. Pierce admitted on Fox Sports 1’s “Speak” how difficult it was for him to go up against the “Black Mamba.”
“If I had to sum it up in one word — just one word — facing Kobe was stressful,” Pierce said. “… It was hard to get sleep because now you going against the Mamba — the second coming of [Michael] Jordan. I idolized, but when I saw and looked at Mamba’s eyes, I saw Jordan’s reflection.
“… This guy, he just showed us he could go for 60 in a half.”
Pierce’s Celtics got the best of Bryant and the Lakers by winning the 2008 title in six games. But after defeating the Orlando Magic in the 2009 finals, the Lakers went up against the Celtics again in the 2010 championship series, and this time, they prevailed in seven games.
Even when Bryant shot poorly versus Boston — and he certainly had some bad shooting games in the finals versus Boston — he kept coming and remained aggressive. Simply the fact that he continued to attack offensively put pressure on whoever was trying to guard him.