21 Year-Old Kobe Bryant Takes on J-Kidd and Penny’s Suns in 2000 Playoffs Matchup

#kobe #alwaysandforever
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Kobe Bryant Full Series Highlights
2000 NBA Playoffs
Western Conference Semi-Finals
LA Lakers vs Phoenix Suns
- 21.0 ppg, 3.8r, 3.4a, 2.0s, 1.4b / 45% fg, 73% ft
The 1999-00 season saw Kobe’s statistical output across the board increase from the campaign prior. He concluded the regular season with career-high averages of 22.5p, 6.3r, 4.9a and 1.6s on 46.8% fg. The 21 year-old put together an impressive first round series vs Sacramento. In 5 games against the Kings, Kobe posted 27.8p on 50-33-78 (%). This included 3 straight 30+ pt performances (games 2-4). Round 2 posed quite a different challenge. With All-Star backcourt Jason Kidd and Penny Hardaway, the Phoenix Suns looked to work Kobe on both sides of the ball. The All-NBA 1st Team defender responded by holding Kidd to an inefficient 36% from the field and often frustrating Hardaway.
Albeit Shaquille’s continued MVP superhuman-level dominance, Kobe’s play offensively in this series shouldn’t be overshadowed. He started the best-of-7 with an efficient 25 points in LA’s game 1 demolition. His last second pull up jumper over Kidd propelled the Lakers to a 2-0 series lead. And game 3 saw him drop another 25, helping his team take the commanding 3-0 advantage.
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“We have to hold down the fort for one another. He’s out, I hold it down for him. I’m out, he holds it down for me and that’s how we do it.” (G2, halftime)
Hearing the quote above compelled me to think about some numbers I put together a few months back. I was intent on determining Kobe’s basic statistical production (pts, reb, ast, %’s) in games that Shaquille didn’t suit up for during the Phil Jackson era. Using both basketballreference and statmuse, I was able to gather Kobe’s totals from Shaq-less games between 2000-2004 and obtain the calculated averages.
Not only do these numbers add weight to the debunking of “Shaq carried Kobe”... but they give us a glimpse of what young Kobe was capable of doing statistically when counted on as the clear-cut number one option.
During the Lakers’ 3 championship seasons (2000-02), Kobe played a total of 214 regular season games. Shaquille was absent from the lineup in 25 of them. The following comparison displays Kobe’s production in such occurrences:
2000-02
Total (w/ Shaq) (No Shaq)
214 G 189 G 25 G
39.1 MPG 38.9 MPG 40.8 MPG
25.4 PPG 24.9 PPG 29.7 PPG
5.9 RPG 5.7 RPG 7.0 RPG
5.1 APG 5.1 APG 5.4 APG
46.7% FG 47.2% FG 44.0% FG
83.5% FT 83.7% FT 82.8% FT
Widening the sample size, from 2000-04 (Kobe, Shaq, Phil era - 5 seasons) Kobe played 361 regular season games. Shaquille DNP in 48 of them. The following comparison displays Kobe’s production in such occurrences:
2000-04
Total (w/ Shaq) (No Shaq)
361 G 313 G 48 G
39.4 MPG 39.3 MPG 40.1 MPG
26.2 PPG 25.7 PPG 29.5 PPG
6.0 RPG 5.9 RPG 7.1 RPG
5.3 APG 5.3 APG 5.3 APG
45.8% FG 46.2% FG 44.1% FG
84.0% FT 84.2% FT 82.9% FT
Thanks to @nonplayerzealot4 for the Christmas intro.
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All footage is property of the National Basketball Association (NBA). No copyright infringement is intended.

[@dcshow]

Wishing everyone a safe & enjoyable Christmas Day! 🎄

[@lancertheanswer6351]

Friendly advice: Check StatMuse (nba stats) for some uncommon stat sheets like games with/without "x" player, stats from x year to x year, etc. and have a merry christmas.

[@dcshow]

@@lancertheanswer6351 awesome stuff. I’d heard about stat muse but never ventured into it. Was that simple all along. Turned out I missed a game in there. Thanks very much man 🙏

[@mariogv4083]

Merry Christmas!!!

[@masonwong2418]

Young Kobe was a top 5 perimeter defender of all time.

[@lucianotecuanapa9853]

He was blocking Kidd and Hardaway shot at 21 that carzy

[@gabrielruiz9871]

Penny was already done basically after his knee was shot at this point.

[@andresdelportillo9917]

He got lit up wym , I’ve seen spree lock him up and outscore him

[@justhim3335]

@@gabrielruiz9871 go watch the Portland series

[@r.i.pkobe2474]

Young afro Kobe was a beast rest in peace black mamba and Gigi

[@redherring4119]

All-Defensive First Team at 21 years old in the golden age of wing play. What a legend.

[@kalvinbaber5484]

Golden Era? 😂 The Wings are better now You had Kobe TMac, Vince, Peja, Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, no LeBron no Wade No Giannis no PG, no Harden, no Luka, no KD

[@AuburnFanSince2010]

Golden Era?

[@mclohan]

Yea this era was pretty stacked. Mcgrady, Vince, Iverson, Ray, Hamilton and guys like Reggie Hardaway and Eddie Jones was in the league still. Some others that had a good run too like Steve Francis, Peja and Paul Pierce and I’m sure I’m forgetting people.. oh Stackhouse was alright during this period. This was probably his best year.

[@jayfizz545]

@@kalvinbaber5484 giannis is a forward.. luka plays point guard. So did harden most his career. A wing is a traditional SG or SF that plays off the ball. You don't know ball stick to 2k kid.

[@garthyahudahandrews8504]

Baron Davis , A.i., Steve Frnacis, Michael Redd, @@kalvinbaber5484

[@nicholashackie1407]

Just want to point out that the defense of kobe at such a young age shows how great he was...kobe will always be top 3 all time in my eyes...9x all nba 1st team and 9x all defense 1st team which doesn't get talked about enough

[@orlandowilliamson691]

Hellya bro

[@orlandowilliamson691]

Mj LeBron kobe

[@orlandowilliamson691]

I'll pick those 3 before any player

[@jeyjeysanmiguel5658]

1.Kobe 2.MJ 3.Magic Johnson

[@alecsanderhamilton9224]

Cuz his 9x all defense is fraudulent

[@alw4309]

Not a lot of people remember or want to talk about how mean young Kobe's defense was

[@anthonypreda1120]

Kobe 2000 Defense on full display

[@kb4231]

You are just as Clutch as Kobe for this.

[@kai88875]

The greatest of all time. Love watching him play. Never ceases to amaze me. 🐐

[@preachmann1271]

R.I.P. Mamba You made the Hall of Fame!

[@Josh-wg9uw]

Hearing a young kobe sing that lil song at the beginning made my morning 5 times better😂

[@jayval9586]

We miss you kobe 💛💜

[@jaguarvisiontv5904]

The GOAT 🐐 True Student of the Game 💯

[@antwan_the_swan1314]

These are my earliest memories as a Lakers fan. I was 5 years old. Me and my family had just moved from LA to Phx in 1999.

[@cllaay]

Dope series. Kobe dunking like Westbrook and hitting contested 19 footers like jordan, beautiful

[@cllaay]

This series was about a month after I was born. Crazy looking back and seeing things like an elimination game that’s half as many points as the typical modern game. Shaqs 3 game stretch of 37 pts 17 rebounds, sheesh. Imo lots of shaqs game is “quiet” points much like KD. Consistently in the position to make scoring look routine easy

[@rapgodreloaded9259]

Kobe plays like Magic and Kareem on the court.

[@Commentsofthemonth]

I keep telling rolls this. Jordan game came in a lil late and it wasn’t even all that serious he plays more like Magic and Kareem

[@A.Hill2324]

Nice! The amount of unseen Kobe footage is crazy. Yet you keep coming through 💯. Appreciate ya as always

[@Jordan23Super]

Thank you man for highlights series bc I was born in 2000 and I don’t have the chance to see Frobe from my own eyes ! Heroes don’t always wear cape 💯

[@pinstripedynasty6117]

This is a great Christmas present!! Thank you and everybody have a Merry Christmas

[@elreiec1]

Best XMas gift I can ask for. What a phenomenal research job you did with those stats in the description!

[@Sin187]

#Mamba #4Ever 💪😉👍💯

[@tanyaelysee1008]

Most skilled basketball player ever

[@tylerevans8268]

We need more kobe highlights lol

[@nickogementiza5902]

Thank you so much bro, upload more kobe's playoff highlights

[@oakleyking5748]

Mad respect 4 Penny Hardway hellu game but he couldn't ah fill in the blank ---- with Kobe Bryant

[@lucianotecuanapa9853]

And people still say penny was a better teammate than Kobe with O'Neal if that so why didn't he win a championship with penny

[@gabrielruiz9871]

Penny was injured at this point and nowhere near what he was in Orlando

[@nikosofidemporas]

​@@gabrielruiz9871And Kobe was 21 here going for his first chip. Hardaway was not even in the NBA at that age.

[@hmhm856]

BackCourt 2000 = This is the nickname that was given to Penny/Kidd in their time with the Suns

[@trevinhickman9022]

Showbra to Kobra Commander were my two nicknames and aliases for him. Kobe is forever Classic. Lakers Nation misses you Kobe R.I.P🙏

[@Sheboygan.]

Great work on the upload and the stat breakdown! Whenever I see footage from Kobe's first two championship runs, his energy stands out most to me. He was relentless on both ends of the floor.

[@dcshow]

Thanks for your support always 👌 one of my most loyal viewers. And i agree, he really was.

[@Sheboygan.]

@@dcshow you're very welcome! It's only right to support work as good as what you do here.

[@lastofadyingbreed7489]

@@Sheboygan. I agree as well, we need to really appreciate this channel for the rare gems that he provides

[@nosajocijem]

Wow kobe an afro man🔥✨

[@derrickbrookens9340]

Wow. Prime #8. Any regular season from 2002-04? Appreciate the vids man! Hope all well for you and yours my friend

[@dcshow]

Thanks so much 🙏 and check out this playlist for full game highlights, many from 02-04.. kzbin.info/aero/PLRpTWELndgCeUgTxb_b485jeTdIsAlYb_

[@mariogv4083]

Great work man. This channel has the best basketball content in KZbin

[@dcshow]

Much appreciated 🙏

[@HD_YT]

5:25 lmao after 5 minutes of highlights, the box score records Kobe as having a mere 6 pts & 3 fouls. He looked like Sonic the Hedgehog on D

[@dcshow]

Lol

[@KobeKid248]

Merry Christmas Everyone! #MambaForever

[@KingScipio]

Another 1🔥

[@HD_YT]

11:03 Wow Kobe had this move as early as 2000. In the 2004 WCSF G5 vs San Antonio (the DFish game), he did the same move on Bruce Bowen, spun to shed Bowen, & sank a lefty floater over Tim Duncan's contest. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJe7dndtptCgndU Just 2 of the 5 or 10 best defenders of the 2000's decade. (Duncan was always legit. Bowen was either an effective or else dirty defender depending on whom you ask).

[@NotAnAstronaut2k]

MJ had that since the 80s

[@ronnellhillman7260]

I watched this game live at 10 yrs old Kobe was unreal r.i.p Kobe and Gigi

[@0pinion0lympics]

Penny was a shell of himself at this point wishing he never beefed Shaq. Reminiscing of his time in Orlando

[@sabreemuhammad3007]

Dom, I just want to say thanks. I love your channel. I'm going to get my boyz to subscribe to you.

[@dcshow]

Awesome to hear that man, thanks very much 👌🙏

[@hibachi____]

most underrated channel

[@chriskelley4530]

That suns team was stacked though

[@coreyrowe4119]

The Uconn/Illinois game in the 2024 NCAA tournament kinda reminded me of Lakers/Suns game 5 2000, Illinois had a very similar drought in that Elite 8 game against Uconn as the Suns had against the Lakers to end that series.

[@alphA-yp4db]

Lets Go! #DOMCARTER

[@SuperWizzle85]

Can’t tell me young Bean wasn’t elite on defense!!

[@A.Hill2324]

13:28 never seen before

[@mariogv4083]

Same

[@aaronrooks2703]

And can you do Kobe's highlights against the Kings in Game 2 in '01

[@aaronrooks2703]

Dude thanks for uploading this I've been looking for his highlights from this series. Hey can you do the entire series against the Kings in '00 along with the Portland series this same postseason ?

[@dcshow]

No prob, glad you enjoyed it. And likely at some point i will dig into those series.

[@matthewphillips3926]

Today they would have made him say we wish you a happy holiday

[@avoiredranger110]

HAHAAHAHA the intro 🤣🤣🤣

[@willdrob80]

Was nice hearing a call by the late legendary Chick Hearn. The greatest voice announcer ever.

[@evrocarloperez3888]

Can you upload kobe's 2001 playoffs highlight vs spurs

[@JJ7KTV]

The Black Mamba

[@aaronrooks2703]

Can you search for Kobe’s highlights from the ‘04 Conference Finals against Minnesota

[@dcshow]

Will consider.

[@kobefan2472]

And for all the haters remember shaq ain’t hit that game sealing shot!

[@Theterminato2013]

I mean Shaq still led the way was the best player in this game but Kobe did step up and closed the game.

[@chriswalls5831]

Kobe beat penny

[@TheDotransporter]

0.50 Kobe switchs hands.

[@lil_mamba6290]

Prime Hardaway can't handle young Kobe!

[@chriswalls5831]

Penny is good but Kobe is goat

[@andren8788]

Is the sound off in this?

[@dcshow]

No

[@hmhm856]

I wonder if these Suns, who finished with the same regular season record as the Spurs with 53 wins, if they would have beaten the Spurs if Duncan didnt get that injury that made him miss the postseason series against the Suns. And I wonder if the Spurs with Duncan would were able to beat the Suns, if those same Spurs would have beaten this Lakers team in this second round matchup, like they did the half-season before in 1999 when the Spurs swept the Lakers. Given, its a new offense this season for the Lakers under new head coach Phil Jackson Spurs did lose to the Lakers in the playoffs both in 2001 and 2002 = 2001 playoffs in a 4-game-sweep in the Western Finals, and the 2002 playoffs in 5 games (4-1) in the second round.

[@erronvincent7285]

Kobe had penny Hardaway looking silly out there

[@JJ7KTV]

Penny would have been better if he never got hurt

[@clutchcity25]

All the smoke, anyone?

[@jamalabdelbaset6635]

The series Kobe supposedly got outplayed by Penny.

[@paulriccio8625]

He did except for the game winning shot

[@rdr4095]

@@paulriccio8625 penny played good but how did he outplay him tho?

[@paulriccio8625]

@@rdr4095 game 5 penny had a off game in a blowout loss his career as an elite player was over after this series cause of his injury but other than that game just watch game 3 penny had how many knee surgeries already by this time in his career ? Kobe played great as well in this series but penny when they were matched up did his thing Kobe was giving him head nods in game 3 like respect ✊ to og every play penny scored on him yelling out good shot if you go by series average they were dead even and it’s cause of game 5 not the first 4 !

[@paulriccio8625]

@@rdr4095 but not taking nothing from Kobe in this series and year in 2000 he was an amazing young talent already !

[@amenx]

Kobe looks nothing like jordan

[@josephphotography4127]

Kobe took on the Suna??? or do u mean kobe and the lakers took on the suns👌👌