2006 Western Conference Quarterfinals Game 4 (Suns at Lakers)
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TE3tUy6UMY&fmt=18
The term “greatness,” when applied to NBA players, more often than not entails that they be exceptional performers when the stakes are the highest. Simply put, you’d better step it up in the playoffs if you want to write an unbreakable legacy. Once the Lakers dynasty of the early 2000’s was dismantled and Kobe became “the man,” it was not the easiest transition for him and all Laker fans. Coach Rudy Tomjanovich left the team mid-season due to an illness and the Lakers missed the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.
So, that next year when Phil Jackson was re-hired, it was the beginning of the true Phil-Kobe era, a quest to replicate and perhaps even surpass the success that Phil had seized with Michael Jordan. Game 4 of the 2006 Western Conference Quarterfinals gave the Mamba a perfect chance to write his first chapter in Lakers playoff lore as the unquestioned ace of the team. With the Nike Zoom Kobe I by his side, Kobe showed that daggers are a dish best served in the clutch.
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