The Los Angeles Lakers were never out of contention while Kobe Bryant was healthy and surrounded by talent. Let's celebrate the Black Mamba's enduring legacy by examining his team's yearly title odds during his prime.
Entering yet another season as clear-cut title favorites, the Lakers finally stumbled despite Kobe’s growth as a scorer. A wretched 11-19 start and Shaq’s toe injury put more pressure on Bryant – and he delivered, including an unstoppable stretch of nine straight games with 40 or more points. But a fourth consecutive ring proved to be a step too far for L.A. as they lost to the Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals.
But the Kobe-Shaq rift deepened and raised doubts over whether the pair could co-exist. An uneasy peace got L.A. through the regular season and the first three rounds of the playoffs, before falling flat in the Finals against the underdog Detroit Pistons.After a turbulent summer, the Lakers returned without Shaq or Jackson. O’Neal, who had demanded a trade, ended up with the Miami Heat, leaving Kobe as the face of the franchise in L.A. with a new monster seven-year contract.
Kobe still put on his own personal highlight reel, though, including an 81-point masterpiece against the Toronto Raptors on his way to the NBA scoring title. Back in the playoffs, he almost single-handedly took on the Phoenix Suns in the first round and dragged the Lakers into a 3-1 series lead before the Suns won three games in a row.
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