The 2008 NBA Finals featured the two most decorated franchises in the history of the NBA – the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. A decades-long rivalry had Kobe Bryant leading the purple and gold brigade while Kevin Garnett headed the green and white. It was an exciting series that had the Celtics winning in six games. In the book – ‘When the Game Was Ours‘, the Boston Celtics legend – Larry Bird spoke about the series and compared Kobe Bryant to Michael Jordan.
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While talking about the series, Bird talked about the Lakers lacking defensive intensity, as compared to their rivals. The Lakers featured Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, and Derek Fisher to anchor their defense. However, Bird felt Lamar Odom was supposed to be the key, but he was unable to make an impact.
“Bird felt that Lamar Odom was the key to the series and was stunned by how easily the Celtics negated him. ‘I thought the Lakers were the softer team,’ Bird said.”
The NBA Hall of Famer went on to talk about Kobe Bryant and mentioned how he had to shoulder the entire offense. Especially when things weren’t going well. We all know that Kobe dominated the ball on the court. He was their primary scorer, and the onus fell on him during difficult times. Bird referred to the above trait as his weakness and compared the same to Michael Jordan. Here is what he wrote in the book:
“And as great as Kobe is, everything has to run through him. He dominates the ball a lot. If he has any inkling things aren’t going the team’s way, then it’s up to him to take over the game the way Michael [Jordan] used to. But even Michael will tell you, it’s hard to win that way. “The Lakers are at their best when Kobe comes down, gives the ball up, cuts through, and they swing it back around to him. That’s when he’s most deadly. I always felt the same way about Michael.”
Bird believed that running the game through one superstar is not the most optimal strategy while trying to win an NBA championship. It had to be a collective team effort.
The three-time NBA MVP talked about Bryant getting rid of the ball and allowing his teammates to find him for an open shot was the most deadly play. This allowed the ball to touch multiple pairs of hands while also forcing the defense to rotate. The advice sounds similar to what Phil Jackson had given to the greatest player of all time.
Kobe Bryant talks about the 2008 Finals defeat
Kobe Bryant entered the 2008 NBA Finals having won three championships in his career. He was determined to add another ring to his kitty but was denied by the Boston Celtics. The loss left the Hall of Famer reeling in self-doubt. In a 2015 interview, Bryant talked about feeling terrible after the loss and wondering if this was the last dance. Here is what he said:
“Well, losing to the Celtics in the finals in 2008 was tough man! It was brutal man. That night in the hotel room, after we lost, I was thinking to myself that I may never win another championship. This is it. It’s too hard to get back here. Maybe it’s not in the cards to win another one. And so I go through the night of being mad, and the next morning I wake up and start thinking, I gotta fix this. Where did it go wrong?”
After a morning of retrospection, the NBA champion realized that his team was not tough enough during the series, and it was on him to ensure they were more prepared going into the next season.
True to his words, the player came back to win two consecutive NBA championships. He ended his legendary career with five rings and will always be remembered for his unmatched grit and determination.
