The 1998 All-Star game is etched in the annals of NBA History as the official coming out party of Kobe Bryant. In just his Sophomore year in the league, Kobe went all in against a prime Michael Jordan, a few months before his ‘Last Dance’ in the league. The game will always be memorable to posterity as one of the most riveting 1-v-1 contests between two of the game’s greatest players. However, Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett, who was also playing his first All-Star game like Kobe, recently revealed that the Mamba was quite nervous before the game started. But the 19-year-old sensation soon stunned Garnett with a two-handed slam dunk that kicked off the proceedings that night.
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Michael Jordan on Kobe Bryant before the 1998 NBA All-Star Game:
"That little Laker boy's gonna take everybody one-on-one"pic.twitter.com/tlXCpHE4E7
— Rob Lopez (@r0bato) May 4, 2020
Michael Jordan already knew about Kobe Bryant before going against him in the 1998 All-Star game. Kobe had dropped 20 on Jordan and the Bulls in a 112-87 Lakers victory just before the contest. Therefore, the Bulls legend had a fair idea about what was going to happen in the Lakers teen’s first All-Star appearance. “That little Laker boy is gonna take everybody one-on-one,” MJ said in the East locker room before the game.
Kevin Garnett was stunned by Kobe Bryant’s two-handed dunk
Kevin Garnett recently talked about his first All-Star appearance with Kobe Bryant and how the Lakers star looked very nervous before the start of the contest. Therefore, Garnett took it upon himself to ease his nerves with a little pep talk. “It’s first time ever seeing him nervous…I was like, ‘Look, these old motherf**kers, we going at these ******, Fuck these ******!” Garnett said, during a podcast appearance.
The then Minnesota Timberwolves star’s speech seemed to have worked like a charm for Bryant as he soon got into the game with a stunning play. “I get it, I take one dribble, I look up and just threw[an alley-oop]. He’s[Kobe] supposed to catch with one hand. He caught the motherf**ker with two hands…dunked that motherf**ker! Woo,” Garnett added.
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The brilliant slam set the stage for an intriguing contest, electrifying the New York crowd. The iconic Madison Square Garden provided the perfect backdrop for two of the game’s greatest all-time superstars going at it against each other in very different stages of their careers.
The Jordan vs Kobe clash at the Garden
After Kobe’s rim-rattling dunk, Jordan would get it going with his signature moves. The then five-time NBA Champion would soon prove why he is the best player in the world, destroying the Western Conference side’s defenders in mid-range. A 34-year-old MJ was a complete mismatch for Kobe on the defensive end of the floor as he hit the teenager with some spin moves and pump fakes for easy buckets.
Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan at the 1998 #NBAAllStar Game! pic.twitter.com/z4buS4p1tk
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 4, 2017
However, the Mamba never really backed off and impressed the Garden with his own shifty moves. The Lakers star hyped up the crowd with a fancy behind-the-back dribble lay-up followed by some clean jumpers. The game ended with Jordan leading the East to a comfortable 135-114 victory.
MJ was named the MVP of the game for his 23 points. Kobe ended up with the second-highest score in the game with 18 points. The Mamba was probably not ready yet to take on Jordan in full-fledged warfare, but he definitely proved to be capable of emulating Air Jordan’s greatness further down the line in his career.
