Back in May 2004, the LA Lakers were engaged in a grueling Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs. A 25-year-old Kobe Bryant picked up an injury in game 4 but he gritted it out and returned to play in game 5. After the game, Kobe ended up hyperventilating in the locker room, in front of his teammates no less. The LA Lakers’ players initially ignored his “antics,” but were quickly concerned when Kobe ended up collapsing on the floor.
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Tim Duncan, who played for the Spurs, was stunned when he saw Kobe Bryant’s condition after the game. The incident was mentioned in sports writer Jeff Pearlman’s book, “Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty.”
Tim Duncan was once left stunned by Kobe Bryant’s condition after a recovery game
The NBA Playoffs tend to be a time when teams end up putting their best players at risk. This is especially true when the series is delicately poised.
This was the case with the LA Lakers, who had lost the first two games of the series. The semifinals were poised at 2-2 with both Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant delivering some big performances.
Regardless, game 5 saw a recovering Kobe Bryant top-scoring for his team en route to a low-scoring 74-73 victory. After the game, Bryant initially started hyperventilating. However, his teammates didn’t pay much attention, until Kobe’s eyes rolled backward, and he ended up collapsing on the floor.
Bryant quickly regained consciousness after being injected with IVs. Even LA Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson claimed that the “kid” Kobe Bryant was “remarkable.” On the other hand, Tim Duncan claimed the following about the Lakers with Kobe Bryant:
“If they continue to play like this, it’s tough to see anyone going around them.”
Kobe Bryant top-scored for his team despite recovering from an injury
Regardless, Bryant had picked up an injury in game 4 but ended up starting game 5. He went 11-27 from the field and ended with 22 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. Shaquille O’Neal had 11 points and 11 rebounds while 40-year-old Karl Malone finished with 7 points and 12 rebounds.
Malone finished his career with the LA Lakers, playing with them for a single season before announcing his retirement. Malone had previously spent his entire career at the Utah Jazz. The LA Lakers eventually lost the finals against a talented Detroit Pistons team 4-1.
The Pistons boasted of the likes of Ben and Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton, and Chauncey Billups, proving too strong for the LA Lakers, despite their obvious talent.
