The LA Lakers’ 2010 NBA title felt like a release rather than just another banner. After beating the Magic for a ring a year earlier, that Finals run against the Celtics was Kobe Bryant reminding everyone exactly who he was. The Mamba averaged 28.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in the series against the Lakers’ arch-nemesis, controlling games even when his shot was not falling.
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What made that championship hit differently was what it represented for Kobe personally. This was his second ring without Shaquille O’Neal, and it meant more than 2009 because it proved that title was not a fluke. Funnily enough, he did it with a little help from Dwyane Wade.
Wade was instrumental to the Mamba’s approach to facing Boston in that series and once revealed in an old interview on NBA on TNT how he was at home watching the postseason since the Heat had been eliminated when he kept get a call from an unknown number. It was the Mamba.
“I get a call from this unknown number and it keeps calling me. Eventually I answer, and it’s Kobe on the phone. I run outside immediately. He says ‘Hey, Boston is guarding me this way on the P&R. What should I do?’ He said ‘You’re the best at P&Rs in this game. I watched your series vs them. How should I attack them when they blitz me, when they hedge, when they playing soft?’”
Wade was taken aback, not just because Kobe was seeking his advice, but because he admired the Mamba so much. He found it incredibly endearing that Kobe reached out to a younger player for help with his game. “This is one of the greatest players to ever play and he’s reaching out to me, a younger player,” he stated.
“Asking me how do I attack these P&Rs. I’m watching the next game and I’m hoping he do one of the things I said. To watch him dominate that series after that, I felt like he let me be apart of that championship,” added Wade.
Dwyane Wade favorite memory of Kobe Bryant is when Kobe called him for Pick & Roll help during his 2009 finals matchup vs Celtics
“It was during the 09 championship run against Boston. I’m sitting in prime 112 in Miami, out of the playoffs watching on TV. I get a call from… https://t.co/WYAytCMROt pic.twitter.com/JbkbO54TmE
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) January 26, 2026
This story adds another layer to why the 2010 title still stands apart in Kobe lore. His killer instinct is discussed so often that it is easy to forget how thoughtful and curious he was about the game, even at the peak of his powers. Calling a rival for advice in the middle of the Finals does not make him any less ruthless. If anything, it makes the ring hit even harder.
The 2010 Finals were truly memorable and marked the most recent clash between the two most successful franchises in NBA history. The series went the full seven games, and Wade’s advice proved valuable in the finale. The Lakers edged out an 83-79 win, with Bryant scoring 23 points.
