Kobe Bryant was a competitive player and never liked admitting defeat. However, even he had to admit defeat to Kevin Durant and OKC!
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In 1996, the NBA was introduced to Michael Jordan 2.0 when Kobe Bryant entered the league. The high schooler was the carbon copy of MJ from his physique to his style of play.
Another thing that he and Jordan shared in common was their highly competitive natures. Both men did not like the taste of defeat.
As such, it comes as no surprise that they would do anything to win. By the end of his career, Kobe had five NBA Championships, was a league MVP, and perennial scoring champion.
This need to win and his killer instinct earned him the nickname, Black Mamba. Nevertheless, even the Mamba had to admit defeat when going up against Kevin Durant and his OKC dynasty.
Kobe Bryant admitted that he and the Lakers stood no chance of guarding Kevin Durant and the Thunder
In 2012, the team to beat in the Western Conference was none other than the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team consisted of three future MVPs in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.
With KD leading them, the team was unstoppable and ran through everyone, including Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers.
In fact, the same year, Kobe faced OKC in the Playoffs where they were routed 119-90 in the first game. In the post-game press conference, the then 34-year-old was asked if the team could guard the Thunder, to which he bluntly responded, “No!”.
Truer words have never been spoken. The Thunder were unstoppable at the time. This, however, did not stop Kobe from trying to outscore their ‘Big 3’. Something he succeeded in doing in the last three games of the series.
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