Boston Celtics longtime nemesis on the court Kobe Bryant passed unexpectedly on Sunday, leaving behind a shattered NBA community mourning his loss and remembering his legacy.
Much of that legacy revolved around the Celtics and the battles for the ages fought against Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers. It was his existence as the fiercest of competitors that truly revived the Lakers-Celtics rivalry yet again, and helped define an era so big, it transcends sport.
This is a collection of those moments in photos.
Kobe in 2000 after winning his first NBA championship with future Celtic Shaquille O’Neal. He was just 21 years old, and began his rise at one of the lowest moments in Celtics history in terms of franchise competitiveness.
Little did he know then he was on a collision course with Boston that would reignite the two team’s decades-long rivalry.
Bryant’s third title in 2002, here with future Celtic Shaq and former Celtic Rick Fox. The two franchises have shared a number of players over the decades in addition to their storied rivalry.
Kobe winning a game against Boston in Game Three of the 2008 NBA Finals, the Celtics’ Banner 17 season in a rare overall losing effort for Bryant in the NBA Finals.
Bryant celebrating his Game Seven win over Boston in the final moments of the 2010 NBA Finals. The intensity he brought to the court in his quest for greatness breathed new life into the two teams’ longstanding competition.
Perhaps his proudest moment, his last ring was inseparable from the mountain he climbed to achieve it — and the mountain’s name was Boston.
Kobe with two fo his daughters at the podium after defeating the Celtics for the title in 2010, his fifth and last championship.
As time passed, players and teams would shuffle each season, and old teammates would become rivals on opposing teams, such as when Shaq joined Boston in the 2010-11 season.
Even in the years when the rivalry dwindled to a low flame, Kobe never relented against his longtime nemesis — Bryant defended by Jae Crowder in December 2015.
Bryant would be something of a mentor for a new era of Celtics — such as Isaiah Thomas, seen playing against one another here in April, 2016 — even while remaining the team’s most persistent opponents.
Bryant’s work with the next generation of Boston stars made his loss especially difficult to his rival Celtics, Jayson Tatum in particular. The third-year swingman grew up idolizing Kobe, and became his friend and mentee later in life.
The wider NBA community struggled to deal with his sudden loss and how to best remember such a fierce competitor on the eve of his passing. It may take us a lifetime to work through the hurt his loss has opened in so many hearts.
Rest In Peace.
