The first season I started watching the Lakers was during the 98-99 lockout campaign, their last before Phil arrived. I remember seeing highlights of this game as a 9-year-old and being absolutely stunned at the way they came back. Shaq got ejected in the second quarter, so this is one of the first times Kobe basically said, "I'm driving the bus and we're winning this f***ing game."
Tragically, this was also the day of the Columbine High School Massacre; Chick Hearn voiced his belief that all games that day should have been postponed. R.I.P. to the 13 students and one teacher senselessly killed that day.
April 20, 1999 – The final seconds of regulation of a game where the Lakers trailed the Warriors by 28, Kobe drills a three and then tips in a missed free throw to send the game into overtime. He finished with 27 points, 25 after halftime, as the Lakers went on to win 106-102.
byu/jeremy_thegent inlakers
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This was such a bizarre season. A 50-game campaign in 90 days, which meant multiple occasions of games on back-to-back-TO-BACK nights, the firing of Del Harris after 12 games, Kurt Rambis learning on the job how to be a head coach, bringing in Dennis Rodman and then releasing him, the trading of Eddie Jones for Glen Rice, Kobe and Shaq getting in fights, oh and did I mention this was also their last year at the Forum?
One of those games where if you weren’t before, you got to tell yourself, “yea, I’m a fan!”
I watched every game that year and I don’t really remember this one too well… then I realized why. The date jumped out at me. This was the day of Columbine. I probably was too freaked out to watch the basketball game that evening… this was a traumatic day in America….
Pretty sure Michael was smiling cause Kobe hit that 3 on Starks.