Los Angeles Lakers fans collectively held their breath when Kobe Bryant suffered an injury in Game 2 of the 2000 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. By then, it was clear to them that the young Black Mamba wasn’t just Shaquille O’Neal’s sidekick but a star player in his own right. Moving forward without Bryant could have resulted in a heartbreaking defeat.
True enough, without Kobe in Game 3, the Lakers lost, 100-91, which made the series 2-1 in favor of the Purple & Gold. The Pacers started the game strong with an 11-2 run, and pretty much carried the momentum the entire game. O’Neal finished with 33 points but didn’t receive ample help from his teammates. It was clear that Los Angeles needed Bryant to win the 2000 NBA Finals.
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Doubts
With Game 4 around the corner, reporters tried to find information on Bryant’s condition. Was he ready to return? Would he even lace up his shoes again in the 2000 NBA Finals?
The Black Mamba, with a big smile on his face, quelled all doubts in a press conference before Game 4. When asked if there was any circumstance that would keep him from playing, Kobe replied: “Any snipers in the room?”
In other words, the only circumstance that would keep him away from the hardcourt was death. The pain in his ankle, whether it was still throbbing or completely gone, was a trivial matter. As long as he was breathing, Bryant was going to don the Purple & Gold jersey against the Pacers.
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The Pacers, who had been underestimating Bryant’s presence for most of the NBA Finals, ate their words in Game 4. They thought that O’Neal fouling out midway through overtime meant victory.
In a burst of brilliance, Kobe knocked down three clutch buckets in the final minutes of overtime. The 21-year-old even told his own teammates to calm down after he knocked down a jumper over Reggie Miller. After Game 4, the Lakers were up 3-1 and could practically smell the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Built for recovery
In his book “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play,” the five-time NBA champion pulled the curtain behind his seemingly miraculous comeback in the 2000 NBA Finals. Aware of the toll of an NBA season on an athlete’s body, Bryant tailored his workouts for quick recoveries.
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“My cardio workouts centered around recovery — that is, the time it takes to recover in between sprints. The reason I placed an acute focus on that element is because basketball dictates short bursts where you run as fast as you can, then have a moment to recover, then burst again. I wanted to make sure that I would always be ready for the next burst of action,” Bryant wrote.
Preparation was one thing; playing in an intense, high-octane game was another. Kobe also tweaked his playstyle so he could dictate his movements and not let the defense abuse his busted ankle.
“I had to, even on one ankle, keep the advantage in my court and never let the defense force me to do something I didn’t want to do. That was the key here, and that’s the key always,” the Hall of Famer explained.
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Indeed, Kobe’s performance in the 2000 NBA Finals established him as a foremost legend in the sport. The scary thing was, it was just the beginning of a long and successful career. Bryant had plenty of legendary moments in store.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.