The Kobe Game Wining Chronicles; 2009-2010 Season

Every year the NBA GMs are asked which player they would want to take the last shot in the game to win the game. Every year the GMs vote overwhelmingly in numbers for Kobe Bryant. An SI poll in 2009 asked 190 players the same question and an emphatic 76 percent picked Kobe; the next closest was some guy named Lebron at 3 percent. This year more so than others Kobe has shown why GMs and players hold him in such high regard when it comes to last second shots. Kobe has 5 this year when many players go a whole career without a one. Here is a recap of the 5 daggers this season.





2/23/10, Lakers 99 over Memphis 98. Kobe hits a 3 with 54 seconds left to tie the game. On the next Laker possession Kobe gets his shot blocked by Rudy Gay before Lakers call a timeout. Coming out of the timeout Kobe takes the pass from Odom after getting a nice screen from Gasol and drains a 3 with 4.3 seconds left to take the 1 point lead.







1/30/10, Lakers 90 over Boston 89. Kobe hits a fade away basket with 7.3 seconds remaining at the Garden to put the Lakers up for good.







1/1/10, Lakers 109 over Sacramento 108. Kobe getting the ball right in front of the Kings bench he drains a 3 pointer as time expires. It was so hard to watch that Paul Westphal had to look away as the ball left Kobe’s hand.







12/16/09, Lakers 107 over Bucks 106. Kobe redeems himself by hitting a shot from the left elbow as time expires in OT only after missing a potential game winner in regulation from the same spot.







12/4/09, Lakers 108 over Heat 107. Most unbelievable game winner for Kobe this season and probably in his career. Dribbling east to west he takes an off balance shot with all his momentum taking him to his left he banks a 3 pointer over the finger tips of Dwayne Wade who did all he could conceivably do to guard that play without fouling.



I am certain there are more to come.