Kobe Bryant would win 5 Championship Rings in his career. His fifth ring would come in 2010 for his Los Angeles Lakers. His fifth ring would prove to be Kobe’s final championship ring. Learn more about Kobe’s fifth ring below.
Draft
Kobe Bryant was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. Kobe entered the draft straight out of high school. His youth is probably why he went so low in the draft. He was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers right after being drafted by Charlotte.
Shaq
After four seasons playing for the Magic, Shaquille O’Neal decided to leave Orlando and join the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Lakers, Shaquille would reach new heights as a player and personality. O’Neal’s best years in the league were while wearing the Purple and Gold. Shaq would win three championships in LA, along with three Final’s MVPs. For his entire career in LA, Shaq and Kobe were teammates.
Phil
The Los Angeles Lakers named Phil Jackson their head coach in 1999. Phil Jackson was coming off his tenure coaching the Chicago Bulls, which resulted in 6 Rings. Jackson was able to nurture Bryant’s game and help take it to another level—the same way he did with Michael Jordan when he coached the Chicago Bulls. Kobe and Shaq were able to co-exist long enough to earn three rings together and accomplish the rare three-peat.
Fifth Ring
Kobe’s final ring would come in 2010. The Lakers would face off against the team’s longtime rival, the Boston Celtics. It was a massive test for Kobe and the Lakers, possibly the toughest battle of Kobe’s five championship rings. Kobe was solidified as the Lakers leader and possibly the best player in the game by 2010. Despite having a strong supporting cast, Pao Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Derek Fisher, this was Kobe’s team. It took the Lakers seven games to defeat the Celtics. Many felt it was a shoo-in for the Lakers to win again in 2011, which would have meant a second three peat for Kobe, and a fourth three peat for coach Phil Jackson. Unfortunately, the Lakers would not be able to win the title in 2011. It would be the end of the championship run for the Kobe and Jackson partnership. And the last ring either one would earn in their illustrious careers.
- Adam C. Better
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