Do you remember the first all-star game you watched? I do. February 8th 1998 was the day I got to watch my favorite All-Star Game ever. Before that year, I probably watched All-Star games for a good 30-40 minutes and then changed the channel or went to go do something else. This year was particularly different. The excitement was different. The game was different.
New York was hosting the All-Star game and, of course, what other arena to do it in than “The World’s Most Famous Arena”, Madison Square Garden. It was a great feeling as a kid knowing that my hometown was hosting such a prestigious game. There was a wide range of All-Stars that year. From Penny, to Shaq, to Grant Hill, to Gary Payton and, my favorite player of all time, Michael Jordan.
One thing that caught my attention before the game was this hype around a 19-year old guard from the Lakers. Being a kid from the east coast I couldn’t stay up late enough to watch Lakers games. So I had no idea who this guy was.
That guy was Kobe Bryant.
He was the new kid on the block. He was the new young flashy star in the NBA. The same way people gag over Luka Doncic or Zion Williamson is the same way people were talking about Kobe. Even my older brother knew about him and he was already a fan. I said to myself “this guy gotta be really good for everybody to go crazy over”.
My interest in this All-Star-Game grew and I was eager to see what the hype was all about.
On offense Kobe put on a show. Two plays which stood out to me was a 360 dunk he did and an alley-oop Kevin Garnett threw to him. Kobe caught the ball in mid-air and threw it down. If you watch the replay from the sideline it looks even better when he catches it.
There was another play where Kobe is coming down on a fast break, puts the ball behind his back and shoots a hook shot. He was like a wizard out there. Flying all over the court with his athleticism and making the crowd go crazy with his skills. I was thoroughly impressed.
Towards the end of that game I thought maybe they would give him the MVP, but the East won so of course Jordan took home that award. After that game I became a fan of Kobe. I didn’t realize it at the time but when the 1998 All-Star Game would come on TV, I would watch it over and over. Every time I watched I was reminded why it’s my favorite All-Star game. Not only cause my favorite All-Stars like Penny Hardaway, Shaq or Grant Hill was playing, not only because Jordan was playing, it was because that was the first time, I got to see Kobe. The only other basketball player who made such a strong first impression on me was Jordan.
I was a kid back then so I had no idea that was going to be Jordan’s last season with the Bulls. I didn’t know that a lockout was coming. And that Jordan was going to retire again. When he retired, I didn’t have a player to root for. Naturally, I just clung to Kobe.
Kobe mirrored his game after Jordan, so it wasn’t hard to see why I liked him.
If anybody knew me in high school or college they’ll tell you I used to go hard for Kobe in the “who’s the best player in the league” debates. I would go so hard to the point where some of my friends would tell me to calm down. That’s how much he meant to me.
It’s been hard these last couple of weeks…
Seeing one of your favorite players go is tough. Looking back at all these memories makes it a little easier to morn. The one that really sticks with me is that 98’ All-Star game. That’s a night I will never forget. He earned a fan that night, as I’m sure he did with many other kids.
Thank you for all the memories, Kobe.
