Kobe Bryant Listed the 5 Toughest NBA Teams He Ever Faced

Kobe Bryant was blessed throughout his NBA career to play for one of the best teams in the association. He was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers shortly after he was drafted into the league and spent his entire career with them. During his time in California, they became one of the best teams in the world and, alongside Shaquille O’Neal, he helped create a dynasty during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

That doesn’t mean he didn’t also come up against some incredible franchises, though. During his 20-year career, Bryant and the Lakers won five NBA Championships and would have likely had more rings if they hadn’t come up against some fierce competition over the years. Shortly before he called time on his career, Bryant named the five toughest teams he faced in the NBA, as reported by Mark Medina per Lakers Nation.

Bryant’s Five Toughest NBA Teams

Playoffs San Antonio Spurs

One of the most consistently solid teams throughout Bryant’s career was Gregg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs. The Texas-based franchise made the playoffs in all but one season during Black Mamba’s time in the NBA and it was during the postseason when they were at their best according to the former shooting guard.

He faced off against the Spurs seven times in the playoffs and while his team came out on top in four of those series, he still felt they were incredibly tough and with stars like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobli, it’s hard to disagree.

Early 2000s Sacramento Kings

From the 1999-00 season, the Lakers won three straight NBA championships and became one of the best teams in the history of the league. During that time, they faced off against the Sacramento Kings in the playoffs every single year and while they didn’t ever lose against their fellow Californians, the Kings left an impression on Bryant.

The 2001-02 season saw the Kings really push the Lakers to their limit. Having finished first in the Western Conference, Sacramento met Bryant and company in the Western Conference Finals and it took seven games for LA to put their opponents away. The Kings were a special team in the early 2000s and they haven’t come close to replicating that form in the near 25 years since.

2004 Detroit Pistons

Shortly after the Lakers’ dominance came to an end, the Detroit Pistons emerged as one of the toughest and hardest-hitting teams in the NBA and they met Bryant and his team in the 2004 NBA finals. In what would be O’Neal’s final year with the ball club, the Lakers were destroyed by their opponents and lost 4-1 as the Pistons lifted the Larry O’Brien trophy.

The Pistons were successful because they weren’t afraid to get down and dirty with just about anyone and they had no problem playing a little rough when it came to it. They left a lasting impression on Bryant. 2004 was the last time the Pistons won the NBA title and it’s a team that is remembered fondly by their fans to this day. They are loathed by most opposition supporters, though, and that’s because they were so effective.

2008 Boston Celtics

Another powerhouse Eastern Conference team that caused Bryant some trouble over the years is one of the Lakers’ greatest ever rivals in the Boston Celtics. In 2008, they built an incredible team featuring the likes of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. It was one of the best examples of three big superstars teaming up to grab gold and it worked.

That year, Bryant won his first ever MVP award, but he was powerless to stop Boston when they met in the NBA finals. The Celtics beat LA 4-2 to send the Lakers home empty handed. Kobe and his teammates had the last laugh, though, winning the next two championships afterwards, including beating Boston in the 2010 finals.

Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls

When Kobe first joined the league in 1996, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were in the middle of their second run of three straight titles and they were dominating the NBA at a level that no one ever had before. Bryant could have been in his prime and the Bulls would have still been a tough opponent, but he faced them early in his career and they had a major impact on him.

So much so that he remembered how tough they were nearly two decades after he first faced off against them. It’s Jordan, the man many consider the greatest player ever and that Bulls side is regarded as one of the best to ever play in the NBA, so it’s not hard to see why Bryant named them.