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Except in NBA Lockout years (1999) and injuries (2014 and 2015) Kobe Bryant was chosen to compete in every All-Star Game from 1998-2016. His longevity and consistent greatness allowed him to accumulate some of the highest all-time stats in the history of the event, such as most games started (15), consecutive selections (17), offensive rebounds (10), steals (38), and tied with Bob Pettit for most MVP's (4). He's second in points behind Lebron James with 290.
He actually got his first sniff of the All-Star action when he was a rookie featured in the 1997 NBA Dunk contest. It's lauded as being a dunk contest with the least amount of charismatic participants, all except Bryant who won the event. He was going against names that have faded into NBA dust: Chris Carr, Bob Sura, Darvin Ham, and Michael Finley. It did feature Ray Allen, but he didn't do anything exciting enough to warrant advancing to the second round. Kobe was the only one with an ounce of swag in that lineup, and he rolled out some memorable moments in an otherwise sordid affair. He even got the hot pop star of the time Brandy cheering him to victory. He also set a record at the time for most points scored in the "Rookie Challenge" game with 31. It was a fine exhibition of the young, cocky Kobe we were about to see take over the league.
He didn't participate in the actual game until the next year in Madison Square Garden. In 1998 he was still a bench player for the Lakers, but he was actually voted to start in the game. He really synergized with fellow young, out -of-high-school phenom Kevin Garnett. You have to wonder, in this era of players joining each other what would KG and Kobe been like if they were on the same team? That's two cut-throat ultra competitive legends on the same squad, not many teammates would have been up to the task of playing at their level day in and day out. Kobe was only 19 for the event and that's still a record for youngest player ever to play in the game.
That game was also notable because the young Bryant got to go against his idol and the man he was tirelessly compared to the rest of his career - Michael Jordan. When you're on the court facing off against the person you idolize you have an extra gear of intensity, your sense of who you are is on the line and you're being tested. Jordan definitely took him to school on a couple possessions, but Kobe pushed back showing he could bang with the best of them. Even back then some were calling Kobe the next Michael Jordan, you can find that video here. The ended up facing off again in the 2003 All-Star game when Jordan came back from retirement. Kobe won 3 championships with Shaq by that point, so it was a way different match up - Kobe talked way more shit to MJ.
As Michael's presence faded from the league, Kobe became the alpha 2-guard. The All-Star game was hosted in Philly a year after Kobe and Shaq defeated the 76ers in the 2001 NBA Finals. Kobe was relentlessly booed by his old hometown, the city whose dreams he took away the year prior. But Kobe was one of those players who thrived off a hateful environment, and especially when people doubted him. He channeled that negativity into winning his first All-Star MVP in the 2002 game with 31 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and a steal.
Kobe had some other great moments in his later All-Star career. in 2009 he won co-MVP with his old partner in crime Shaq when he was on the Phoenix Suns. People loved seeing arguably the greatest duo ever go at it again. Kobe scored 27 points, with 4 assists, and 4 steals and Shaq accumulated 17 in only 10 minutes of action! Kobe also got a couple really hype blocks on Lebron in the waning seconds of the 2013 All-Star game that led to a victory for the West 143-138.
People often debate who was the best Kobe between #8 and #24. I always prefer 24 because that was when Kobe had a polished game and knew what he wanted to do and how to get it. No. 8 had that flare and unbreakable, brash confidence but 24 was a little more understated and just a cold tactician who had been in many wars and had a work ethic unrivaled by any of his peers. Regardless of what number he wore he knew how to create a spectacle for the audience, which is exactly what he did on that special weekend mid-season when all the best came to play.
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