The Best NBA Finals Teammates Kobe Bryant Ever Had
Kobe Bryant’s best NBA Finals teammates
Kobe Bryant reached seven NBA Finals over the course of his illustrious 20-year career, winning five titles. And he carried plenty of scrubs along the way — D.J. Mbenga, Shannon Brown, Sasha Vujacic, and Adam Morrison can thank the Mamba for their two rings apiece. Mark Madsen got two rings almost a decade earlier. Stanislav Medvedenko owes Kobe for his one. Hell, Brian Shaw got three rings on the backs of Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal. Thankfully for Kobe, he had a few better options to pass to en route to his Finals appearances. Here’s our rankings of Kobe Bryant’s best NBA Finals teammates ever.20. Jordan Farmar
Yikes, rough start. The UCLA point guard went to three straight Finals with Kobe, from 2008 to 2010, winning the last two. He functioned as a speedy change of pace to starter Derek Fisher and spaced the floor; in those three seasons, Farmar hit 36.5 percent of his threes, attempting 5.
6 of them per 36 minutes.
19. Luke Walton
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The future Lakers head coach went to four Finals with Kobe, losing in 2004 and 2008 to the Pistons and Celtics, respectively, before claiming victory over the Magic and Celtics in 2009 and 2010.
Not much of a scorer, Walton offered size and playmaking on the wing, which Phil Jackson valued in his triangle offense.
18. Horace Grant
Eight years after his taking part in the Bulls’ three-peat from 1991 to 1993, Grant went to the Lakers as part of the massive four-team trade that sent Patrick Ewing to the SuperSonics. In 2000-01, he started 77 games for the Lakers, averaging 8.5 points and 7.1 rebounds to earn his fourth ring.
17. Devean George
An early iteration of the modern-day three-and-D wing, George was just good enough from outside to let his impactful defense flourish off the bench. The 6’8″ small forward went to four Finals in five years with Kobe, claiming rings from 2000 to 2002 before falling to the Pistons in 2004.