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Kobe Bryant recalled his first "nasty" poster dunk: "I was able to tomahawk over my man, Ben Wallace"
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- Kobe Bryant recalled his first "nasty" poster dunk: "I was able to tomahawk over my man, Ben Wallace"
When Kobe Bryant came into the league as the 13th overall pick straight out of high school, few could've imagined he'd one day be sitting comfortably at the GOAT table. But from day one, the writing was on the wall.
Bryant possessed athleticism, confidence and that cold-blooded mentality that would later become his signature. Kobe didn't just want to win; he wanted to destroy anyone who stood in his way.
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In the early stages of his career, Bryant's athleticism was his biggest weapon. A walking highlight reel just waiting to happen.
So when he was once asked about the first time he truly posterized someone, and we're talking a real, nasty, in-your-face dunk, his answer came instantly. It felt like he still had that exact moment in his head.
"I had one of those moments. It was my second year in the league. That's when I had the 'Fro. the big nappy 'Fro. And we were playing against the Washington Wizards in the preseason, came down the lane and was able to tomahawk over my man, Ben Wallace," Kobe recalled in his appearance on 106 & Park.
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"That kind of set the tone right there," he added.
On Wallace's head
It was the start of Kobe's second year in the Association, preseason basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers . Usually, those games are a chance for players to loosen up, test new rotations, and, frankly, avoid injuries. Most guys take it easy. But Kobe Bean Bryant? He didn't do "easy." It didn't matter if it was the Finals or a meaningless exhibition Kob' always went for a kill.
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And unfortunately for one poor defender, that killer instinct came at his expense. Standing in Bryant's way that night was none other than Ben Wallace — the man who would go on to become one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history. At the time, though, Wallace was still trying to make a name for himself. He went undrafted and had just started carving out a role with the Washington Wizards.
Kobe crossed his man right past half-court, saw a clear path to the basket, and exploded. Wallace tried to slide in and take a charge. A brave move, no doubt about it, but it backfired. The young Laker soared, cocked it back, and tomahawked it right over him. It was like a "Welcome to the League" type of play, it was just the fact that both of them were relatively new to the NBA.
Wallace used Kobe's dunk as motivation
Interestingly enough, that very dunk became a defining moment not just for Kobe, but for Wallace too. In hindsight, it might've been one of the best things that ever happened to the big man .
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" Without that dunk, I don't know if I'm the player that I am today. After that, I told myself 'Ben, that's never gonna happen again ,'" Wallace said via Ballislife.com . " And you know what? It didn't ."
From that day on, Wallace turned that embarrassment into fuel. He made it his mission to make sure nobody ever did him like that again. And he exceeded it big time. The undrafted "kid" from Virginia Union became a four-time Defensive Player of the Year and one of the best defenders to ever do it.
He was also the backbone of one of the greatest defenses the game has ever seen, and the enforcer of the gritty Detroit Pistons from the beginning of the 2000s.
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And in an interesting twist, one could say that Ben got the last laugh years later when those same Pistons shocked the world by taking down Kobe and the Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
