The 2007-08 NBA season was a bittersweet year for Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant . After years of struggling in the post-Shaquille O'Neal era in L.A., Bryant finally carried the franchise over the hump and guided them to a 57-25 season. For all his efforts, Kobe won his first MVP trophy.
Nothing is given in the NBA. Winning the coveted MVP plum doesn't guarantee an easy road to the Larry O'Brien trophy. In the dream NBA Finals between the Lakers and the Boston Celtics , the team from Beantown prevailed in six games. A teary-eyed Kobe walked off the TD Garden while confetti rained from the rafters.
Derek Fisher , Bryant's trusty point guard for most of his basketball career, shared the Black Mamba's sorrow. D-Fish knew how desperate Kob' was to win the championship over their archrivals. He would trade anything, eleven his individual accolades, just to be declared world champions.
"Knowing him the way I know him, he would give back his MVP trophy right now if it meant that we still had an opportunity to play for a championship and win it," Fisher said after the Lakers' 2008 NBA Finals defeat, via the New York Times.
"That's how much winning means to him. That's how much it means to me. As the veteran members of this team and the leaders of this team, that's the message that we'll carry into the summer," he added.
The 2008 defeat came just four years after the Lakers' embarrassing performance in the 2004 NBA Finals against the Pistons . Bryant was so eager to bounce back from that loss, and suffering another heartbreak caused unimaginable pain for the Black Mamba.
Bryant may have been in so much turmoil, but the legendary shooting guard's mettle never faltered. Fresh off the loss, Kobe kept a resilient mindset and remained firm in his belief that his team could win a championship.
"No, we're fine," KB said. "I think what we have to do is continue to work, and that's really the key to understanding that this isn't guaranteed to anybody."
"Second place just means you're the first loser," Bryant said, but added, "We should hold our heads up high, we did pretty well."
Kobe's optimism at a time when it's difficult to even think straight might have saved him from falling into a deep depression. After all, there was a lot of work to be done. Later that summer, the Lakers guard joined the 2008 Redeem Team, as Bean powered the Americans to the gold medal.
After a short breather, he went right back to work, perfecting his fadeaway jumpers, mid-range bombs, and 3-pointers. Reports reveal Bryant kept a photo of Paul Pierce raising the Larry O'Brien trophy in his locker room.
The Lakers booked their ticket to the 2009 NBA Finals and easily dispatched Dwight Howard 's Orlando Magic in five games. The following year, the Lakers and Celtics met once again in the NBA Finals.
Out of all the days to have a bad game, fate chose Game 7 for Kobe. Fortunately, the Black Mamba quickly adjusted. Bryant focused on rebounding and orchestrating the triangle offense. The tweak proved pivotal as he won his fifth ring and avenged the loss he had suffered two years earlier.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 11, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
