Kobe's goal for the 2008-09 season was clear: do whatever it was needed to win and get his first NBA Championship without Shaquille O'Neal .
On Jan. 16 Kobe had a triple-double, the 15th of his career and the first since April 2005. Two games later he had another one. On Feb. 2 he exploded for 61 points, the fourth best on the list of his top scoring games and the highest scoring performance ever in the Madison Square Garden.
He led his team to a 65-win season, ended as the third scoring leader in the league and finished second in the Season MVP voting. In the Playoffs he was the central piece for the Lakers on the road to a franchise 15th NBA Title, the fourth for Kobe and an NBA-record 10th for Phil Jackson. Kobe dominated on both sides of the court during the postseason, and averaged 32.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds in the Finals to get his first FInals MVP
|
| Season 2008-09 |
| Points |
26.8 |
| Rebounds |
5.2 |
| Assists |
4.9 |
| Steals |
1.46 |
|
| Playoffs 2009 |
| Points |
30.2 |
| Rebounds |
5.3 |
| Assists |
5.5 |
| Steals |
1.7 |
* 2009 NBA Champion *
* 2009 Finals MVP Award * |