You knew what Kobe Bean Bryant was capable of stringing together on that court at full strength, which made actually defeating him that much sweeter. I spent the final three games of the 2004 NBA Finals dreading the moment he’d catch a rhythm and eventually vanquish my resilient-yet-overmatched Detroit Pistons. And, frankly, I never felt confident that it wouldn’t happen until the game clock finally hit all zeroes in Game 5. I mean, you all saw how Game 2 ended. I wanted that sweep badly, and he alone took that from me. Given another couple games, he might’ve snatched that championship from my city, too.