Kobe Bryant and the controversial 1998 All-Star Game: Unraveling the 'Freeze Out' Mystery
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- čas přidán 10. 02. 2024
- Alleged 1998 All-Star Game 'freeze-out' of Kobe Bryant. Was it a real conspiracy led by Karl Malone and George Karl, or just a myth?
Written and produced by Oldskoolbball (Tarik Arslan)
Editing program I use: Premiere Pro CC
Music: Epidemic Sound
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This generation will never understand how amazing the all star used to be
That 98 All Star game was so fun to watch... Special thanks to George Karl for giving Kobe the gas to beat Denver in 08 & 09.
It was a selfish display by a selfish player that ultimately did not top Jordan! Take that!
How can you forget the 98 semis when the Lakers beat the Sonics 4-1
All-Star games meant something back then!
@@DangleFrontL
iverson 1.5x more votes than reggie but didnt get in
Miss this kind of all star game 😢
This NBA era is not fun to watch anymore
You are exactly right. 90’s basketball was LEGIT.
Exactly!!! They had fun but still were competitive. Todays generation cares too much about getting hurt and being friendly
Today's game is all about getting vaccinated and screaming racists every time a white player does any good. Honestly, Europeans are the savviest players in the league now a days. They all pretty much play like Larry Bird- no celebration of self, and doing what ever it takes to get the job done!
To friendly….
Bro, find what you love in it. I still love it. But seeing Kobe dominate hit different
Kobe was a TRUE competitor. An absolute killer. Dude never ran out of motivation.
Most of the superstar players who participated in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game were great players who went on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after their retirement.
Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan also appeared in the All-Star Game for the first time, making the game feel like a generational change in the NBA.
Jordan passed the torch to Kobe, who then passed it to Lebron
I would say the generational change was 99 or 00s when the average age in the allstar was under 28 or some shit. Pretty sure it was 99.
Most superstars in every all star game end up in the HOF
@@Geojr815not Nick Van Exel 😂
@@ClevelandTerry 🤔
19 year old Kobe playing more of a man’s game than Baby Bron ever has.
U still talkn about lebron?! Hahah goodness! He's still baby at that time! God gracious 😐
dont ever compare LeFraud to KOBE AND MJ ... LeFraud is too WEAK AND SOFT 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Lesteroids
U ever watch lebrons 1st game ever in the NBA? Honestly I don’t recall Kobe’s 1st NBA game
Of course, an insecure hater brings up LeBron in a comment section of a video that has NOTHING to do with LeBron. Yeah, this NEVER happens.
I'll see you down the road - MJ to Kobe💜💛🕊️
They had fun, did flashy shit, and still played hard defense. This era of the all-star game is too friendly.
Jordan last all star game as a Chicago bull, 2003 was his actual final all star as a Wizards
Should have won ASMVP in 2003 as well. Damn you Jermaine O'Neal
lol@@annie20232
Duh bunt nobody counts Jordan’s wizard years he was hurt with no one
Exactly. This should have been specified.
Nobody remembers how Shaq had Kobe’s back on every play this All Star game.
I said kobe had his big bro Shaq riding with him
@@jarrodbroussard6875wtf are you even trying to say
That kobe was a 5 time side kick champion. 3 side kick champs with Shaq . 2 more with pau
@@kenw2225Yeah, Kobe Bryant was definitely number 2 to pal Gasol, so FFINNnn STUPID , And shaq would not have 3 Championships without Kobe Bryant.
@@kenw2225 🤣
Malone sure didn't seem to mind riding the young man's coat tails 5 years later trying get a ring on the way out.
Yeah but don’t forget he tried to steal Kobe’s wife as well
@@charlesmarcus7864What? Is that true? I never heard that.
@@dk6173yes its true
@@dk6173 it's true.. was widely reported by the media
EXACTLY!
Man them folks tried to break kobes spirit but instead created a monster.
I love this comment, because it’s EXACTLY what happened.
George Karl did the same thing to Shaq in 94. he had the centers triple team him and try to completely take him out of the contest.
Karl was alawys a crybaby especially against SHOWTIME.
Melo was just icing on the cake smh George Karl been a butt.
The nerve of those guys to compete and want to win in an All Star Game. How dare they!
Lol
Kobe shooting 16 shots and only having 18 points...played like a ball hog with a selfish attitude. Show some respect toward the other west allstar legends and especially MJ.
@@rksnote9635don't be that loser we all see in the comments man.....
I remember this like it was yesterday. Seeing Kobe get benched was such a buzzkill.
Yep, I turned off the game at that point.
It's absolutely INSANE that the West starting lineup (outside of KG) ended up being the starters on that 03'-04' Lakers team
I just found out today that Ime Udoka was on that team for a few games.....I literally didn't even know he was an NBA player!
@@TRJ2241987smh 🤦
Just about everyone in the NBA has at some point played, related to or has some form of basketball experience. Nepotism at its finest just like every other entertainment sector like acting, football, soccer, etc. They're almost all just the son of or cousin of. But yes Udoka was a player.
@@LazyCrazyGuy I know, I've watched the NBA since 1991, literally have owned every single NBA 2K ever since the Dreamcast original.....never heard it brought up when he was part of the Spurs or Celtics staff.....was blown away to see he was actually a major part of the Blazers one season.....literally did not think he ever played professional basketball
@@LazyCrazyGuy No shit. Image David Beckham playing for the Lakers
lol...I just remember him playing for spurs under Pop@@TRJ2241987
Figured it’d be Karl to bench Kobe. Nothing never good from that coach
Man Kobe was always treated unfairly by everyone. All he really wanted to do was hoop. Yet people act like he was so evil arrogant dude. It’s sports.
He wasn't a team player.
@@210raab neither was MJ at one time.
he was fairly evil and definitely arrogant
@@danduran4981 he wasn’t evil 🤣🤣 he always gave back to the less fortunate. He’s done a lot of good in his lifetime. What the hell have you done for people? He was a basketball player, y’all act like he was some serial killer or some shit
He was a damn copycat.
If Karl Malone is against you, you must be doing something right.
I was 9 years old at my friend’s birthday party when this game happened. Still remember how the whole house erupted when Kobe pulled off that behind-the-back arching jump hook over Mutumbo. What a moment.
Great timing on Super Bowl Sunday!
Maybe so, but he was never going to outclass Jordan in any case. Jordan had a lot on his mind that year : A 2nd three-peat, Pippen's disgruntled relationship with management, Phil's last year as coach, and management's desire to rebuild the team. If anything, I think Jordan viewed that game as an outlet to take his mind off the stresses of what lay ahead and appeared very relaxed, it seemed. I must say, Kobe was fire 🔥 that night. George Karl should have let him off the leash.
I agree with all but your last sentence. This was the all star game, not the MJ kobe one on one show. Jordan also had 8 assists in the game to kobe's 1. Jordan knew it was not just about him. Kobe couldn't understand that even years later.
I called this back in 98- Kobe's selfish appearance in the NBA marked the beginning of the league's demise. And look what happened; the teams, the players, the coaches, the franchises, and the fans for that matter- all became exponentially worse every year that followed. The only reason they even sell tickets today is because the fans actually want a shT show. Well, they got it alright!
@@Rick-the-Swiftwhat are you talking about? Why don’t you just say you love MJ and didn’t care for Kobe? Kobe at 19 was way ahead of MJ when he was 19, I know I watched them both play!
@@Rick-the-Swiftyou’re so bitter mama
Rivalries between great players, such as like; Michael & Kobe in their different eras catapulted NBA's popularity so immense around the world and beyond. M.J., K.B., and the NBA made it to happen that everyone of us would remember those moments forever. 🏀😃🥰
MJ and Kobe are not rivals
All that was so much better than the current generations hopping on banana boats together and giggling with each other during matches.
The fact NBA players were upset because they wanted to win an all-star game says all I need to know about current gen players.
Fast forward to the present and the All Star MVP is named after Kobe
Unbelievable MJ retired after 93 and again after this MJ!!! So many stats and accolades left on the table. Love of the Game. Never chased stats. 🐐
Exactly 💯 he even has a quote saying if he cared about being number 1 in all time scoring he would not have retired twice...yup he cared about winning and nothing else
What's up with NBA and Kobe? This and Chris Paul trade veto happens, only one NBA MVP. While if NBA and media like a player they want to promote, they promote them to the peak. Man, ballers know who real Kobe is and where he stands
Michael Jordan saved the nba. He was there Golden child. They don't want anyone to pass his legacy. Don't forget the case in Denver. She was proved to be lying. Then the helicopter smh
Yep, Kobe was robbed of 5 more MVP awards. He carried the NBA from 2001 to 2010, won 5 titles, went back to back to back to the finals twice and averaged 28 ppg during that time. Chris Paul trade reversal was done to stop him from winning another title or two. I still remember Pop, other coaches and owners directly contacting David Steven to reverse the trade. This type of business was unheard of for the NBA. Kobe had them all shook!
98 all star game more competitive than most NBA games today....
Don't hate the Playa hate the game.
Kobe looked good that game. I remember watching. It thinking he stealing MJ thunder
I missed this kind of all star game, defense played even from the start of 1Q.
They really didnt start playing defense until the 4th back then. Alot of the shots werent contested
The original unspoken rule of the All-star game was 1. to play defense about every other play 2. to get everyone involved in the first 3 quarters. 3. To finally let the game's biggest names go at it in the 4th Q, at which point both teams are trying to win. That is of course until the overgrown man-boy Kobe showed up and started spraying his obnoxious piss all over the court. I keep saying it- his selfish appearance in the NBA marked the beginning of the league's demise, which sadly has gotten worse every year since.
@@Rick-the-Swiftthe original poster is just spitting talking points from the media… he is an absolute noob…
Kobe should've been the youngest all star game MVP
Not true there's no freeze out mj team won 135 - 112 score board
@@edwingustilo6594it was designed for MJ to win, why you think Karl benched Kobe, he was killing them!
@@Mike1122. Killing them don't cry 😭 don't you see mj team won lol!
Oh, I remember when this happened and I knew why this happened. Kobe didn't forget it either.
So thats why Malone sabotaged Kobe's finals run vs detroit 😅
A great point
Id say Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace had more to do with it than Mailman lol
George Karl benched Kobe and Malone don't like him
Kobe: that's all I needed, that became personal with me
Malone flirted with his wife too
@@annie20232🤷so
@@jonnyblayze5149and you wouldn’t care if someone flirted with yours, hypocrite. Gtfoh
Denver never beat Kobe Lakers...until LeBrick.
@@patto24strippesthe best Denver nugget in history plays for the nuggets now, and lebron is 40 years old. Do you remember how kobe played at year 21? Even old af lebron in 2020 made the nuggets his bitch in the wcf.
this was before player empowerment. here we see all star players seemed more than willing to give a show to those big stars who came to watch. grandest pickup game.
Didn't Kobe get rid of Jeremy Lin for doing the same thing 😭
George Karl will regret that
He really shouldn’t have started. He was coming off the bench that season that’s why he had alot of blow back. But you knew he was special
Nope, there were better SGs on his own team and in the league as well that season. There was definitely a feeling he was special tho no doubt. Lot of rookies look special tho, stern went hard to get LA going to earn those ratings. Kobe earned it in the end tho not taking anything away from his legendary career.
Mj: _"i see you down the road"_
Kobe: _"Cool"_
since then, Mj received lots of calls and messages from Kobe even past midnight.
And Now Every One is Talking About How Great KOBE was and Malone Being a Horrible Human Being. KARMA at its Best!
Nice to see effort!
was the video cut off at the end?
Man I know that jack Nicholson signed Kobe ball worth so damn much
Wow, I never heard this story ever. I remember watching this game live on my 20' inch something Zenith TV in the basement back in February 1998. I was a huge MJ/Bulls fan and I knew at that age as a kid, this may have been MJ's last all star game but I was mesmerized by a young Kobe. I figured whoever had the most points would win MVP. However, although that was a dumb move on George Karl to do that, if that is truly the case. I think the media and the main people in charge in the NBA knew this was MJ's last all star game and last season, at least as a Bull. So essentially its only fitting MJ won the MVP. But when I think of the 1998 NBA All star game the second person I think of is Kobe Bryant and he put on a show. What are David Robinson, Karl Malone and Gary Payton going to do? Just my 2 cents.
They ain't gonna give a player in the losing team the MVP award
When best players in the world actually had some pride instead of this dumb All Star Game we have today.
Mj scored 23 kobe scored 18 ... Katt scored 50 on the losing team this year
wild
That’s what happens when defense is non existent.
Guarantee you if kat played in 98 all star game he wouldn't be putting up 50 like this year to see the best compete back then to now is literally embarrassing and says a lot about the NBA,
01:25😂 😂😂 guess who's sitting courtside?
Trump😅
My man!
Lmao
Trump, he must be asked who was the real MVP that night!
derek jeter lol
Karl Malone : man, screw kobe
Also Karl Malone : yo im old, can i come join you and you get me a ring before i retire?
Kobe vs Detroit : nah
I just realized something so in 1988 MJ won All Star Game MVP in his home town team Chicago Bulls fast forward 10yrs later in 1998 he won All Star Game MVP again this time in New York same city he was born in i never seen that happened on both ends
When the all-star game was worth watching todays players should be ashamed, and bonuses stripped.
Jack knew what was up, wonder how much that ball is worth now
Great video
Why are we blaming George Karl for this. Couldn’t it have been a higher up “request”?
No one batting an eye on the Lakers for having four all stars?
Still didn't win or made it to the finals. Until Kobe, came off the bench and Phil Jackson.
@@torah6077Mike didn’t win before Phil as well..
@@user-fv2md4qt7j Yep.
Jealousy is a hell of a thing the hated on the mamba from the mamba
I remember this game like yesterday. Kobe outshine everyone but they sat him the whole 4th quarter just so Jordan can get the MVP. Kobe would've won it easily
LMAO
1998 and 2001 are the two greatest all star games ever. The "72 game was great too.
And 1992! The Magic Man!!
1987
2003 All Star Game was fantastic as well.
Back when people competed in all star games
When players cared about winning.
In the thumbnail MJ is wearing what type of shirt? I remember having the exact same 1 and a few nike ones and I loved wearing those but I cant find that type of clothing for the life of me. If i google shooting shirt I get tight body t shirts….
I wish NBA all star games were this fun to watch again I swear this generation sucks it don't even be really competitive just a lot of big names and flair
I agree
Don't know it was contrversial. It's just a regular all star game in the 90s. But Kobe was making some noise already, because he's an all star from the bench.
Did ya'll know that the Utah Jazz still holds a grudge against MJ and that they made their pass word MJ pushing off and it's still that til this day
You said, “Wonder kid.” Ted Lasso wrote that pronunciation mistake in one of its episodes as well. It’s “wunderkind.”
Great respect for kobes devotion to his idol make sense for milions of kids growing with a closet poster on every field
R.I.P
I don’t know anything about Basketball admittedly. In an all star game, you wear your clubs colours? How do you play like that? You have to remember who’s on your team? which at this level seems absurd.
White jerseys verse jerseys with their teams colors. Pretty simple.
Someone show this to Adam Silver I don’t think he’s seen it. This what an All-Star game is suppose to be, we want to see all star level defense to go with the offense
The politics was crazy for kobe. How is he an all star in 98 & Iverson isn’t? Go look at what each player was doing that year
Fan Voting. Fans vote the starters
Yeah, Iverson was balling out during that season
@@zmodsomar2388coaches should of selected iverson instead of Steve smith 🤷🏾♂️
@@jaycarlos3559 no it's not. Stevie deserve to be in AS 1998 game.
Iverson was in the East casual
MJ 🐐
MJ was the Michael Jordan of all Michael Jordans
Best comment I've ever read
It was all that he could give, this year or before not a matter of age.
Not in baseball though 😂
Didnt want u to Say Michael Jordan or MJ was the best MJ (Jackson, Johnson) of all Time ?
@@annie20232 Don't forget as an owner and general manager.
Malone was so mad he joined the Lakers later on !😂😂
just wanted to hunt for little Mexican girls
Remember when this game meant something to the players ?
There shouldn't be an All-Star MVP for this very reason. Its supposed to be a showcase for everyone's talent. I never thought anything of it back then, I just wanted to see more players play than just a 1-on-1 between Jordan and Bryant.
Kobe took it personal. 😂
Which is exactly what MJ did his entire career and why they are so similar.
They played more defense in that game than current regular season games and some playoff games….
Some playoff games really???? That’s lies. Watch the clips they are not even playing defense here tf 😂😂
Back when the NBA played defense, even in the all star game. I don't really blame either coach Karl or Malone. A 19 yo should not be trying to take the spotlight in the all star game. It was a great matchup tho.
3:24 this shot right here is why MJ is the GOAT. No other NBA player in history had a fade away that didn’t go straight away from the basket, but away from the defender.
Every single one of us that has played knows how insanely hard that shot is, yet it is just another one of his options after the dribble. Just insane.
I wouldn't call it a Freeze out game. As a Rookie in the League one must earn their stripes.
To think many veterans, MVPs, Future HOF (at the time) is just gonna sit back and let a Rookie/2nd Player succeed is delusional. And even more delusional and an insult when the player haven't proved himself nor won anything in the league yet. So no it wasn't a freeze out for both MJ and Kobe
Unlike Today, players wanted to prove they belonged in the All Star Game and competed. These stars in their own right ain't about to play 2nd fiddle to a rookie
Time have the reason to the truth, Kobe was a black mamba, today Kobe is Kobe
If he isnt playing how does he "prove " himself?🙄
That shows how immature and insecure professional athletes can be. Grown men making millions of dollars still acting like 10 year olds throwing temper tantrums, smh. No wonder they can't keep a wife and fsmily
Kobe was more than deserving to be an all star and was better than half his peers at that stage. It’s a freeze out when the coach deliberately benches you. And if the veterans were scared to be out done by this unproven kid, they should have done so by letting their game talk. What an L take
You wrong about saying Kobe was playing for MVP he's not a stat chaser like someone in the NBA he was playing hard to get that W
Kobe was always humble and never thought he was better then anyone he was a great person on court and off a true legend 🫡
False. It has been well documented that he was a dick behind the scenes. However, he was probably ok at times too.
@@spiderpimp33 lol yea right where dumb fk get blocked u Kobe hater
Back when the All-Star game was huge and meant somthing.
This all star game that i want to watch...very competitively.
We drafted him in Charlotte NC
Yeah we was robbed
I believe he said he would never play for charlotte and if they picked him, he would go play overseas
We robbed ourselves drafted him then traded him..Kobe never said he wouldn't play for Charlotte..Kobe said himself soon as the draft him.thry called him and said they had no use for him and the trade for Divac happens.....the Lakers want him but had no lottery picks that year so they traded Divac for Kobe the dumbest shit ever
If Kobe played for Charlotte he would have all the scoring records, probably 50K points. He also would have no titles, Charlotte was a terrible Franchise.
@@Mike1122.was? They still are 😂
I WANNA BE I WANNA BE LIKE MIKE ! .....
I wish the NBA would have a one on one in season tournament instead of the lame in season team tournament. The commissioner somehow believes that if they keep doing the same thing, somehow viewership and fan attendance will stop declining and start increasing. The fans and the commissioner take the fans time and money for granted. Tv advertisers can’t be happy with viewership, and the networks paying the NBA tv contracts have got to be ready for a renegotiation for less money next time around. These NBA players are all buddy buddy with opposing players these days…test their egos and have them play one on one. New rivalries, players with a chip on tbeir should, real defense. I would watch that.
6:10
Jordan: See this one junior, unstoppable
Kobe: aight
George Karl
Kobe Bryant
Gary Payton
Shaquille o Neal
Karl Malone
Kevin Garnett
David Robinson
Mitch Richmond
Vin Baker
Jason Kidd
Eddie Jones
Tim Duncan
Nick Van Exel
Larry Bird
Michael Jordan
Penny Hardaway
Dikembe Mutombo
Grant Hill
Shawn Kemp
Reggie Miller
Tim Hardaway
Glen Rice
Antoine Walker
Rik Smits
Steve Smith
Jayson Williams
Phil Jackson
Pat Riley
Magic Johnson
Isiah Thomas
Scottie Pippen
Charles Barkley
Dennis Rodman
John Stockton
Patrick Ewing
Clyde Drexler
Dan Majerle
Julius Erving
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Bob Pettit
Bill Walton
Oscar Robertson
Elgin Baylor
The big brother did it again
It’s sad how many people hated on Kobe…
The irony naming your son Coby Karl. 😮
all stars back then can operate and be creative on the court while being guarded. theyre not trying too much just showing off what they know they can do.
This is what you called NBA ALLSTARS
Back when defense is a thing in NBA All Star Game
I miss Ahmad Rashad and the inside stuff ya'll yung fellas don't know nuthn bout the inside stuff
The 🐐 himself #45 1:25
What’s Defense?
KOBE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A STARTER ON THE LAKERS FROM DAY 1 .... HE WAS THE BEST PLAYER THEY HAD FROM DAY 1 ....
LMAO
This is the type of mentality that makes me so annoyed with Kobe fans. Kobe was not the best player on the Lakers his first couple of years. He was very good as an 18-year old rookie but he was a project player. Very similar to Giannis in his early 0:00 years. He needed time to develop his game, and become elite. Shaq, Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel were all better players then Kobe his first two seasons, but Kobe really stepped up his game his third season and went on his journey to become the player we all know him as today. Kobe always said that being on the bench caused him to put in nonstop work to prove himself to the Lakers management. Had he started off the bat, I’m not sure if he would have been the same player.
@@romanramirez7847 POOR BABY ....GET UR SIPPY CUP ....UR KNOWLEDGE ON THE GAME IS LOW IQ ... KOBE WAS BETTER THAN ALL U MENTIONED ABOVE ... U HAVE UR OPINION ...I HAVE FACTS ... NOTA KOBE FAN MYSELF BUT NOBODY KNOWS THIS GAME MORE THAN I ... SIT THE BENCH BOY ! ... LISTEN TAKE NOTES AND LEARN
Malone was pissed, he heard there were going to be 13 year old girls to impregnate but all he got was Kobe showing him up
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
What part of it was controversial?