This week’s roundup also features rally mayhem, card frenzy and a Stuart Baxter coaching masterclass
1) Kobe Bryant’s death shocked the sporting world. A highlights package here can barely do his talents justice but here’s a sample. We start with a young Bryant excelling for Lower Merion High School in their triumphant 1996 season, and a quick montage of his top 10 high school plays can be enjoyed here. Next stop was the Charlotte Hornets, where he naturally shone before his long, gilded career with the LA Lakers took off. In 2000 he bossed game four of the NBA finals after Shaquille O’Neal had been fouled out. Here’s his duel with Allen Iversen the following year as the Lakers saw off the Philadelphia 76ers to retain their crown. Kobe and Shaq were in full flow again a year later as the Lakers made it three titles in a row. His 81-point performance against the Raptors in 2006 merits many viewings. And here he is wowing a global audience at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. His garlanded career extended beyond the court of course, with his short film, Dear Basketball, winning an Academy Award in 2018.