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Kobe Bryant: Top five greatest performances vs Toronto Raptors

By Aditya Chandran

TORONTO, CANADA: Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant drives to the hoop past Toronto Raptors forward Vince Carter during first half NBA action in Toronto, Canada, on 06 January, 2002. The Lakers defeated the Raptors 109 - 89. AFP PHOTO/J.P. Moczulski (Photo credit should read J.P. MOCZULSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
TORONTO, CANADA: Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant drives to the hoop past Toronto Raptors forward Vince Carter during first half NBA action in Toronto, Canada, on 06 January, 2002. The Lakers defeated the Raptors 109 - 89. AFP PHOTO/J.P. Moczulski (Photo credit should read J.P. MOCZULSKI/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant (24) of the Los Angeles Lakers passes around Toronto Raptors Bismack Biyombo (8) under the Lakers basket during their NBA match up, November 20, 2015 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. AFP PHOTO/ ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) /

Over the course of Kobe Bryant’s long and illustrious career, there have been so many exemplary performances against the Toronto Raptors, it is hard to count. However, there are five performances that stand tall above the rest.

When it comes to the career Kobe Bryant had in the NBA, there simply aren’t many players in league history that could compete with him. He was a 17x All-Star, 5x NBA Champion, 2x Finals MVP, 1997 Slam Dunk Champion, 12x All-Defensive, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, 15x All-NBA, 4x All-Star MVP, 2x Scoring Champ and 1x Regular Season MVP. Not many players can boast about having anywhere near the accolades that Bryant possesses.

With career averages of 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game, there weren’t many teams that Bryant didn’t dominate on the basketball court. He was a terror for opponents, but a huge draw for fans all across the world every game he played. Why? Because of his tenacity. You knew as a fan that even if the Los Angeles Lakers performed poorly, Kobe Bryant would never let them down.

However, there was something about the Toronto Raptors that got Bryant hungrier than ever. He simply had the Raptors’ number. Every single time Bryant got on the court and saw the Raptors, he made it a point to demolish them. Throughout his career versus Toronto, Bryant owned a 24-9 record with averages of 24.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

As Bryant continued to play Toronto, the great performances started to pile up. Raptors fans wanted to hate him. He torched the team every chance he got. Yet, it was so difficult to hate him. He had a certain swagger to him that made us love him, even when he was breaking our hearts with daggers and game-winning shots.

That is what made Kobe Bryant so great, and why fans around the world will miss him so much. Here are Kobe’s top five greatest performances against the Toronto Raptors.