Goran Dragic recalls how Kobe Bryant dismantled the Suns in the 2010 Western Conference finals: "We would put two or three guys on him and we couldn't stop him"
Goran Dragic had a front-row seat to the Kobe Bryant show in the 2010 Western Conference finals. Then, a backup point guard for the Phoenix Suns, Dragic reflected on Kobe's insanely efficient series and how he still did it, no matter what defensive schemes they threw his way.
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"We went to the Western Conference finals, where we lost to the Los Angeles Lakers," Dragic said on the "NBA Mozzart Podcast." "We would put two, three or four guys on Kobe Bryant and we couldn't stop him. He was hitting everything."
Besides Bryant's unstoppable scoring from all angles, Dragic highlighted the Lakers' size advantage. The Purple and Gold had two seven-footers, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, starting and a Swiss army knife power forward in Lamar Odom coming off that bench. Moreover, they had a steady veteran presence in the backcourt with Derek Fisher, plus a bench mob to complete the rotation.
"They were a really strong team and we lost 4-2 in the end," added Dragic.
Kobe's best
Dragic's recollection of the series reflected his teammates' memory of the 2010 WCF matchup. Channing Frye said Kobe beat them so bad he was compelled to smoke a cigarette in a dirty Phoenix dive bar, the first and only time he did such a thing. Meanwhile, Jason Richardson attested to the Lakers' toughness with their size and the presence of Ron Artest.
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Still, the Suns were a disciplined bunch that brought the best out of Bryant. Led by Nash, a two-time league MVP, Phoenix overcame a 0-2 deficit and came within an Artest buzzer-beater to force overtime in Game 5. Interestingly, Dragic had something to do with the Suns' resurgence in that pivotal game.
As the Lakers controlled most of the game until early in the fourth, the momentum shifted in a heartbeat. Goran was in the middle of it all as he jawed with fellow Slovenian Sasha Vujacic. For some reason, this lit a fire under the Suns. With both guards assessed with technical fouls with over nine minutes left in the final period, Phoenix turned a 72-83 deficit into a 101-101 deadlock with three seconds remaining.
That said, the series was a Mamba masterclass of efficient scoring. He averaged nearly 34 points, seven rebounds and eight assists on 52/43/88 shooting splits over six games. The closeout of Game 6 encapsulated Bryant's brilliance as he went for 37 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals (+19) in 41 minutes of action.
Related: "He's going to fall in love with Lonzo so much" - LaVar Ball was excited about LeBron James playing with his son on the Lakers
Bryant hit nothing but tough shots
In typical Kobe fashion, it wasn't about the number of points he put on the board. The 2008 NBA MVP made tough shots to rip the opponents' hearts out and collectively destroy their will.
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Time and again, Bryant rose over defenders with no daylight and buried jumper after jumper. He hit fadeaways from anywhere with defenders draped all over him, leaned into contact and still got clean looks off and banked in off-timed jumpers that made no basketball sense.
Grant Hill, who drew the Kobe assignment in 2010, couldn't help but marvel at Bryant's shot-making abilities. Hill believed the five-time champion had no weaknesses in his game. In fact, Hill admitted he couldn't do anything defensively against him.
Even when the Suns executed their schemes to perfection, it rarely mattered. Kobe made the impossible shots, anyway. That stretch of the playoffs may not be Kobe's flashiest on paper, but to those who had to guard and watch him, it was a clinic in outrageously high-level shot-making.
Related: "This is my nightmare" - Goran Dragic on being dunked on by Derrick Rose in 2010
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
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