The Heat's "Big Three" vs. Kobe + the Lakers' three towers, LeBron vs. Kobe!
No. 23 vs. No. 24!
This was the matchup countless fans had been waiting for—and one they had hoped to see in the Finals. The 2008–09 season had been the best opportunity, but it was ultimately ruined by "The Beast."
Of course, that was already in the past.
Now LeBron had joined the Heat, and his first matchup against Kobe this season just happened to fall on Christmas Day. Without a doubt, it was the most anticipated and hottest game of the Christmas slate.
On the court.
The game began.
The Heat struck first and secured the opening possession. Wade brought the ball up the floor and reached the top of the arc, where he faced Kobe. A between-the-legs crossover, then he accelerated and drove toward the basket.
Bang bang bang!
Right from the first possession.
Wade and Kobe—the "Flash" and the "Black Mamba," the "second shooting guard" versus the "number one shooting guard"—were already clashing head-on. Pau Gasol came over to help, and Wade immediately kicked the ball out.
Smack!
LeBron cut in from the free-throw line, caught the pass, and exploded upward. Like flames soaring skyward, he charged straight at the rim—even with "Little Shark" Bynum firmly guarding the paint.
But King James pressed forward without hesitation.
Boom!
Rising up through Bynum's defense, he hammered down a tomahawk dunk right over him!
Buzz!
The sheer force of the dunk made the rim tremble and groan.
A poster dunk on the very first possession sent waves of astonished cries through the arena. From that opening moment, the atmosphere inside the stadium was already on fire.
"That impact, that strength, that vertical leap—this LeBron... he's in his absolute prime right now. And honestly, aside from lacking some accolades, he's not inferior to Kobe at all!"
In the stands.
Blake Su applauded LeBron's violent poster dunk, offering his praise without reservation.
Beside him, however, Mia Quinn remained relatively calm. Though she knew enough about basketball to recognize it as a great play, it just didn't excite her much.
Perhaps...
Because LeBron wasn't exactly easy on the eyes?!
Smack!
On the court, Kobe received the ball and brought it up. At the left wing near the arc, he faced Wade and slowly dribbled into the left high post. Turning his back, he began backing Wade down, repeatedly bumping him toward the paint.
After establishing position, he gathered the ball, shook his shoulders twice to create separation, then leaned back for a fadeaway jumper.
Swish!
A picture-perfect fadeaway.
Nothing but net.
But on the next possession, the "Flash" burst into action. Wade pushed the ball coast-to-coast, slicing into the paint. His signature "Eurostep" came out, shaking off the helping Pau Gasol.
Swish!
A smooth left-hand scoop layup from the left side dropped in easily in response.
Gasol, however, refused to be outdone. In the low post, he backed down Bosh, powering his way to the middle of the lane. Leaning against him, he flicked a soft left-hand hook.
Swish!
With his gentle touch, the ball dropped through.
CB4 had just been scored on in isolation—something he couldn't accept. On the very next possession, Bosh caught the ball in the same right-side low post against Gasol and faked a drive.
Whoosh!
He rose straight into a jumper.
Swish!
Gasol's contest was just a beat too slow… and the shot went in.
Gasol got scored over?
Kobe certainly couldn't sit back and watch. With Artest and Pau Gasol setting a double screen up high, Kobe drove into the paint, planted, and exploded upward with terrifying burst.
Bosh didn't even have time to jump—he could only stand upright and extend an arm in desperation.
Boom!
What met him was a ruthless poster dunk.
Boom!
Back and forth they went. The Heat and Lakers traded blows throughout the first quarter, star against star. Fans from both sides were boiling with excitement as the arena erupted into a fiery frenzy.
End of the first quarter.
Lakers (28): (28) Heat.
Tie game.
The stands were buzzing nonstop as fans eagerly awaited an even more thrilling battle to come.
"Kobe's basically fighting three guys by himself… that seems really hard!"
Mia Quinn said.
"True."
Blake Su nodded.
"The Heat right now have top-tier players at three different positions. When those three combine, it's genuinely terrifying.
But...
The Lakers are the defending champions. Besides Kobe, they've got Pau Gasol and a group of tough role players. It's really hard to say who'll win tonight."
"Ohhh."
Mia Quinn nodded, half understanding. Then... she went back to eating and drinking.
On the court.
The second quarter began with the bench rotations.
Originally, Lamar Odom was expected to dominate during the bench minutes. But the Heat sent in "Flash" Wade to lead their second unit. Against Wade, Odom's advantage disappeared instantly.
Starting a superstar during bench rotations?
Yes.
After all, the Heat had three superstars—they could afford it.
With Wade leading the unit, the Heat built a five-point lead. After a timeout, Wade checked out to rest. Both teams' starters returned, and Kobe brought the ball up the court.
Standing in front of him was...
LeBron.
"It's here!"
"Number 23 versus Number 24!"
"Wait—now it's Number 6 versus Number 24!"
"Wow!"
The moment Kobe and LeBron matched up, the crowd erupted once again.
Thud!
Kobe backed down LeBron, engaging in physical contact. A half-turn and fadeaway fake lifted LeBron slightly. Kobe immediately spun back the other way, leaning forward into a short mid-range jumper.
Swish!
Good.
LeBron then pushed the ball up the floor, dropped his center of gravity for a step, and suddenly accelerated past Kobe. It was a pure bulldozer-style drive—brutal and unstoppable—as he crashed into the paint.
Thump!
He suddenly leapt, hanging in the air before banking the shot off the glass. Kobe contested, but couldn't block it.
Swish!
LeBron scored as well.
Swish!
But no sooner had his attack finished than Kobe came down the floor and drilled a pull-up three in transition in response.
LeBron answered immediately with a powerful driving dunk.
For the entire latter half of the second quarter, it had essentially become a duel between Kobe and LeBron.
Fans were thoroughly satisfied, enjoying the spectacle to their hearts' content.
By halftime, the score remained tight. The thrilling back-and-forth and lingering suspense had fans calling this Christmas game absolutely spectacular.
However.
Just when everyone thought the second-half shootout between the Heat and Lakers would become even more explosive...
The third quarter began.
"Flash" Wade attacked with his lightning-quick Eurostep and floater.
CB4 scored with fadeaway jumpers after low-post backdowns.
And King James bulldozed his way to the rim again and again.
At the start of the third quarter, the Heat's "Big Three" joined forces and unleashed a devastating 22–4 scoring run.
The sudden barrage completely stunned the Lakers and effectively blew the game wide open.
Although the Lakers fought desperately to catch up, and Kobe hit several extremely difficult shots and drives—at one point cutting the deficit to just five points—they ultimately still lost.
And it wasn't just the Lakers who lost.
Fans also felt that this much-anticipated showdown between the Heat and Lakers hadn't been as exciting as expected.
It failed to reach the level everyone had hoped for.
Some fans even felt...
It was rather dull