As a London-based football analyst with a deep love for basketball history, I’ve always been drawn to the quiet brilliance of Kobe Bryant’s 2002 Finals performance—averaging 26.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists with elite shooting efficiency (51.4% FG, 54.5% from three). This wasn’t just dominance; it was tactical maturity masked as star power. Let’s break down how a young superstar reshaped the NBA landscape before most fans even realized he was here.