Thrilling! Taking G1!

"Kobe's signature help-side block, followed by a fast-break slam!"

"A beautiful dunk! In the Finals, we rarely saw a player leave everyone so far behind, charging ahead alone and finishing with a breathtaking slam."

"Only at this moment did we remember that this 19-year-old MVP was also a Slam Dunk Champion!"

"Forget Kobe's dunk! His choice to come over for that help-side block was the truly terrifying part!" Magic Johnson slapped the table.

After Kobe's thunderous dunk, the Bulls quickly called timeout, giving Magic Johnson and the others a chance to chat.

"How many times did Michael Jordan get blocked in an entire season? In the Finals? You could count them on one hand! Kobe's block was simply astonishing."

"At the instant Jordan made his move, Kobe was still in front of Pippen! That was why Jordan chose to attack one-on-one—he hadn't noticed that anyone's help defense could interfere with him."

"And the very next second! Kobe moved!"

"With the speed of lightning, impossible to cover one's ears, stealing bells, ringing bells, refusing to yield!"

"Too fast! And Bowen's defense was also crucial. If he hadn't forced Michael to hang in the air and release the ball only after dropping to his lowest point, then even Kobe would have had no way to disrupt that shot!"

"That play! It was perfect coordination from the Lakers' wings!"

"They got the stop! At such a critical moment in the OK-versus-Jordan-and-Pippen showdown, Kobe used a huge block to stop Jordan! This could be the play that changes the course of the game!"

Pippen remembered the last time Michael Jordan's expression had looked this bad—it was when they had been eliminated by Magic Johnson.

That year, Jordan had returned to basketball midway through the season after playing baseball. His body's muscle memory had fallen