Man, let me tell you how this whole thing started. I was scrolling through old NBA highlights late last night when a thumbnail popped up showing Kobe and Chris Childs nose-to-nose. Instantly remembered that crazy Knicks-Lakers game but couldn’t recall the details.
Digging Up The Footage
First thing I did was fire up the laptop and hunt for the full game tape. Took me forever to find a decent version without those annoying watermarks. Finally found the 2000 season matchup – February 4th, Madison Square Garden.
Checked the box score first to understand the context:
- Kobe already had 31 points late in 4th quarter
- Childs was just a backup point guard trying to prove himself
- Knicks were getting stomped by 15+ points
The Breakdown
Rewound to the 3:17 mark. Kobe’s driving hard when Childs clotheslines him near the sideline – total cheap shot. Kobe pops up immediately and BAM they’re jawing like pitbulls. Watched it frame-by-frame:
- Kobe shoves Childs with two hands to the chest
- Childs throws a wild looping punch that completely misses
- Kobe counters with a left jab that connects clean
The benches cleared like cockroaches when you turn the lights on. Patrick Ewing grabbing people, Jeff Van Gundy trying to body-block Shaq – total chaos.
Final Takeaways
What surprised me most watching the whole thing:
- How skinny young Kobe looked but still threw hands fearlessly
- That both guys only got 2-game suspensions somehow
- Childs became a punchline forever after that whiffed swing
Showed the clip to my buddy this morning and we couldn’t stop laughing at Childs’ awkward wind-up punch. Still can’t believe Kobe took zero backtalk from anybody, even as a 21-year-old. Vintage Mamba mentality right there.