We miss this type of playoff basketball 🔥

This was basketball.

This shit crazy watching all that contact and no whistle gotta love them days

Them boys would of got arrested for attempted murder in todays league🤣

Back when players took pride in taking on their opponent straight up.

This didn't even used to be special, this is just how basketball was played. It used to be viewed as weak or shameful to flop, because you wanted to have a good hard battle with your opponent.

Those Melo Kobe battles were something special man. Such a good time in basketball. Real hoops man

Back when I tuned in.

Kobe loved every second of this hahaha. Miss this era of basketball

“Kobe Bryant. Best Laker of all time.” - Jeff Van Gundy (2009). This is before Kobe won his 4th and 5th titles. 👀

When they actually guarded each other … it was amazing

Not a single draft kings ad on any of the jerseys… great times

I miss these battles.

Melos hand in Kobe’s face and I see a kid in the background with his eyes 👀 glued to the game. Man that kid was watching greatness in the flesh

Miss how the playoffs used to feel man 💯💯🤦🏽‍♂️

We will never see basketball like this again in our lifetime.

This was the era I grew up in. Back when calling foul in a pickup game was sacrilegious

Espn theme song hits different! love them days

god i wish i could go back in time and relive those days. Back then I could watch two full NBA games back to back, these days I can't even sit through a 3 minute highlight reel....

This is REAL basketball core bro Bring it backkkkk Whoever thinks kobe is the goat comment 🐐 🐍

Best part is they were friends and wanted to go at each other like this. Respect. And farewell cause this shit isn’t coming back ever