Kobe Bryant’s biggest obsession during his final NBA years, revealed by former Lakers teammate

Kobe Bryant was one of the most influential players in NBA history. He dominated the league for nearly two decades and led the Los Angeles Lakers through one of the franchise’s most successful eras. But in the final chapter of his legendary career, the iconic guard had an obsession he couldn’t fulfill, as revealed by a former teammate.

In a February 2024 interview on The OGs podcast, Metta Sandiford-Artest spoke about Bryant’s mindset during his final seasons in the league. “After Kobe got five, he wanted number six. You saw it in his eyes; he wanted number six,” said the small forward, who played for the Lakers from 2009 to 2013 and again from 2015 to 2017.

After winning his fifth title in 2010, Kobe found himself one championship shy of tying Michael Jordan, and that goal seemed to weigh heavily on him—not just mentally, but also in how he approached high-stakes games. “There were games when we were up, after that finals, in the Playoffs up, you know by seven points or 10 points with a minute left. Instead of letting it happen naturally to get to the finals,” Sandiford-Artest recalled. “I think Kobe wanted it too much.”

Even Bryant himself never hid his intense drive to keep winning titles with the Lakers. “I just want No. 6, man,” he told ESPN during the 2011–12 season. “I’m not asking for too much, man. Just give me a sixth ring, damn it.”

Kobe Bryant #24 and Metta Sandiford-Artest (then Ron Artest) #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers react after a win vs the Dallas Mavericks on March 12, 2011

How close did Kobe Bryant get to a sixth title?

Over the course of his 20-season career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant won five NBA championships. The first three came in a row from 2000 to 2002, with Shaquille O’Neal as co-star and Phil Jackson as head coach. After O’Neal’s departure to the Miami Heat in 2004, Bryant became the team’s undisputed leader and guided the Lakers to two more titles in 2009 and 2010. In between, the team lost two other Finals—against the Detroit Pistons in 2004 and the Boston Celtics in 2008.

see also

A Miami Heat legend sparks controversy by claiming Kobe Bryant didn’t deserve the 2010 NBA Finals MVP

However, after the fifth ring in 2010, things grew more difficult for Kobe. He led the Lakers to the playoffs in the next two seasons, but they were eliminated in the semifinals by the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively. In 2013, they were swept in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs, and from that point on, they failed to reach the playoffs again until Bryant’s retirement in 2016.

Bryant made peace with the sixth ring that never came

After years of chasing it, Kobe Bryant eventually came to terms with the elusive sixth championship. “Six doesn’t seem like it’s in the cards,” he admitted in a 2016 interview with the Los Angeles Daily News. “But I’m OK with that.”

He ultimately reflected: “As a player, you want to try to do everything you can with what you have and leave no stone unturned. If you’ve looked at yourself in the mirror and honestly understand that you’ve done that, I’m more than happy.”