Kobe Bryant and the controversial 1998 All-Star Game: Unraveling the 'Freeze Out' Mystery 

This generation will never understand how amazing the all star used to be

That 98 All Star game was so fun to watch... Special thanks to George Karl for giving Kobe the gas to beat Denver in 08 & 09.

Miss this kind of all star game 😢 This NBA era is not fun to watch anymore

Kobe was a TRUE competitor. An absolute killer. Dude never ran out of motivation.

Most of the superstar players who participated in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game were great players who went on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after their retirement. Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan also appeared in the All-Star Game for the first time, making the game feel like a generational change in the NBA.

Malone sure didn't seem to mind riding the young man's coat tails 5 years later trying get a ring on the way out.

They had fun, did flashy shit, and still played hard defense. This era of the all-star game is too friendly.

Jordan last all star game as a Chicago bull, 2003 was his actual final all star as a Wizards

Nobody remembers how Shaq had Kobe’s back on every play this All Star game.

Man them folks tried to break kobes spirit but instead created a monster.

19 year old Kobe playing more of a man’s game than Baby Bron ever has.

I'll see you down the road - MJ to Kobe💜💛🕊️

George Karl did the same thing to Shaq in 94. he had the centers triple team him and try to completely take him out of the contest.

The nerve of those guys to compete and want to win in an All Star Game. How dare they!

It's absolutely INSANE that the West starting lineup (outside of KG) ended up being the starters on that 03'-04' Lakers team

Maybe so, but he was never going to outclass Jordan in any case. Jordan had a lot on his mind that year : A 2nd three-peat, Pippen's disgruntled relationship with management, Phil's last year as coach, and management's desire to rebuild the team. If anything, I think Jordan viewed that game as an outlet to take his mind off the stresses of what lay ahead and appeared very relaxed, it seemed. I must say, Kobe was fire 🔥 that night. George Karl should have let him off the leash.

Figured it’d be Karl to bench Kobe. Nothing never good from that coach

Man Kobe was always treated unfairly by everyone. All he really wanted to do was hoop. Yet people act like he was so evil arrogant dude. It’s sports.

I remember this like it was yesterday. Seeing Kobe get benched was such a buzzkill.

If Karl Malone is against you, you must be doing something right.

I was 9 years old at my friend’s birthday party when this game happened. Still remember how the whole house erupted when Kobe pulled off that behind-the-back arching jump hook over Mutumbo. What a moment.

What's up with NBA and Kobe? This and Chris Paul trade veto happens, only one NBA MVP. While if NBA and media like a player they want to promote, they promote them to the peak. Man, ballers know who real Kobe is and where he stands

Don't hate the Playa hate the game.

Kobe should've been the youngest all star game MVP

I missed this kind of all star game, defense played even from the start of 1Q.

Rivalries between great players, such as like; Michael & Kobe in their different eras catapulted NBA's popularity so immense around the world and beyond. M.J., K.B., and the NBA made it to happen that everyone of us would remember those moments forever. 🏀😃🥰

Great timing on Super Bowl Sunday!

George Karl benched Kobe and Malone don't like him Kobe: that's all I needed, that became personal with me

Unbelievable MJ retired after 93 and again after this MJ!!! So many stats and accolades left on the table. Love of the Game. Never chased stats. 🐐

Fast forward to the present and the All Star MVP is named after Kobe

I remember this game like yesterday. Kobe outshine everyone but they sat him the whole 4th quarter just so Jordan can get the MVP. Kobe would've won it easily

Kobe looked good that game. I remember watching. It thinking he stealing MJ thunder

Didn't Kobe get rid of Jeremy Lin for doing the same thing 😭

So thats why Malone sabotaged Kobe's finals run vs detroit 😅

The fact NBA players were upset because they wanted to win an all-star game says all I need to know about current gen players.

The politics was crazy for kobe. How is he an all star in 98 & Iverson isn’t? Go look at what each player was doing that year

George Karl will regret that

98 all star game more competitive than most NBA games today....

MJ was the Michael Jordan of all Michael Jordans

He really shouldn’t have started. He was coming off the bench that season that’s why he had alot of blow back. But you knew he was special

Oh, I remember when this happened and I knew why this happened. Kobe didn't forget it either.

KOBE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A STARTER ON THE LAKERS FROM DAY 1 .... HE WAS THE BEST PLAYER THEY HAD FROM DAY 1 ....

01:25😂 😂😂 guess who's sitting courtside?

Wow, I never heard this story ever. I remember watching this game live on my 20' inch something Zenith TV in the basement back in February 1998. I was a huge MJ/Bulls fan and I knew at that age as a kid, this may have been MJ's last all star game but I was mesmerized by a young Kobe. I figured whoever had the most points would win MVP. However, although that was a dumb move on George Karl to do that, if that is truly the case. I think the media and the main people in charge in the NBA knew this was MJ's last all star game and last season, at least as a Bull. So essentially its only fitting MJ won the MVP. But when I think of the 1998 NBA All star game the second person I think of is Kobe Bryant and he put on a show. What are David Robinson, Karl Malone and Gary Payton going to do? Just my 2 cents.

this was before player empowerment. here we see all star players seemed more than willing to give a show to those big stars who came to watch. grandest pickup game.

And Now Every One is Talking About How Great KOBE was and Malone Being a Horrible Human Being. KARMA at its Best!

Man I know that jack Nicholson signed Kobe ball worth so damn much

I wouldn't call it a Freeze out game. As a Rookie in the League one must earn their stripes. To think many veterans, MVPs, Future HOF (at the time) is just gonna sit back and let a Rookie/2nd Player succeed is delusional. And even more delusional and an insult when the player haven't proved himself nor won anything in the league yet. So no it wasn't a freeze out for both MJ and Kobe

Mj scored 23 kobe scored 18 ... Katt scored 50 on the losing team this year

Mj: _"i see you down the road"_ Kobe: _"Cool"_ since then, Mj received lots of calls and messages from Kobe even past midnight.

No one batting an eye on the Lakers for having four all stars?

Karl Malone : man, screw kobe Also Karl Malone : yo im old, can i come join you and you get me a ring before i retire? Kobe vs Detroit : nah

You wrong about saying Kobe was playing for MVP he's not a stat chaser like someone in the NBA he was playing hard to get that W

When best players in the world actually had some pride instead of this dumb All Star Game we have today.

I actually don't disagree with George Karl. Kobe wanted to make the game about himself. He was young and brash and more than a little selfish. Yes he was an exceptional talent and yes many wanted to see him and MJ go at it and yes he put on a great show. But fans also paid to see the other All Stars. There were plenty of fans that wanted to see the other guys do their thing as well. Kobe was young and needed to be held in check a little bit just like the Lakers did his first few years. There is a give and take between displaying all your talents and being a good teammate that Kobe struggled with most of his career, especially early on.

Why are we blaming George Karl for this. Couldn’t it have been a higher up “request”?

I just realized something so in 1988 MJ won All Star Game MVP in his home town team Chicago Bulls fast forward 10yrs later in 1998 he won All Star Game MVP again this time in New York same city he was born in i never seen that happened on both ends

Don't know it was contrversial. It's just a regular all star game in the 90s. But Kobe was making some noise already, because he's an all star from the bench.

was the video cut off at the end?

Jack knew what was up, wonder how much that ball is worth now

Michael Jordan is the greatest player in the league history…… and in my opinion it’s not even close…

1998 and 2001 are the two greatest all star games ever. The "72 game was great too.

I wish NBA all star games were this fun to watch again I swear this generation sucks it don't even be really competitive just a lot of big names and flair

Kobe took it personal. 😂

When the all-star game was worth watching todays players should be ashamed, and bonuses stripped.

Jealousy is a hell of a thing the hated on the mamba from the mamba

Malone was so mad he joined the Lakers later on !😂😂

I don’t know anything about Basketball admittedly. In an all star game, you wear your clubs colours? How do you play like that? You have to remember who’s on your team? which at this level seems absurd.

Back when people competed in all star games

Did ya'll know that the Utah Jazz still holds a grudge against MJ and that they made their pass word MJ pushing off and it's still that til this day

Someone show this to Adam Silver I don’t think he’s seen it. This what an All-Star game is suppose to be, we want to see all star level defense to go with the offense

When players cared about winning.

MJ 🐐

Malone was pissed, he heard there were going to be 13 year old girls to impregnate but all he got was Kobe showing him up

I WANNA BE I WANNA BE LIKE MIKE ! .....

Great respect for kobes devotion to his idol make sense for milions of kids growing with a closet poster on every field R.I.P

Remember when this game meant something to the players ?

Not sure why people think this was so monumental. It was a 19 year old kid playing a near 40 year old man and the old man still won the matchup🤷

They played more defense in that game than current regular season games and some playoff games….

You said, “Wonder kid.” Ted Lasso wrote that pronunciation mistake in one of its episodes as well. It’s “wunderkind.”

We all know that MJ doesn't pass around compliments and MJ loved Kobe Bryant and he never has said anythang bad bout Kobe cause MJ looked at Kobe like a lil brother and plus Kobe stole all his moves lol

I miss Ahmad Rashad and the inside stuff ya'll yung fellas don't know nuthn bout the inside stuff

Back when defense is a thing in NBA All Star Game

I remember watching the game… I thought Kobe was cool… but 16 shots for 18 points!… Sit down young one. The All-Star game has always been more a tribute to the greats than a show for the children to demonstrate their skills… Magic’s All-Star game MVP when he wasn’t even playing is the best example of this.

We drafted him in Charlotte NC Yeah we was robbed

The big brother did it again

3:24 this shot right here is why MJ is the GOAT. No other NBA player in history had a fade away that didn’t go straight away from the basket, but away from the defender. Every single one of us that has played knows how insanely hard that shot is, yet it is just another one of his options after the dribble. Just insane.

Back when the NBA played defense, even in the all star game. I don't really blame either coach Karl or Malone. A 19 yo should not be trying to take the spotlight in the all star game. It was a great matchup tho.

Nice to see effort!

Kobe was always humble and never thought he was better then anyone he was a great person on court and off a true legend 🫡

Then Malone had the audacity to make a move on Vanessa years down the road. What an asshole!!!

There shouldn't be an All-Star MVP for this very reason. Its supposed to be a showcase for everyone's talent. I never thought anything of it back then, I just wanted to see more players play than just a 1-on-1 between Jordan and Bryant.

I saw that game. Kobe was a big ball hog eyesore that night.

George Karl Kobe Bryant Gary Payton Shaquille o Neal Karl Malone Kevin Garnett David Robinson Mitch Richmond Vin Baker Jason Kidd Eddie Jones Tim Duncan Nick Van Exel Larry Bird Michael Jordan Penny Hardaway Dikembe Mutombo Grant Hill Shawn Kemp Reggie Miller Tim Hardaway Glen Rice Antoine Walker Rik Smits Steve Smith Jayson Williams Phil Jackson Pat Riley Magic Johnson Isiah Thomas Scottie Pippen Charles Barkley Dennis Rodman John Stockton Patrick Ewing Clyde Drexler Dan Majerle Julius Erving Kareem Abdul Jabbar Bob Pettit Bill Walton Oscar Robertson Elgin Baylor

The irony naming your son Coby Karl. 😮

This all star game that i want to watch...very competitively.

6:10 Jordan: See this one junior, unstoppable Kobe: aight

Back when the All-Star game was huge and meant somthing.

This is what you called NBA ALLSTARS

so mj had a freeze out myth so kobe has to have one too