Kobe's greatest hits (and misses) against the Jazz

Kobe Bryant is the Los Angeles Lakers. He's been the face of the franchise pretty much since he joined the team as an 18-year-old straight out of Lower Merion High in suburban Philadelphia back in 1996.

His flashy play, good looks, arrogance and undeniable talent have made him one of the most loved — and hated — NBA players of all time. He, along with Shaquille O'Neal, led the Lakers to three straight NBA titles from 2000-02. When O'Neal and Bryant could no longer stand to play together, Lakers owner Jerry Buss sent Shaq packing to Miami, showing once and for all that Kobe was the biggest basketball star in Hollywood.

But then during the Jazz's Western Conference Finals series against the Spurs last spring, Bryant said he wanted out of L.A. Trade rumors involving the Lakers star have been the talk of the NBA ever since.

While it seems hard to imagine, Bryant could be making his final Salt Lake City appearance in a Lakers uniform tonight when Utah hosts L.A. in an 8:30, ESPN-televised game at EnergySolutions Arena. The Jazz won't host the Lakers again until March 20 — by which time Bryant could be playing for the Bulls or some other NBA franchise.

With that in mind, here's a look back at some of the most memorable Jazz vs. Lakers games during Bryant's career:

JAZZ 98, LAKERS 93 (OT) (May 12, 1997) — This was the fifth and deciding game in the conference semifinals in the Delta Center. Bryant was just a non-starting rookie at the time, but he showed that, for good or bad, he wasn't afraid to take the big shot at crunch time.

While veterans such as Byron Scott, Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones watched, Bryant tried to will the Lakers to the victory. The rookie took the potential game-winning 3-pointer at the end of regulation, but it was an airball. He then shot three more treys in overtime — all of them airballs. In all, Bryant, then 18, took six shots in the final moments of regulation and overtime and missed five of them as his first playoff experience ended on a sour note.

"I had some good looks," Bryant explained afterward. "I just didn't hit the shots."

Added Shaquille O'Neal, "I've seen a lot of all-stars shoot airballs like that."

Perhaps Shaq was talking about himself shooting free throws.