NBA.com: Looking back, it was a decade to remember »

Best player of the decade: Kobe Bryant

2002-03 was a forgettable season for the Lakers. Shaq missed almost 20 games, they finished a mediocre (by their standards) 50-32 and got bounced out of the semis after three straight championships. But this is also a season where Kobe averaged 30 ppg for the first time and initiated the groundswell of “best player on the planet” that basically lasted for the rest of the decade.