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Without Kobe Bryant, there wouldn’t be the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder would still exist as an organization, of course, it’s not like Bryant single-handedly built the franchise. But without Kobe, Oklahoma City wouldn’t be where they are today.

Kobe’s Lakers were the measuring stick of the NBA during the 2000s. The team that every other team wanted to be. The team that every other team wanted to beat.

Oklahoma City included.

The Thunder were still in their infancy, having just moved from Seattle in 2008. The next year, they fell to the Lakers, 4-2, in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs.

As Erik Horne of The Athletic observed, it was the postseason battles between the Thunder and the Lakers that helped Oklahoma City grow into a contender.

The first playoff win against Bryant and the Lakers, 101-96 in Game 3, birthed belief. Bryant was a measuring stick for so many of the Thunder’s young players, with Durant chasing Bryant to become the best scorer in the league. Westbrook and Harden, Los Angeles natives, were competing every possession against the guard who reigned over their city during their childhood.

The Thunder weren’t ready yet. Bryant knew they were coming, calling Durant and Westbrook a couple of bad mf’ers. During the series, Bryant had to turn his defensive attention to Westbrook, the ultimate sign of respect.

“It’s going to be an enjoyable matchup for the next several years,” Bryant said in 2010. “We look forward to these types of challenges.”

The two teams met again in the conference semifinals in 2012, with Oklahoma City advancing 4-1.

Though they lost to the Heat in the NBA Finals, they made the playoffs six of the next seven years.

The teams that played against Bryant’s Lakers are gone. The Thunder are a different organization now. But Oklahoma City will have always have the lessons that Kobe Bryant taught them. And the franchise is better for it.