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How the NBA Has Changed Around Kobe Bryant—And How Kobe Hasn't

Kobe Bryant has been the unmoving eye of the NBA hurricane for 19 seasons—its stubborn, static center orbited violently by a maelstrom of change.

There are lots of ways to illustrate how much the NBA has evolved during Bryant's two-decade tenure. Player turnover, trends in style of play, rule changes that morphed the game into something different entirely—all of these highlight Bryant as a solitary figure from another era.

Another option: simply looking at the names of the league's elite in Bryant's rookie year.

The All-Stars during the 1996-97 season all hail from a bygone era.