Having played against hundreds of different teams during his storied 20 year career, Kobe Bryant has a lot of rival squads he could choose as his toughest. However, he narrowed down the list to five teams that gave him a challenge worth remembering. From short-term Western Conference foes to franchise rivals, "The Black Mamba's" 20 year career has given us some memorable match ups.

ESPN NBA's Baxter Holmes reported that these five were the "top-five toughest teams that he’s faced in his career":

5. San Antonio Spurs
Bryant would do battle with fellow Western Conference stalwart and one-team man Tim Duncan on numerous occasions. However, over the course of his career, he would consistently face a stiff test in the form of the "Kobe Stopper" Bruce Bowen.