Synopsis
Born in 1978 in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kobe Bryant spent his early years in Italy and
joined the NBA straight out of high school. A dominant scorer, Bryant won five
NBA championships and the 2008 MVP Award with the Los Angeles Lakers. Although
later seasons were marred by injuries, he surpassed Michael Jordan for third
place on the NBA all-time scoring list in December 2014. The following year, he
announced his plan to retire after the 2015-16 NBA season.
Kobe Bean Bryant was
born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Named after a Japanese
steakhouse, Kobe Bryant is the son of former NBA player Joe
"Jellybean" Bryant.
In 1984, after ending
his NBA career, the elder Bryant took the family to Italy, where he played in
the Italian League. Growing up in Italy alongside two athletic older sisters,
Shaya and Sharia, Kobe was an avid player of both basketball and soccer. When
the family returned to Philadelphia in 1991, Bryant joined the Lower Merion
High School basketball team, leading it to the state championships four years
in a row. With an eye on the NBA, he also started working out with the 76ers.
Though he boasted good
grades and high SAT scores, Bryant decided to go straight to the NBA from high
school. He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick of
the 1996 NBA draft, and was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
NBA
Career
In his second season as
guard, with the Lakers, Bryant was voted a starter for the 1998 All-Star Game,
becoming at 19 the youngest All-Star in NBA history. He then teamed up with
superstar center Shaquille O'Neal to win three consecutive NBA championships,
and was voted first-team all-NBA from 2002-04. He also inked multi-year
endorsement deals with Adidas, Sprite and other top sponsors.
Although the Lakers
struggled after O'Neal left in 2004, Bryant performed brilliantly. He scored 81
points against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006, the second-highest
single-game mark in NBA history, and led the league in scoring that year and
the next.
In 2008, Bryant was
named Most Valuable Player and carried his team to the NBA Finals, where they
lost to the Boston Celtics. In the 2009 NBA Finals, the Lakers beat the Orlando
Magic to win the championship. Shortly afterward, Bryant was part of the
memorial service to honor friend and music superstar Michael Jackson. The
following year, the Lakers won their second straight title by defeating the
Celtics.
Bryant played on both
the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams, winning consecutive gold medals with
teammates Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, among several other
top players.
After suffering a torn
Achilles tendon in April 2013, Bryant worked hard to return to the court before
fracturing his knee just six games into the 2013-14 season. The veteran
All-Star surpassed Michael Jordan for third all-time on the NBA scoring list in
December 2014, but his season ended due to injury for the third straight year
when he sustained a torn rotator cuff in January 2015.
Although Bryant
returned in time for the start of the 2015-16 NBA season, he personally
struggled alongside his young Lakers teammates. In November 2015, he announced
that he would retire at the end of the season. "This season is all I
have left to give," he wrote on The Players' Tribune website. "My
heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind but my body knows
it's time to say goodbye."
The announcement drew a
strong reaction, particularly from NBA Commissioner Adam
Silver. "With 17 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA MVP, five NBA
championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals and a relentless work
ethic, Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our
game," Silver said in a statement. "Whether competing in the finals
or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an
unconditional love for the game."
On April 13, 2016,
Bryant dazzled a sold-out crowd at the Staples Center and fans everywhere in
the last game of his career, scoring 60 points and leading the Lakers to a win
against the Utah Jazz. It was Bryant’s sixth 60-point game of his career.
After the game, Bryant
spoke to the crowd. "I can't believe how fast 20 years went by . . .,” he
said. "This is absolutely crazy . . . and to be standing at center court
with you guys, my teammates behind me, appreciating the journey that we've been
on — we've been through our ups, been through our downs. I think the most
important part is we all stayed together throughout."
An all-star lineup of
Laker icons also payed tribute to Bryant including Shaquille O’Neal, Phil
Jackson, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom and Magic Johnson.
“We are here to
celebrate greatness for 20 years,” Johnson said. “Excellence for 20 years. Kobe
Bryant has never cheated the game, never cheated us as the fans. He has played
through injury, he has played hurt. And we have five championship banners to show
for it.
Personal
Life
Bryant married
19-year-old Vanessa Laine in April 2001. In July 2003, he was charged with one
count of sexual assault on a 19-year-old female hotel worker in Colorado.
Bryant said he was guilty of adultery, but innocent of the rape charge. The
case against Bryant was dismissed in 2004, and he settled the civil lawsuit
filed by the hotel worker against him out of court.
Among his philanthropic
endeavors, the basketball great has partnered with the non-profit After-School
All-Stars as part of the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation. He also
runs an annual summer camp called the Kobe Basketball Academy.
