Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant was a professional basketball player who played his entire career for the Los Angeles Lakers. His professional career began with the 1996 NBA draft when the Charlotte Hornets selected Bryant with the 13th overall pick and then traded him to the Lakers. During his 20 years in the NBA, Bryant earned numerous accolades, including regular-season and NBA Finals MVP awards and two gold medals in the Olympics.
Bryant ended his career in 2016. He scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz in his final NBA game. Kobe Bryant died in January 2020 in a helicopter crash. He was one of several passengers, including his daughter Gianna. He was honored with a private funeral in Newport Beach, California, a public memorial service, and an outpouring of people keeping his memory alive.
Bryant was born in Philadelphia but moved to Italy at the age of 6. He returned to the United States in the summer to play basketball. At 13 years old, he moved back to Philadelphia. As of May 15, 2021, Kobe Bryant is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
- Full name: Kobe Bean Bryant
- Birthday: August 23, 1978
- Died: January 26, 2020 (age 41)
- Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Spouse: Vanessa Bryant (married in 2001)
- Children: Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri
- Height: 6’6”
- Nickname: Black Mamba
- High school: Lower Merion in Philadelphia
- Number of NBA Championships: 5
- Position: Shooting guard
- Jersey numbers: 8 and 24
- Net worth: $600 million
Read the latest articles on Kobe Bryant:
On the court, Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality knew no bounds. And while he could show that same fire away from the hardwood, he also knew when to back down.
Allen Iverson was in awe of Kobe Bryant during his career.
Phil Jackson certainly knew how to win, but he would use some unusual ideas to get his team to the top of the mountain. Allow Kobe Bryant to explain.
There won’t be as much Kobe Bryant content in the “Shaq” HBO documentary as you might expect.
John Salley claims Phil Jackson refused to let Kobe Bryant score 100 points in his 81-point outburst for the Lakers in 2006.
Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality carried him to the top, but it also cropped up during some more fun activities.
When Phil Jackson orchestrated a meeting between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, things were bound to get a bit heated.
If you wanted to interact with Kobe Bryant, you needed to leave your Adidas gear at home. Just ask Nick Young about that.
While Michael Jordan and LeBron James are two world-class players, Shaquille O’Neal would rather team up with Kobe Bryant.
Everyone knows that Kobe Bryant was a special basketball player. Dwight Howard, however, took things even further than that.
