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:
Shaquille O’Neal hasn’t forgotten about people comparing James Harden and Joel Embiid to him and Kobe Bryant.
LeBron James chose a pair of old-school players more like himself over Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant when discussing dream teammates.
Luka Doncic now stands alongside Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in the NBA record books.
Michael Jordan had no problem sharing tips with Kobe Bryant, but, on one occasion, almost came to regret some advice.
Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t want people comparing the duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden to him and Kobe Bryant.
During his time with the Lakers, Kobe Bryant wasn’t always the perfect teammate. If not for Byron Scott, things could have been even worse.
Even Kobe Bryant’s famous “Mamba Mentality” had it’s limits. Take, for example, the time the guard tried to freestyle with Shaquille O’Neal.
Derek Fisher said he couldn’t believe he got drafted in the NBA, never mind the first round.
Kobe Bryant quickly got into Iman Shumpert’s head with simple yet effective trash talk.
Luka Doncic has become a flat-out star for the Dallas Mavericks. Before his NBA career even started, though, Doncic received fascinating advice from the late Kobe Bryant.
