Kobe Bryant

Player Profile and Personal Life

Kobe Bean Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States of America. He stood 198 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 96 kg. He shot with his right and he was a shooting guard and a small forward.

Bryant went by the nicknames Black Mamba, KB24, Vino, Showboat, Little Flying Warrior, The Eighth Man, and Lord of the Rings.

His father Joe Bryant was a former NBA player. Bryant married Vanessa Laine in April 2001. They had four daughters together.

High School Career

He attended Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania. In 1996, he was named a McDonald’s All-American. He was also named to the First-team Parade All-American that year. Bryant was also honored as the 1996 Naismith Prep Player of the Year and the 1996 Gatorade National Player of the Year.

Professional Career

He declared for the 1996 NBA Draft straight out of college and was the 13th overall pick of the draft, chosen in the first round by the Charlotte Hornets. He was later traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, the team he would spend the entirety of his career playing for.

In his first year with the Lakers, Bryant was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Also in 1997, he was the NBA Slam Dunk Champion.

In 1998, he was named an NBA All-Star for the first time. He would be named an NBA All-Star a total of 8 times in his career, most recently in 2016.

In 2000, he helped the Lakers dominate the league and become the NBA Champions. They would go on to secure a three-peat of championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Bryant would help them win again in 2009 and again in 2010. In 2008, he was named as the NBA Most Valuable Player.

In 2009 and 2010, Bryant was named the NBA Finals MVP.

After signing a three-year contract extension with the Lakers in 2010, he suffered multiple injuries throughout the season. Despite Bryant’s injuries, the Lakers went on to win the NBA finals against Bolton Celtics.

Bryant went on to become the youngest player in the league to score 30,000 points.

Although Bryant was plagued with more injuries in 2014, he became the oldest NBA player to achieve 30 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds in a game.

Retirement

His final season came in 2015-16 as he announced his retirement from basketball due to an accumulation of debilitating physical injuries through the years. His career statistics are 33,643 points, 7,047 rebounds, and 6,306 assists.

Death

Bryant died on January 26, 2020, in Calabasas, California after the helicopter that he was on crashed. There were nine people on board including Bryant and his second daughter Gianna.

The helicopter had crashed into the side of a mountain in Calabasas about 30 miles from downtown Los Angeles. Witness reports tell that the helicopter was seen struggling in its flight before the crash.

Career Highlights

• 2000–2002, 2009, 2010 - NBA champion
• 2009, 2010 - NBA Finals MVP
• 2008 - NBA Most Valuable Player
• 1998, 2000–2016 - NBA All-Star
• 2002, 2007, 2009, 2011 - NBA All-Star Game MVP
• 2002–2004, 2006–2013 - All-NBA First Team
• 2000, 2001 - All-NBA Second Team
• 1999, 2005 - All-NBA Third Team
• 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006–2011 - NBA All-Defensive First Team
• 2001, 2002, 2012 - NBA All-Defensive Second Team
• 2006, 2007 - NBA scoring champion
• 1997 - NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion
• 1997 - NBA All-Rookie Second Team
• NBA 75th Anniversary Team
• Nos. 8 & 24 retired by Los Angeles Lakers
• Gatorade National Player of the Year
• 1996 - Naismith Prep Player of the Year
• 1996 - McDonald’s All-American
• 1996 - First-team Parade All-American
• 1995 - Fourth-team Parade All-American

Career Statistics

• Points - 33,643 (25.0 ppg)
• Rebounds - 7,047 (5.2 rpg)
• Assists - 6,306 (4.7 apg)

Medal Record, Men’s basketball, representing the United States

• Gold - 2008 Olympic Games Beijing
• Gold - 2012 Olympic Games London
• Gold - 2007 FIBA Americas Championship Las Vegas