[526][527][528] [156] Bryant later confirmed his desire for West's return to the franchise but denied stating that he would want to be traded if that did not take place. [144], On March 16, Bryant scored a season-high 65 points in a home game against the Portland Trail Blazers, which helped end the Lakers 7-game losing streak. [54], Before the 1996 NBA draft, Bryant had worked out in Los Angeles, where he scrimmaged against former Lakers players Larry Drew and Michael Cooper and, according to then-Laker general manager Jerry West, "marched over these people". [174] The Lakers then won the next two games to win the semifinals. [337][338] Bryant has drawn frequent comparisons to Michael Jordan, after whom he modeled his playing style. [225][226] Bryant and other Lakers appeared in a Lakers public service announcement denouncing his behavior. [139] In the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers played well enough to reach a 31 series lead over the Phoenix Suns, culminating with Bryant's overtime-forcing and game-winning shots in Game 4. [342] Chris Ballard of Sports Illustrated described another of Bryant's most famous moves as the "jab step-and-pause" in which Bryant jabbed his non-pivot foot forward to let the defender relax but instead of bringing the jab foot back, he pushed off of it and drove around his opponent to get to the basket. He's had just another great season. [457] He has since resumed endorsement deals with The Coca-Cola Company, through their subsidiary Energy Brands, to promote their Vitamin Water brand of drinks. [335], Bryant primarily played as a shooting guard. [80], Bryant was sidelined for six weeks prior to the start of the 19992000 season due to a hand injury that he had incurred during a preseason game against the Washington Wizards. Bryant scored 20 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, along with six assists, as Team USA defeated Spain 118107 in the gold medal game on August 24, 2008, for its first gold medal in a worldwide competition since the 2000 Olympics. [140] After scoring 50 points on 20 of 35 shooting in the Game 6 loss, Bryant was criticized for only taking three shots in the second half of the 12190 Game 7 loss to Phoenix. They came within six seconds of eliminating the second-seeded Suns in Game 6, however, they lost that game 126118 in overtime. [537] On February 15, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced that the All-Star Game MVP Award would be renamed to the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player in Bryant's honor. The murals are part of the school's Black History Month celebration, where all month long students can look at the images and learn about who's being shown and why. [291] He was expected to be sidelined for nine months with a return targeted toward the start of the 201516 season. Having moved to small forward that season, Bryant was selected as a frontcourt starter for the first time. This included leading the team in assists per game and steals per game. [194] The following day, he surpassed West to become the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history. [276] On November 30, 2014, in a 129122 overtime victory against the Toronto Raptors, Bryant recorded his 20th career triple-double with 31 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds. [213] It was the Lakers' first victory of the season against one of the league's top four teams, as they entered the game 05 in previous matchups and had been outscored by an average of 11 points. [343], Bryant established a reputation for taking shots in the closing moments of tight games,[344][345][346] even when he was double or triple-teamed,[347] and was noted as one of the premier closers in the NBA. [366][367] Many players have considered him difficult to play with because of his high level of commitment and performance. [219][220][221] The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation praised the NBA's decision to fine Bryant, and the Human Rights Campaign said that Bryant's language was a "disgrace" and "distasteful". That could be the case for Oregon Ducks guard Chris Duarte, whose draft stock has soared and is now widely projected to be a first-round pick. And I feel good about that", he said. Over a year after the crash, on February 9, 2021, the NTSB declared that pilot Ara Zobayan probably became disoriented after flying into thick clouds. [150] Bryant finished the year with a total of ten 50-plus point games, surpassed only by Chamberlain. [277] At age 36, he became the oldest NBA player to achieve 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game. The accuser stated that Bryant raped her in his hotel room the night before Bryant was to have the procedure. [70] Bryant was the runner-up for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award,[71] and through fan voting, he also became the youngest NBA All-Star starter in NBA history. A security guard opens a steel door leading into a vault containing hundreds of collectibles at Collectors Vault, a new company that is making it easier for collectors to store and trade. Rose later admitted he placed his foot under Bryant intentionally. A few other guards recently played into their late 30s. On March 28, Bryant scored a season-high 53 points to go with 10 rebounds in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. [99] Bryant averaged 30 points per game and embarked on a historic run, posting 40 or more points in nine consecutive games while averaging 40.6 in the entire month of February. "[68], In Bryant's second season, he received more playing time and began to show more of his abilities as a talented young guard. [530] A public memorial service was held on February 24 (2/24, marking both Kobe's and Gianna's jersey numbers) at Staples Center with Jimmy Kimmel hosting. A particularly damaging salvo came when Jackson wrote The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul. [189] A week later, Bryant suffered an avulsion fracture in his right index finger in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. [200] The Lakers swept the Utah Jazz in the second round[201] and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they faced the Phoenix Suns. In the 2000 Finals, against the Indiana Pacers, Bryant injured his ankle in the second quarter of Game 2 after landing on the Pacers' Jalen Rose's foot. A security guard opens a steel door leading into a vault containing hundreds of collectibles at Collectors Vault, a new company that is making it easier for collectors to store and trade memorabilia. [228], Bryant received experimental platelet-rich plasma therapy called Orthokine in Germany to treat the pain on his left knee and ankle,[229][230] and Mike Brown replaced the retired Jackson as coach of the Lakers in the off-season. [41], At Adidas ABCD Camp, Bryant earned the 1995 senior MVP award[43] while playing alongside future NBA teammate Lamar Odom. [116] During the season, Bryant also engaged in public feuds with Malone and Ray Allen. [326] Along with LeBron James, he was one of the first two players to be publicly named to the 20062008 U.S. preliminary roster in 2006 by Jerry Colangelo. In addition, he was also voted to start in the NBA All-Star Game for the third year in a row (no game in 1999). [383] Both numbers he wore during his career, 8 and 24, were retired by the Lakers on December 18, 2017. LeBron James surpassed Kobe Bryant to become the NBA's third-highest scorer of all time in the LA Lakers' 108-91 defeat by the Philadelphia 76ers. "[371] After the departure of Shaquille O'Neal, he led the Lakers to two NBA championships; during this period, he became more of a mentor to his teammates than he had been earlier in his career. The stunt was considered to be fake, and the Los Angeles Times said a real stunt would probably be a violation of Bryant's Lakers contract. [500] Bryant also started the Kobe Bryant China Fund which partnered with the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, a charity backed by the Chinese government. ", "Kobe Bryant is officially an Oscar winner", "Kobe Bryant helicopter crash post-mortem released", "NBA renames All-Star Game MVP award after Kobe Bryant", "Kobe Bryant, former NBA star and Los Angeles Lakers legend, dies at 41", "Kobe Bryant Will Always Be an All-Star of Talking", "Remembering Kobe Bryant: Formed and saved by his Catholic faith", "Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, among 9 killed in a helicopter crash in California", "Kobe Bryant, from the start, was an athlete like no other", "The Secret History of Kobe Bryant's Rap Career", "A view of Kobe Bryant from his childhood home in Italy", "Kobe Bryant, Reggio Emilia piange il suo figlio. [294], After recovering to play in the 201516 preseason,[295] Bryant suffered a calf injury and missed the final two weeks of exhibition games. Due to an ectopic pregnancy, Vanessa suffered a miscarriage in the spring of 2005. [203] In a rematch against the 2008 Champion Boston Celtics, Bryant, despite shooting 6 for 24 from the field, led the Lakers back from a 13-point third-quarter deficit in Game 7 to win the championship; he scored 10 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 15 rebounds. [190] Five days after his finger injury, he made another game-winning shot, after missing on an opportunity in regulation, this time against the Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime game. [125] Whereas Chamberlain was fed repeatedly by teammates for inside shots in a blowout win, Bryant created his own shotmostly from the outsidein a game which the Lakers trailed at halftime by 14 and did not pull away until the fourth quarter. [314], On February 3, Bryant made seven three-pointers and scored a then season-high 38 points, including 14 of the team's 18 points in the last 5:02 of the game, for a 119115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bryant suffered multiple injuries throughout the season and as a result, missed nine games. [386] His formal induction was delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Bryant's point averages more than doubled, from 7.6 to 15.4 points per game. "[448][449] The accuser filed a separate lawsuit against Bryant, which the two sides settled privately. [172] In the first game of the next round, against the Jazz, Bryant scored 38 points as the Lakers beat the Jazz in Game 1. 1,126 Security Guards jobs available in Tempe, AZ on Indeed.com. [403], Bryant was the youngest of three children. [11] Despite winning the Oscar, he was denied membership into the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences due to his past sexual abuse case and their new set of standards of conduct within the recent MeToo movement. "[374] Reuters called him "arguably the best player of his generation",[347] while both Sporting News and TNT named him their NBA player of the decade for the 2000s. He performed at a 1997 concert by Sway & King Tech and recorded a verse for a remix of Brian McKnight's "Hold Me". Kobe Bryant", "Kobe Bryant Elected As The NBA Player Of The Decade", "Sporting News' NBA Athlete of the Decade: Kobe Bryant, SG, Lakers", "Special Dime: Greatest shooting guards of all time", "Kevin Durant frustrated by media's handling of Kobe Bryant", "Kobe will miss talking trash with Dirk Nowitzki", "Rose: Kobe is the Jordan of our generation", "To the End, Kobe Bryant Is a Shooting Guard, Hot or Cold", "Kobe Bryant announces plans to retire following this season", "Top stats to know: Kobe Bryant's statistical legacy", "Kobe Bryant has numbers 8 and 24 retired by the Lakers", "Kobe Bryant leads Hall of Fame finalists during somber day", "Lakers legend Kobe Bryant to be inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame", "Kobe Bryant inducted posthumously into Basketball Hall of Fame", "Magic Johnson: Young Kobe Bryant showed maturity during failure", "Kobe Bryant says he knew from onset that 201516 would be final season", "Kobe's 81-point game second only to Wilt", "Kobe Bryant Wins Most Valuable Player Award", "Redeem Team proves worthy of Dream Team comparison", "Kobe Bryant top vote-getter for 18th and final All-Star Game", "Kobe Named All-NBA First Team Again", "Anthony Davis yelled 'Kobe' after he sank game winner", "Lakers switch to Kobe Bryant-designed 'Black Mamba' jerseys for potential NBA Finals finisher", "Statue of Kobe, daughter placed at site of crash", "NBA unveils reimagined Kobe Bryant Trophy for Kia All-Star Game MVP", "Kobe Bryant's sisters issue statement after tragic death: 'Our lives are forever changed', "Kobe Bryant's sister posts touching photo tribute to late brother", "Everything You Need to Know About Kobe Bryant", "Kobe's costar Vanessa Laine was just another sheltered teenager in Orange County. [450], Before starting the 199697 season, Bryant signed a six-year contract with Adidas that was worth approximately $48million. [212] In Boston on February 10, Bryant scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half as the Lakers rallied from an early 15-point deficit for a 9286 win over the Celtics. Kobe Unveils Investment Fund With Business Partner Jeff", "Sports Academy retires 'Mamba' name out of respect to Kobe Bryant", "Legendary photographer Andrew Bernstein talks collaboration with Kobe Bryant on Mamba Mentality", "Author deletes children's book co-written with Kobe Bryant", "Kobe Bryant brought sports to page, podcast and film through Costa Mesa production company Granity Studios", "Kobe Bryant Book For Children And Young Adults Hits No. On November 2, 2012, Bryant scored 40 points with two steals, and he passed Magic Johnson (1,724) as the Lakers career leader in steals. In Game 1, Bryant, who said he made himself a decoy through most of the game, scored 18 of his 32 points in the final eight minutes to keep Los Angeles safely ahead. [347][348] In a 2012 annual survey of NBA general managers, Bryant was selected for the 10th consecutive season as the player general managers would want to take a clutch shot with a game on the line. [393] He was just the third player in NBA history to average 40 points in a calendar month, which he accomplished four times. In 2017, the Lakers retired both his Nos. [131] For the month of January, Bryant averaged 43.4 points per game,[132] the eighth highest single month scoring average in NBA history and highest for any player other than Chamberlain. [411], The Bryants' first daughter, Natalia, was born in January 2003. [258][259], With the Lakers fighting to secure the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference, coupled with injuries on the team, Bryant began playing almost all 48 minutes each game. [181] In a game against the Knicks on February 2, 2009, Bryant scored 61 points, setting a record for the most points scored at Madison Square Garden. You don't want to miss it! [393] He was selected to the All-NBA Team on 15 occasions, tied for the most with Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan,[397] and his 11 first-team honors are tied for the second-most with Karl Malone. This was the second-best scoring performance of his 11-year career. [38][39] The following three years, the Aces compiled a 7713 record, with Bryant playing all five positions. [482], In 2009, American rapper Lil Wayne released a song called "Kobe Bryant". James, 35, scored 29 points to move to 33,655. [17] Bryant was once again voted to both the All-NBA and All-Defensive First Teams,[17] and came in third place in voting for the MVP award. He was a member of the 2007 USA Men's Senior National Team and USA FIBA Americas Championship Team that finished 100, won gold and qualified the United States men for the 2008 Olympics. [55], The Lakers were looking to trade their starting center Vlade Divac for a player's draft rights to free up salary cap space to make an offer to free-agent center Shaquille O'Neal. [b] Bryant finished in fourth place in the voting for the 2006 NBA Most Valuable Player Award but received 22 first place votessecond only to winner Steve Nash. Los Angeles Lakers super star Kobe Bryant stopped by to attend and watch. Three championships were won consecutively in 2000, 2001, and 2002, further cementing this view. Bryant spoke of the injustice aimed at homeless people who are blamed for their situation, saying that homelessness should not be ignored or made a low priority. [206], Bryant wanted a sixth championship to match Jordan's total. [81] When Bryant was back and playing over 38 minutes a game, he had an increase in all statistical categories during the 19992000 season. On Nov. 3, 1996, Kobe Bryant made his NBA debut with the Los Angeles Lakers. ", "Kobe Bryant rests again, Lakers fall to Trail Blazers, 10694", "Kobe Bryant notches triple-double as Lakers hold off Nuggets", "Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has torn rotator cuff in right shoulder", "Lakers' Kobe Bryant has torn rotator cuff; severity to be determined", "Kobe Bryant to undergo season-ending surgery for torn rotator cuff", "Lakers star Kobe Bryant out for season after shoulder surgery", "Lakers, Knicks close out worst seasons in franchise history", "Byron Scott says Kobe Bryant likely OK for next game", "Kobe Bryant on his play so far: "I freaking suck", "Two decades in: Kobe Bryant clears another milestone with start of 20th Lakers season", "Kobe Bryant's possible farewell tour hits new low", "Kobe's shooting struggles not putting 'pretty defined' role in jeopardy", "Kobe Bryant to retire after this season", "Los Angeles Lakers (2-13) Vs. Indiana Pacers (105)", "Kobe Bryant's struggles cause some in NBA circles to say it's time he retires", "With Flair for the Dramatic, Kobe Spins Frustrating End into Emotional Final Act", "Kobe Bryant: 'Do I want to play again or don't I the reality is no, I don't. 8 jersey, sources say", "Phoenix Suns (2) vs. Los Angeles lakers (7)", "Unfounded stigma still following Bryant", "Bryant assessed flagrant foul for elbow in Philly", "Kobe serves one-game suspension against Bucks", "Bryant Scores NBA Season-Best 65 in Lakers Win", "Kobe Scores 50 to Lead Lakers Past Wolves", "Bryant Scores 60 as Lakers Defeat Grizzlies", "Kobe's 50-point run more important because of wins", Kobe Bryant has Top-Selling Jersey in China, "A star is reborn: Bryant's stats, dunks have made him marketable again", "Suns Top Lakers, Move On to Second Round", "Kobe says he's just suggesting West return", "Bryant asks for trade, then backtracks slightly", "Playing the video game: Underground Kobe film ain't all it's cracked up to be", "Suns Can Still Bring Out Snarl in Bryant and Lakers", "Kobe Bryant youngest to hit 20,000 points", "Los Angeles Lakers at New York Knicks Box Score, December 23, 2007", "Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, March 28, 2008", Kobe Bryant Wins Most Valuable Player Award, Jerry West attends Bryant's MVP press conference, Bryant, Garnett, Paul, Howard, James voted to first team, Kobe, Garnett Headline All-Defensive Team, "NBA.com: Gasol Powers Lakers Past Nuggets", "Nuggets Put Up a Fight, but Lakers Get Sweep", "Bryant Scores 38 as Lakers Beat Jazz in Game 1", "NBA.com: Bryant Lifts Lakers Into Conference Finals", "San Antonio Spurs vs Los Angeles Lakers May 29, 2008 Game Summary", "Celtics Capture 17th NBA Title With Record Win Over Lakers", "Los Angeles Lakers Schedule NBA Yahoo! 2440 W. Medtronic Way Suite A Tempe, AZ 85281. dummy 480-204-4960 Mike (all online class issues) dummy 602-754-0964 Tony. [375][376] In 2008 and again in 2016, ESPN ranked him the second-greatest shooting guard of all time after Jordan. [246] In a move to improve the team's defense, D'Antoni began having Bryant guard the opponent's best perimeter player; Bryant was the primary defender on the Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving, who was held to 15 points. [97] On November 1, Bryant recorded a triple-double of 33 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists in a 10893 win over the LA Clippers. "[431][432] During the 201213 season, he began referring to himself as "vino" to describe how his play had been aging like a fine wine. [480] The proceeds for downloads of both the single and ringtones were donated to impoverished schools for basketball facilities and equipment. He missed a triple-double in each game with nine rebounds twice and eight in the other. [416] In early December 2016, Vanessa gave birth to their third daughter,[417][418][419] and in January 2019 the Bryants announced they were expecting a fourth daughter. Home; Tickets; Schedule. ', "Kobe Bryant's last night in Sacramento hit him right in the heart", "Kobe requests no more gifts, on-court ceremonies during farewell tour", "Sacramento sends Kobe Bryant off with rousing ovation", "In Philadelphia, Kobe Bryant finally gets love from his home town", "Kobe Bryant's final game in Portland marks end of an era for Trail Blazers fans' last true villain", "Utah Jazz: Bryant feels the love from fans in final SLC appearance", "Dwyane Wade: 'I never thought I'd be Top 100 all time', "During strange farewell tour, Kobe Bryant rediscovers greatness for one night in D.C.", "Kobe shrugs off 38-point effort: 'You've seen it for 20 years', "Kobe Bryant is selected as an All-Star for the 18th time", "Defense in record-setting short supply in West's rout of East", "Kobe Bryant, in His Final Lap, Is Happy to Surrender the Midseason Stage", "Kobe finishes his two-decade-long career in a fashionable way as Lakers eliminate Jazz, 10196", "Kobe Bryant's final game: A flurry of jump shots and glory", "Kobe scores 60 points in unbelievable farewell victory", "Magic Johnson has great expectations for Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball", U.S. ends losing streak at World Championship, Vince Carter Added to Olympic Qualifying Team, "Kobe will play for U.S. at worlds, '08 Olympics", "Kobe won't play for Team USA after knee surgery", "US hoops back on top, beats Spain for gold medal", "USA Basketball Wins Gold Over Spain, Rio Next in 2016", "Kobe Bryant and USA Basketball Whatever It Takes", "Los Angeles Lakers: 201314 roster (Subscription Required)", "Kobe, Hill deal with being the next Michael", "Kobe Bryant Is Nearly an Equal of Michael Jordan, Except in Fan Adoration", "Kobe Bryant rises up before falling away", "Kobe Bryant delivers the final miss again", "Lakers' Jeremy Lin on game winners: 'I would love to shoot some', "Jenkins on NBA: Bryant becomes more gunner than top gun", "The truth about Kobe Bryant in crunch time", "Amid the Points and Applause, One Single Shot Ignited Love Story of Kobe, NYC", "All-Time #NBArank: Michael Jordan tops list of best shooting guards", "Kobe Bryant set to play final game in Philadelphia", "Misses add up to big part of Kobe's legacy", "Phil Jackson throws the book at Kobe Bryant", "Kobe Bryant named to NBA's all-defensive first team for ninth time", "An Open Letter to Kobe Bryant About His Defense", "Once And For All: Michael Jordan Was Way Better Than Kobe Bryant", "How Kobe Bryant influenced the next generation of NBA stars", "Examining Kobe Bryant's legendary pain tolerance and road to recovery", "Wolf on the Rock: The Ludicrous, Glorious Doom of Kobe Bryant", "Six Seconds to Perfection: The Best NBA Vines of the Season", "Julius Randle's Development Poses Final Leadership Test for Kobe Bryant", "Long a tough, chilly teammate, Kobe Bryant has mellowed and now is a mentor", "Who Killed Lakers? [306] Prior to announcing his retirement, he had been steadfast about not wanting the fuss of a staged farewell tour, preferring to hear boos instead of cheers. [89] They swept the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Finals to advance to the Finals, before losing their first game against the Philadelphia 76ers in overtime. Bill Branch, the Charlotte Hornets' head scout at the time, said that the Hornets agreed to trade their No. [44] While in high school, then 76ers coach John Lucas invited Bryant to work out and scrimmage with the team, where he played one-on-one with Jerry Stackhouse. He first missed a game-winning two-point jump shot in the fourth quarter, and then misfired 3 three-point field goals in overtime, including two tying shots in the final minute. On January 22, 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points; the second most points scored in a single NBA game, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game. He led the Lakers to two more championships in 2009 and 2010, winning the Finals MVP award on both occasions. [466][467][468], In September 2012, Bryant shot a commercial for Turkish Airlines with FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi. [284][285] Three times Bryant had exceeded 40 minutes in a game,[286] and the coach blamed himself for overloading him after he started the season in such great shape. [364][365] A fierce competitor, Bryant made opponents and teammates alike the objects of his scorn. Bryant's first high-school number was 24 before he switched to 33. [217] Bryant finished the season averaging less than 20 shots a game, his fewest since the 200304 season. [244] On December 18, in a 101100 win over the Charlotte Bobcats, Bryant scored 30+ points in his seventh consecutive game, the longest streak by an NBA player after turning 34 years old; it was the fourth-longest such streak in his career. [469] In 2013, Forbes listed Bryant the fifth highest paid sports star in the world behind Floyd Mayweather, Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James and Lionel Messi.[470]. [27][28] Bryant began to play basketball seriously while living in Reggio Emilia. Bryant's 15.4 points per game was the highest of any non-starter in the season. Bryant scored just four points in 25 minutes on 1-for-14 shooting, matching the worst-shooting game of his career in which he attempted at least five shots. Sports", "Lakers equal best 19-game start in franchise history", Kobe's steady pace lands him top spot in rankings, "Lakers' Bryant, Magic's Howard named Players of the Week", "Shaq, Kobe lead freestyling West All-Stars past East", James outdistances Bryant in winning Kia MVP award, Daily Dime: Kobe named MVP as Lakers win NBA title, "Man on a mission: Bryant revels in victory, Finals MVP", "Kobe Bryant, making the best of bad situations", Lakers win 11th straight, Bryant injures finger, Kobe's jumper at OT buzzer lifts Lakers over Bucks, Bryant joins 14 others with 25,000 points, "Kobe's 3-pointer at buzzer gives Lakers win NBA Yahoo! , however, they lost that game 126118 in overtime Lil Wayne released a song called Kobe. 27 ] [ 39 ] the following day, he surpassed West to become the all-time leading scorer in franchise... Total of ten 50-plus point games, surpassed only by Chamberlain 338 ] Bryant finished the season averaging than. 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