Kobe Bryant Biography- wiki, age, career, Childhood, Awards and Achievements

Kobe Bryant Biography- Kobe Bean Bryant was a former American professional basketball player. He was one of the most popular and successful basketball players of his time. His father is a retired professional basketball player and probably the inspiration behind his love for the sport. He started playing from an early age and represented his school in many sports. (Kobe Bryant Bio)

He helped his school to victory after 53 years which was a great moment for Bryant and his school. After completing high school, Bryant decided to pursue a career in basketball and did not pursue further studies. He became one of the few players to be drafted into the ‘NBA’ straight out of high school. He was made a member of his favorite team ‘Lakers’ for a long time and since then this talented player has never looked back. (Kobe Bryant Biography)

His performance improved with every game and he added a new feather to his crown. He suffered injuries and was also involved in controversies, but he managed to come out of it all. He had made many records and also broke many old records. He was an asset to his team, the ‘Los Angeles Lakers’ and dedicated his entire career spanning twenty years to the ‘Lakers’. (Kobe Bryant Bio)

Table of Contents

Childhood and Early Life

He was born on 23 August 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant.
When he was six years old, his family shifted to Rieti, Italy. In 1991, his family returned to Philadelphia and Kobe enrolled in ‘Lower Merion High School’. (Kobe Bryant Biography)
His participation in basketball won the ‘Lower Merion High School’ state championship after 53 years.

Career

In 1996, he was inducted into the ‘National Basketball Association’ (NBA) by the ‘Charlotte Hornets’, before being traded to play for the ‘Los Angeles Lakers’ team. Hence, he did not take admission in the college and started his sports career.
In the 1996–97 ‘NBA’ season, Bryant played well and set a record by becoming the youngest player to play in an ‘NBA’ game. (Kobe Bryant Biography)

In the ‘All-Star Weekend’ held in February 1997, he won the ‘Slam Dunk Contest’ and became the youngest player to win the championship. His remarkable performances during the year earned him a spot on the second team of the ‘NBA All Rookies’.
In the 1997–98 ‘NBA’ season, he performed better than the previous season and was named the ‘NBA All-Star’ starter. He was the youngest ‘NBA’ player to receive this honor.
The following season, Bryant played exceptionally well and established himself as a leading guard in the league. During the same time, he signed a contract with the ‘Lakers’ team, which extended for six years.
In 1999, former American basketball player Phil Jackson was appointed as the coach of the ‘Lakers’ team and this helped Bryant to improve his skills in basketball. This popular basketball player led his team to victory and he became the champion from 2000 to 2002. (Kobe Bryant Bio)
In the 2002–03 season, the Lakers could not make the finals after losing to the ‘San Antonio Spurs’.
Kobe could not participate in the opening matches of the 2003–04 NBA season, but when he resumed, he led his team to the finals and even won the ‘Pacific Division’ title. However, they lost to the Detroit Pistons team.
In the same year, Rudy Tomjanovic was appointed as the new coach of the ‘Lakers’ team and Kobe signed a seven-year contract with the ‘Lakers’. The season that followed was not successful for both the team and Bryant. The Lakers lost a playoff that hadn’t happened for years. In addition, Coach Rudy resigned from his position. (Kobe Bryant Biography)

The 2005–06 ‘NBA’ season was a revival season for the ‘Lakers’. The team was once again under the guidance of coach Phil Jackson, and Kobe and Shaquille, two important team members of the ‘Lakers’, made peace with them. their differences. His team also improved compared to the first season, although they did not win the season.

In the 2006–07 ‘NBA’ season, he performed well and even got selected for the ‘All-Star Game’ for the ninth time. He also received the ‘All-Star Game MVP Trophy’ for the second time. However, his team lost to the Phoenix Suns 4-1 in the playoffs. (Kobe Bryant Biography)
In December 2007, he set the record for being the youngest player to reach the 20,000 mark. The record was later broken by LeBron James. The following year, he won the ‘U.S. Won gold medals in men’s national basketball team and ‘Olympics’. He was also honored with the ‘NBA Most Valuable Player’ award.
In the 2007–08 NBA season, the Lakers reached the finals but lost to the Boston Celtics.
The Lakers had a good start in the 2008–09 NBA season, and Bryant’s performance won him the All-Star Game as a starter. He was also named ‘Western Conference Player of the Month’ for December and January.
The ‘Lakers’ won the 2009 ‘NBA Finals’ and Kobe won his first ‘NBA Finals MVP’ trophy.
In the 2009–10 ‘NBA’ season, he played exceptionally well and broke Jerry West’s record to become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the ‘Los Angeles Lakers’ team. (Kobe Bryant Biography)
The ‘NBA Finals’ of 2010 was also won by his team ‘Lakers’ and this talented player got the ‘NBA Finals MVP Award’ once again.
The ‘Lakers’ team’s quest for a further three-peat was thwarted by the ‘Dallas Mavericks’ in the second round of the play-offs. The Dallas Mavericks won the 2011 NBA Finals.
In the ‘2012 Summer Olympics’, he won the gold medal. Kobe has been named the top ‘NBA’ player of the 2000s by The Sporting News and TNT. (Kobe Bryant Bio)

In December 2012, he reached the 30,000 career mark, becoming the first player in ‘NBA’ history to reach this milestone. That season, Mike D’Antoine was hired as a coach for the ‘Lakers’. Bryant had known Mike D’Antoine since childhood and became close to him when his father was playing in Italy.
After suffering serious injuries, Bryant made a comeback in the 2013–14 season. That season, the Lakers did not make the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Bryant also suffered serious injuries during the 2014–15 season. (Kobe Bryant Biography)
At 37, Bryant became the oldest player to score 60 or more points in a game. However, “The Lakers” ended their season with their worst record in the history of the franchise.
On 29 November 2015, Bryant announced his retirement through the Players Tribune in a poem titled ‘Dear Basketball’, expressing his love for the game since his childhood. He also expressed his love for his favorite team ‘Lakers’ and thanked his fans who helped him grow with the game. He was also the leading vote-getter of the 2016 All-Star Game with 1.9 million votes from Stephen Curry. (Kobe Bryant Bio)

Awards and Achievements

He led his team to victory in the ‘NBA Finals’ on five occasions. Bryant was named an ‘NBA All-Star’ on 18 occasions. He was also named ‘NBA All-Star Game MVP’ on four occasions.

Family, Personal Life and Death

In 2001, he married Vanessa Laine and the couple has four daughters, Natalia, Gianna, Bianca, and Capri.
He was accused of sexual harassment by a hotel employee. The allegation affected his reputation and made him lose support. However, the prosecutor dropped the case after the accuser failed to appear before the court.
He was the owner of the company ‘Kobe Bryant Inc’, which invests in various emerging sports brands. One of the company’s early investments was in a sports drink brand called ‘BodyArmor’. (Kobe Bryant Bio)
In October 2018, Bryant published his book, ‘The Mamba Mentality: How I Play’, which chronicles his career.
Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, near Calabasas, California. (Kobe Bryant Biography)

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