Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother, Pam Bryant (née Cox), is the sister of basketball player Chubby Cox, and his father, Joe Bryant, played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has two older sisters: Sharia and Shaya. His father named him after the Kobe beef from Japan, which he saw on a restaurant menu, whereas his middle name, Bean, was derived from his father's nickname "Jellybean". Bryant's family was Catholic and he was brought up with this faith. Bryant started playing basketball at the age of three, and the Lakers were his favorite team when he was growing up. When Bryant was six, his father retired from the NBA and moved his family to Rieti in Italy to continue playing professional basketball. After two years, they moved first to Reggio Calabria, then to Pistoia and Reggio Emilia. Kobe became accustomed to his new lifestyle and learned to speak fluent Italian. He was especially fond of Reggio Emilia, which Kobe considered a loving place and where some of his best childhood memories were made. Kobe began to play basketball seriously while living in Reggio Emilia. His grandfather mailed him videos of NBA games for him to study. Another source of inspiration was animated European films about sports, from which Kobe learned more about basketball. From 1987 to 1989, his father played for Olimpia Basket Pistoia where he paired with former Detroit Pistons player Leon Douglas. Kobe worked at the games as a ball and mop boy and practiced shooting at halftime. Douglas said, "At every one of our games at halftime, it was the Kobe show. He'd get out there and get his shot up. We'd come out of the locker room at halftime and have to chase him off the court". Bryant also learned to play soccer, and his favorite soccer team was A.C. Milan. During summers, Bryant returned to the United States to play in a basketball summer league. When he was 13, Bryant and his family moved back to Philadelphia, where he enrolled in the eighth grade at Bala Cynwyd Middle School. High school (1992–1996) Bryant's retired Number"}]],"parts":[{"template":{"target":{"wt":"abbr","href":"./Template:Abbr"},"params":{"1":{"wt":"No."},"2":{"wt":"Number"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwAQI">No. 33 jersey and banner at the Lower Merion High School gym in Ardmore, Pennsylvania Bryant earned national recognition during a spectacular high-school career at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, located in the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion. He played on the varsity basketball team as a freshman. Bryant became the first freshman in decades to start for Lower Merion's varsity team, but the team finished with a 4–20 record. The following three years, the Aces compiled a 77–13 record, with Bryant playing all five positions. During his junior year, Bryant averaged 31.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.8 blocks and 2.3 steals and was named Pennsylvania Player of the Year while also earning a fourth-team Parade Al

1996 NBA draft {{Cite web |last=Holmes |first=Baxter |date=January 30, 2021 |title=How Kobe Bryant almost became Boston Celtic |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/14449708/how-kobe-bryant-almost-became-boston-celtic |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406205026/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/14449708/how-kobe-bryant-almost-became-boston-celtic |archive-date=April 6, 2023 |access-date=April 21, 2021 |website=[[ESPN]]}}"},"width":{"wt":"30em"},"align":{"wt":"right"}},"i":0}}]}' id="mwAYw">.mw-parser-output .quotebox{background-color:#F9F9F9;border:1px solid #aaa;box-sizing:border-box;padding:10px;font-size:88%;max-width:100%}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatleft{margin:.5em 1.4em .8em 0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatright{margin:.5em 0 .8em 1.4em}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.centered{overflow:hidden;position:relative;margin:.5em auto .8em auto}.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatleft span,.mw-parser-output .quotebox.floatright span{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .quotebox>blockquote{margin:0;padding:0;border-left:0;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-title{text-align:center;font-size:110%;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote>:first-child{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote:last-child>:last-child{margin-bottom:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote.quoted:before{font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-weight:bold;font-size:large;color:gray;content:" “ ";vertical-align:-45%;line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox-quote.quoted:after{font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-weight:bold;font-size:large;color:gray;content:" ” ";line-height:0}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .left-aligned{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .right-aligned{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .center-aligned{text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .quotebox .quote-title,.mw-parser-output .quotebox .quotebox-quote{display:block}.mw-parser-output .quotebox cite{display:block;font-style:normal}@media screen and (max-width:640px){.mw-parser-output .quotebox{width:100%!important;margin:0 0 .8em!important;float:none!important}} If you closed your eyes and thought a little bit, you might have thought you were watching Michael Jordan. He did everything well – beyond well. He was exceptional in everything that he did. And then we commented, as I recall, on how reminiscent he was of Michael. — Jan Volk, the Celtics' general manager, on Kobe Bryant during a pre-draft workout in 1996 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." 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. Bill Branch, the Charlotte Hornets' head scout at the time, said the Hornets agreed to trade

Bryant avoiding a collision in a game against China at the 2008 Summer Olympics Bryant declined to play in the 2000 Olympics because he was getting married in the off-season. Bryant also decided not to play in the 2002 FIBA World Championship. He was originally selected for the FIBA Americas Championship in 2003, but withdrew after undergoing arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgeries. The following summer, Bryant had to withdraw from the Olympic team because of his sexual assault case. Along with LeBron James, Bryant was one of the first two players to be publicly named to the 2006–2008 U.S. preliminary roster in 2006 by Jerry Colangelo. However, he was once again sidelined after knee surgery and did not participate in the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Bryant's United States national team career finally began in 2007. He was a member of the 2007 USA Men's Senior National Team and USA FIBA Americas Championship Team that finished 10–0, won gold and qualified the United States men for the 2008 Olympics. Bryant started in all 10 of the USA's FIBA Americas Championship games. He averaged 15.3 points, 2.9 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game in the tournament. Bryant with the United States men's national basketball team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics On June 23, 2008, Bryant was named to the USA Men's Senior National Team for the 2008 Summer Olympics. This was his first time going to the Olympics. Bryant scored 20 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, along with six assists, as Team USA defeated Spain 118–107 in the gold medal game on August 24, 2008, for its first gold medal in a worldwide competition since the 2000 Olympics. He averaged 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting .462 from the field in eight Olympic contests. Bryant rejoined the national team for the 2012 Summer Olympics. After winning another gold medal, he decided to retire from the team. Bryant finished his national team career with a record of 26–0 across three tournaments, winning a gold medal each time.

Bryant shoots a fadeaway over Shane Battier in 2009 Bryant primarily played as a shooting guard. He was listed at 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) and 212 pounds (96 kg), Bryant was often cited as one of the most dangerous scorers in the NBA. He has drawn frequent comparisons to Michael Jordan, after whom Bryant modeled his playing style. Like Jordan, Bryant became most known for shooting a fall-away jump shot. 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, Bryant pushed off of it and drove around his opponent to get to the basket. Bryant also learned and practiced post moves through individual coaching sessions from Hakeem Olajuwon. Bryant established a reputation for taking shots in the closing moments of tight games, even when he was double or triple-teamed, and was noted as one of the premier closers in the NBA. 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. Bryant enjoyed being the villain, and reveled in being booed and then silencing the crowd with his play. Bryant's ability to make difficult shots has also drawn criticism of his shot selection. Throughout his career, Bryant was disparaged for being a selfish, high-volume shooter; he missed more field goal attempts in his career than any other player in NBA history, until LeBron James broke that record in 2024. Phil Jackson, who coached Bryant for many years, stated that Bryant "tends to force the action, especially when the game isn't going his way. When his shot is off, Kobe will pound away relentlessly until his luck turns." According to Bryant, "I would go 0 for 30 before I would go 0 for 9; 0 for 9 means you beat yourself, you psyched yourself out of the game." In addition to his abilities on offense, Bryant also established himself as a standout defensive player. Bryant rarely drew charges when he played defense, which he believed spared his body and contributed to his longevity. However, some critics have suggested that Bryant's defensive accolades in his later years were based more on his reputation than his actual play. Bryant was also lauded for his relentless work ethic, dubbed the "Mamba mentality." Throughout his first 17 seasons, Bryant's body was resilient, and he exhibited a high pain threshold while often playing through injuries. A fierce competitor, Bryant made opponents and teammates alike the objects of his scorn. Many players have considered him difficult to play with because of his high level of commitment and performance. According to sportswriter Mark Heisler of Forbes, "circa 2004–2007, Kobe was the most alienated superstar the NBA had ever seen." After the departure of Shaquille O'Neal, he led the Lakers to two NBA championships; during this period,

Legend GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game FG% Field goal percentage 3P% 3-point field goal percentage FT% Free throw percentage RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high † Won an NBA championship * Led the league Regular season \n| 1,346 || 1,198 || 36.1 || .447 || .329 || .837 || 5.2 || 4.7 || 1.4 || .5 || 25.0\n|- class=\"sortbottom\"\n| style=\"text-align:center;\" colspan=\"2\"|All-Star\n| 15 || 15 || 27.6 || .500 || .324 || .789 || 5.0 || 4.7 || 2.5 || .4 || 19.3\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"s-end","href":"./Template:S-end"},"params":{},"i":21}}]}' id="mwCOA"> Year Team Games played"}]]}'>GP Games started"}]]}'>GS Minutes per game"}]]}'>MPG Field goal percentage"}]]}'>FG% 3-point field-goal percentage"}]]}'>3P% Free-throw percentage"}]]}'>FT% Rebounds per game"}]]}'>RPG Assists per game"}]]}'>APG Steals per game"}]]}'>SPG Blocks per game"}]]}'>BPG Points per game"}]]}'>PPG 1996–97 L.A. Lakers 71615.5.417.375.8191.91.3.7.37.6 1997–98 L.A. Lakers 79126.0.428.341.7943.12.5.9.515.4 1998–99 L.A. Lakers 50*50*37.9.465.267.8395.33.81.41.019.9 1999–00† L.A. Lakers 666238.2.468.319.8216.34.91.6.922.5 2000–01† L.A. Lakers 686840.9.464.305.8535.95.01.7.628.5 2001–02† L.A. Lakers 808038.3.469.250.8295.55.51.5.425.2 2002–03 L.A. Lakers 8282*41.5.451.383.8436.95.92.2.830.0 2003–04 L.A. Lakers 656437.6.438.327.8525.55.11.7.424.0 2004–05 L.A. Lakers 666640.7.433.339.8165.96.01.3.827.6 2005–06 L.A. Lakers 808041.0.450.347.8505.34.51.8.435.4* 2006–07 L.A. Lakers 777740.8.463.344.8685.75.41.4.531.6* 2007–08 L.A. Lakers 82*82*38.9.459.361.8406.35.41.8.528.3 2008–09† L.A. Lakers 82*82*36.1.467.351.8565.24.91.5.526.8 2009–10† L.A. Lakers 737338.8.456.329.8115.45.01.5.327.0 2010–11 L.A. Lakers 8282*33.9.451.323.8285.14.71.2.125.3 2011–12 L.A. Lakers 585838.5.430.303.8455.44.61.2.327.9 2012–13 L.A. Lakers 787838.6.463.324.8395.66.01.4.327.3 2013–14 L.A. Lakers 6629.5.425.188.8574.36.31.2.213.8 2014–15 L.A. Lakers 353534.5.373.293.8135.75.61.3.222.3 2015–16 L.A. Lakers 666628.2.358.285.8263.72.8.9.217.6 Career 1,3461,19836.1.447.329.8375.24.71.4.525.0 All-Star 151527.6.500.324.7895.04.72.5.419.3 Playoffs \n| 220 || 200 || 39.3 || .448 || .331 || .816 || 5.1 || 4.7 || 1.4 || .6 || 25.6\n",{"template":{"target":{"wt":"s-end","href":"./Template:S-end"},"params":{},"i":1}}]}' id="mwCPU"> Year Team Games played"}]]}'>GP Games started"}]]}'>GS Minutes per game"}]]}'>MPG Field goal percentage"}]]}'>FG% 3-point field-goal percentage"}]]}'>3P% Free-throw percentage"}]]}'>FT% Rebounds per game"}]]}'>RPG Assists per game"}]]}'>APG Steals per game"}]]}'>SPG Blocks per game"}]]}'>BPG Points per game"}]]}'>PPG 1997 L.A. Lakers 9014.8.382.261.8671.21.2.3.28.2 1998 L.A. Lakers 11020.0.408.214.6891