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Quote of the day by Kobe Bryant: 'I don't want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be…'
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant, Black Mamba, KB24, Kobe, Kobe B. Bryant
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Kobe Bean Bryant ( KOH-bee; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential players in the sport's history, Bryant won five NBA championships and was an 18-time All-Star, four-time All-Star MVP, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), two-time NBA Finals MVP, and two-time scoring champion. He ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. Bryant was posthumously named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021 and was a two-time inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, for his playing career in 2020 and as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team in 2025. The son of NBA player Joe Bryant, Bryant was born in Philadelphia and partly raised in Italy. Recognized as the top American high school basketball player while at Lower Merion High School in the Philadelphia suburb of Ardmore, Bryant declared for the 1996 NBA draft and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick; he was then traded to the Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned a reputation as a high-flyer by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest and was named an All-Star by his second season. Despite his contentious relationship with teammate Shaquille O'Neal, the pair led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. In 2003, Bryant was charged with sexual assault. Charges were dropped after the accuser refused to testify, and a lawsuit was settled out of court, with Bryant issuing an apology and admitting to a sexual encounter he maintained was consensual. After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal was traded and Bryant became the franchise's cornerstone. He led the NBA in scoring in the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points, the third most scored in a single NBA game behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game and Bam Adebayo's 83-point game. Bryant led the team to championships in 2009 and 2010, and was named NBA Finals MVP both times. He continued to be among the league's premier players through the 2012–13 season when he suffered a torn achilles tendon. The last years of his playing career were hampered by injuries and limited playing time. Bryant retired after the 2015–16 season. In 2017, the Lakers retired both his Nos. 8 and 24, making Bryant the only player in NBA history to have multiple numbers retired by the same franchise. The all-time leading scorer in Lakers history, Bryant was the first guard in NBA history to play 20 seasons. His 18 All-Star designations are the third most ever, and his four NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards are tied with Bob Pettit for the most in history. Bryant gave himself the nickname Black Mamba in the mid-2000s, and the epithet became widely a
Career
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Kobe Bryant’s ring-chasing comments resurface after LeBron James joins 76ers superteam
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LeBron James brings back painful memories of Kobe Bryant with his possible plans to take a helicopter
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Kevin Durant reveals how one Jay-Z call made him ditch Kobe Bryant and LeBron James' agent
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"Everybody else's alarm clock just went off" - Former NBA coach reveals how Kobe Bryant concluded his grueling 4AM workouts
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Metta Sandiford-Artest reveals it wasn't Kobe Bryant who recruited him to the L.A. Lakers: "I want you here"
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"I just come out and start chirping" - Kobe Bryant detailed the importance of his role on the 2012 Team USA
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"If you're married, stick with your wife" - Tracy McGrady was surprised to see Kobe Bryant's legal troubles in 2003
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Lakers legend Kobe Bryant would approve LeBron James’ move to the 76ers, says Rich Paul
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Rich Paul Believes Kobe Bryant Would Appreciate LeBron James’ Decision To Join 76ers
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Kobe Bryant’s New WNBA All-Star Nikes Are Out Now, but Sizes Are Already Selling Out
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Barcelona unveils striking black‑and‑purple Kobe Bryant–inspired away kit for 2026–27
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What Kobe Bryant's ‘Mamba Mentality’ really mean? Lakers legend’s greatest philosophy explained
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Kurt Rambis' story about his relationship with Kobe Bryant: "He would always make fun of me"
mastodon? Unverified
8 yr old Jo Nagai was raising swallowtail butterflies in Kobe, Japan, when he noticed something odd. The butterflies he had tended as caterpillars seemed to recognize him. When he released them into the wild, they would fly right back to him. Was it possible they actually remembered him? Jo wrote a letter to an entomologist at Georgetown University, Dr. Martha Weiss. He asked if she could help him design an experiment, and she said yes. Jo trained caterpillars to associate the scent of lavender with a mild vibration. When the caterpillars became butterflies, 70% of them still avoided the scent. Their brains had been completely rebuilt during metamorphosis, yet the memory survived anyway. Then he bred them. The offspring, which had never been trained, also avoided lavender. So did their grandchildren. Without ever experiencing the vibration, generations of butterflies inherited an aversion to lavender their grandmother had been taught to fear. Jo presented his findings at the Internatio
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“I Don’t Think Michael Jordan Was a Great Leader”: NFL Veteran’s Bold Verdict on Kobe Bryant & Bulls Legend’s Leadership
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Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Protro Low “Lord of the Rings” Honors a Legendary NYC Moment
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"I hear those words over and over" - Tim Grover revealed the last thing Kobe Bryant told him before tragic accident
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"The one thing that Michael Jordan had" - Kobe Bryant revealed the only thing he had always wanted to change about him
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‘It’s a Persona’ – When an NBA Champion Made a Bold Claim About Kobe Bryant’s All
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They had Kobe Bryant in their hands - then gave him to the Lakers for one veteran
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Vanessa Bryant Reveals New Nike Kobe Sneakers, Including Tributes to the Philadelphia Eagles and Iron Man
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Kobe Bryant's Wife Vanessa Reveals New Nike Kobe 6 'Polka Dot' Shoes Inspired by Mickey & Minnie
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Quote of the day by basketball legend Kobe Bryant: "If you really want to be great at something, you have to..."
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"You know I would've come, right?"- The little-known Kobe Bryant encounter Bobby Marks never forgot after the 2002 Finals
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Darryn Peterson hopes to follow Kobe Bryant's path as a two-way star: "I could be a lockdown defender"
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Elon Musk ‘A Genius By All Accounts’: NBA Star Kobe Bryant Once Received Key Investment Advice From Future Trillionaire
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