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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“I Don’t Think Michael Jordan Was a Great Leader”: NFL Veteran’s Bold Verdict on Kobe Bryant & Bulls Legend’s Leadership
Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Protro Low “Lord of the Rings” Honors a Legendary NYC Moment
"I hear those words over and over" - Tim Grover revealed the last thing Kobe Bryant told him before tragic accident
"The one thing that Michael Jordan had" - Kobe Bryant revealed the only thing he had always wanted to change about him
‘It’s a Persona’ – When an NBA Champion Made a Bold Claim About Kobe Bryant’s All
They had Kobe Bryant in their hands - then gave him to the Lakers for one veteran
Vanessa Bryant Reveals New Nike Kobe Sneakers, Including Tributes to the Philadelphia Eagles and Iron Man
Kobe Bryant's Wife Vanessa Reveals New Nike Kobe 6 'Polka Dot' Shoes Inspired by Mickey & Minnie
Quote of the day by basketball legend Kobe Bryant: "If you really want to be great at something, you have to..."
"You know I would've come, right?"- The little-known Kobe Bryant encounter Bobby Marks never forgot after the 2002 Finals
Darryn Peterson hopes to follow Kobe Bryant's path as a two-way star: "I could be a lockdown defender"
Elon Musk ‘A Genius By All Accounts’: NBA Star Kobe Bryant Once Received Key Investment Advice From Future Trillionaire
Darryn Peterson's Kobe Bryant "Mamba" Mentality Already Defining Start Of NBA Career
Vladimir Radmanovic: Kobe Bryant was like a shark, if he sensed a bit of blood, it was over
"He took home $11 million" - Jeff Teague reacted to the heavy taxes on Kobe Bryant's historic extension
Mimicking that exact move - Kobe Bryant reveals how Robert Horry helped him learn Hakeem's Dream Shake
Nike’s 8-piece Kobe Bryant shoe and apparel drop happening Friday includes a twist for collectors
Cameron Carr: ‘Childhood Dream’ To Play For Lakers & Same Franchise As Kobe Bryant
‘We Love You So Much’ — Ciara Sends Heartwarming Message As Kobe Bryant’s Daughter Capri Celebrates 7th Birthday
Matt Barnes’ Lakers Kobe Bryant NBA fine anecdote will only make fans like him more
Fraudsters bought game-worn Kobe Bryant sneakers and Ferraris with taxpayer funds
‘China’s Kobe’ Sun Yingsha deeply inspired after reading book by late NBA star Bryant
Kobe Bryant used to meditate for at least 15 minutes every day. I tried it for a week
Here’s How Kobe Bryant Became an NBA Superstar and Popularized the ‘Mamba Mentality’
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