Background

Kobe Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He was the son of former NBA player Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. Chubby Cox, an American former professional basketball player, was Kobe's maternal uncle.

Education

In 1984, after ending his NBA career, the elder Bryant, Kobe's father, took the family to Italy where he played in the Italian League. Growing up in Italy alongside two athletic older sisters, Shaya and Sharia, Kobe was an avid player of both basketball and soccer. When the family returned to Philadelphia in 1991, Bryant joined the Lower Merion High School basketball team, leading it to the state championships four years in a row. With an eye on the NBA, he also started working out with the 76ers.

Though he boasted good grades and high SAT scores, Bryant decided to go straight to the NBA from high school. He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick of the 1996 NBA draft and was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Career

Kobe Bryant was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was traded to the Lakers shortly thereafter and became the second youngest NBA player in history when the 1996-97 season opened. He quickly proved his merit with the Lakers and was selected for the NBA All-Star Game in just his second season, becoming the youngest All-Star.

Bryant was forced to share the role of the Lakers' star player with his popular and talented teammate Shaquille O'Neal. The two had an uneasy relationship, but they found success under the leadership of Phil Jackson, who became coach of the Lakers in 1999. Bryant, a shooting guard, and O'Neal, a centre, meshed into a remarkably effective combination, and, by the time Bryant was 23, the Lakers had won three consecutive NBA championships.

After winning their third title in 2002, Bryant and the Lakers encountered difficulties. In the 2003 playoffs, the Lakers were defeated in the second round. Several months later Bryant was accused of raping a young woman in Colorado. He maintained his innocence, and all charges were eventually dropped when the woman refused to testify after a months-long campaign of harassment by fans of Bryant and some members of the media. Bryant later apologized, admitting that he realized his accuser did not believe their sexual encounter was consensual, and a civil suit was settled in 2005. The incident greatly tarnished his image. Led by Bryant, the Lakers returned to the finals in 2004, but they were upset by the Detroit Pistons. O'Neal subsequently was traded, and Bryant emerged as the team's sole leader.

After the departure of Shaquille O'Neal, Bryant had to adjust to being the leader of the Lakers and averaged 27.6 points per game. Bryant led the Lakers' offense as he scored over 40 points on ten different occasions during the 2004-2005 season. His numbers skyrocketed the next year as he averaged a career-best 35.4 points per game, along with 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Though his individual statistics improved - leading to a pair of scoring titles - his team struggled. His most memorable game during this period came on January 22, 2006, when he scored 81 points in a win against the Toronto Raptors. Bryant made 28 of his 46 field goal attempts and scored 55 of his 81 points in the second half. That total stands second to Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game as the most points ever scored in an NBA game.

Before the 2006-2007 season, Kobe Bryant changed his jersey number from 8 to 24, the number he wore as a freshman in high school. Bryant has given multiple reasons for the number change over the past two seasons, though most are still just speculation. After the number change, Bryant again led the league in scoring with an average of 31.6 points and was named an NBA All-Star.

In the summer of 2007, Bryant demanded a trade from the Lakers, controversially denigrating his general manager and some of his teammates through the media. Bryant backed off on his trade request and eventually made it to training camp on time for the season opener. He was booed during the Lakers season opener at home against the Rockets but eventually reconciled with everyone involved, remained a Laker, and led them to the 2008 NBA Finals where they lost to the Boston Celtics.

Kobe Bryant averaged 26.8 points per game during the 2008-2009 regular season, leading the Lakers to their second straight Finals appearance. Bryant ended up leading the Lakers to a 4-1 series win over the Orlando Magic, earning MVP honors in the process. He joined Michael Jordan as the only players to average 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists for a title-winning team, and earned Finals MVP honors for the first time in six trips to the Finals.

Bryant won his fourth NBA title in 2009, and he was named the finals MVP after averaging a stellar 32.4 points per game in the series. He led the Lakers to their third straight Western Conference championship in 2009-2010, and he was once more named NBA finals MVP after the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in a seven-game series. The Lakers won division titles in each of the following seasons but were eliminated in the second round of each postseason. Entering the 2012-2013 season, the Lakers added superstars Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to their lineup and were considered one of the preseason title favourites, but the disappointing team was barely on pace to qualify for the final Western Conference playoff spot when Bryant ruptured his Achilles tendon in April 2013, causing him to miss the rest of the season. The Lakers were ultimately the eighth and final playoff seed that season and were swept in their first series.

Bryant returned to the court in December 2013 but played in just six games before fracturing his kneecap and missing the remainder of that season as well. Bryant returned for the beginning of the 2014-2015 season before he was again injured, tearing his rotator cuff in January 2015. He played almost all of the following season but again struggled, with a career-low .358 shooting percentage while averaging 17.6 points per game, and he retired following the last regular-season game of the 2015-2016 season.

It's worth mentioning, that, in addition to his professional accomplishments, Bryant was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. men's basketball teams at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2012 London Olympic Games.

In 2015, Bryant wrote the poem Dear Basketball, and two years later it served as the basis for a short film of the same name, which he also narrated. He also authored the book, titled The Mamba Mentality: How I Play (2018). Besides, Bryant co-wrote/produced several young adult novels, which include The Wizenard Series: Training Camp (2019), Legacy and the Queen (2019), and Epoca: the Tree of Ecrof (2019). His fourth novel, The Wizenard Series: Season One, was released posthumously in March 2020.

During his lifetime, Bryant appeared in a number of sitcoms and films, which include Moesha, Arliss, Sister, Sister, Hang Time, Kobe Doin' Work, Nowitzki. The Perfect Shot, Dear Basketball (of which he was also writer and executive producer), among others. From 2018, Bryant wrote, produced and hosted the television series Detail. It featured his insights into the game of basketball and in-depth analyses of games and individual players.

In addition, Bryant ran several business ventures, including Kobe Inc., Granity Studios, Bryant-Stibel, a venture capital firm (together with Jeff Stibel), and Mamba Sports Academy, a joint athletic-training business venture (together with Sports Academy).

Achievements

• 

  Kobe Bryant was a renowned basketball player, who won five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers while establishing himself as one of the game's all-time greats. He was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP.
  
  It's also worth noting, that Bryant led the NBA in scoring two times. Besides, he is fourth on the NBA all-time scoring list.
  
  During his lifetime, Bryant attained other prestigious awards, including the Olympic Games Gold Medal (2008 and 2012); the Academy Award (2018) for the Best Animated Short Film, for Dear Basketball (2017); the Sports Emmy Award (2018) for Outstanding Post-Produced Graphic Design, for Dear Basketball (2017), and others.
  
  Kobe Bryant was posthumously elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. After his death, a number of tributes and memorials were issued, including renaming the All-Star Game MVP Award in his honor.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The Wizenard Series: Training Camp

    (Filled with insights about the mental stamina and emotion...)

    2019
  • The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

    (The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is Kobe Bryant's personal...)

    2018
  • Legacy and the Queen

    (From the mind of basketball legend and Academy Award-winn...)

    2019

• movie

  • Kobe Bryant's Muse

    (Documentary that goes behind the stats to reveal Kobe Bry...)

    2015
  • Nowitzki: The Perfect Shot

    (A documentary that follows the early career of basketball...)

    2014
  • Quiet Storm: The Ron Artest Story

    (In the world of professional sports, no American athlete ...)

    2019
  • Kobe Doin' Work

    (A documentary following Kobe Bryant during one day during...)

    2009
  • Daddy's Home

    (Brad Whitaker is a radio host trying to get his stepchild...)

    2015

• TV series

  • Moesha Season

    (A teenager struggles to come to terms with everything lif...)

    1996

Religion

Kobe Bryant was a practicing Catholic. He once said that it was faith, that helped him get through difficult times.

Politics

Kobe Bryant was considered to be a Democrat. Some sources stated, that he was a buddy of former President of the United States, Barack Obama. The two were spotted, cracking jokes at each others' expense, participating in charity events together, and there are even reports of Kobe and his crew, showing up at the White House, uninvited for a visit. President Obama once said: "Kobe and Derek [Fisher] have been there so many times now, they could lead tours themselves."

Kobe lent his star power to political causes outside of the United States as well, taking a stand against genocide in Darfur with an international aid organization, called Aid Still Required. Kobe said: "If we can unite people who are willing to take a stand, miracles can happen."

Views

Kobe Bryant was a philanthropist. Together with his wife, Bryant established the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation (KVBFF). Its main aims are to help homeless youth, encourage the development of physical and social skills through sports and assist the homeless. The foundation also plays host to Mamba FC, a youth soccer club in Orange County.

It's also worth mentioning, that, through the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation, Bryant became a milestone donor, contributing $1 million or more, for the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

In 2007, Kobe signed on as a national ambassador for After-School All-Stars, an organization that promotes academic success for the country's youth. Throughout his partnership, the late NBA star frequently lent his voice and talents to help encourage young people to achieve their goals and become leaders. He also raised money for the organization and was a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles chapter which serves 14,000 students in 38 schools, 99 percent of whom are young people of color, according to the organization's website.

Also, Bryant was a supporter of Cathy's Kids Foundation and granted over two hundred requests for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Basketball was also part of Bryant's charity work. He volunteered for the Boys & Girls Club of America, often hosting basketball camps. He participated in the league's NBA Cares initiatives, where he helped build homes and basketball courts, stocked food pantries and supported reading initiatives.

In addition, Bryant supported cancer initiatives. For instance, he participated in a fundraising effort for Stand Up To Cancer in 2012 that raised more than $80 million for cancer research.

Quotations: "The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great at whatever they want to do."

"Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise."

"If you're afraid to fail, then you're probably going to fail."

"I don't want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant."

"I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I'm like, 'My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don't have it. I just want to chill.' We all have self-doubt. You don't deny it, but you also don't capitulate to it. You embrace it."

"Sports are such a great teacher. I think of everything they've taught me: camaraderie, humility, how to resolve differences."

Personality

Kobe Bryant was close to certain people in his life that followed the same career as him, like Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James, but he admitted in a GQ Magazine interview in 2015, that he honestly just didn't have time for friends. He stated he was not the kind of person that remembered friends' birthdays. Kobe admitted in the interview that his work was his life and that's what he was focused on and obsessed about. He knew he could relate to people like actors, musicians and businessmen who also worked as hard as he did and were similar to him. Kobe also said: "Do we have time to socialize and to hangout aimlessly? No…I enjoy working."

Kobe Bryant's mother and father named him after the famous Japanese Kobe Beef after seeing it on the menu at a restaurant.

Kobe spoke English, Italian and Spanish fluently.

Physical Characteristics: Kobe Bryant was 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) tall and weighed 212 lb (96 kg).

Bryant passed away in 2020 due to blunt force trauma, sustained from a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

Interests

• Politicians

  Barack Obama

• Sport & Clubs

  soccer; Philadelphia Eagles; FC Barcelona; A.C. Milan, Manchester City F.C.

• Music & Bands

  rap and hip-hop

Connections

In 1996, Kobe had a brief relationship with Brandy Norwood, an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and businesswoman.

It was in November 1999, that Bryant met his wife-to-be Vanessa Laine. Soon they began dating and, six months later in May 2000, Kobe proposed to Vanessa. On December 16, 2011, Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. However, on January 11, 2013, the couple announced via social media that they had called off their divorce.

Kobe and Vanessa's relationships produced four daughters: Natalia Diamante Bryant (b. 2003), Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant (b. May 1, 2006 - d. January 26, 2020), Bianka Bella Bryant (b. December 5, 2016) and Capri Kobe Bryant (b. 2019).

Father:

Joe Bryant

Joe Bryant, in full Joseph Washington Bryant (born October 19, 1954), is an American former professional basketball player and coach. The teams he played for include the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers, and Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association.

Mother:

Pamela Cox Bryant

Pamela Cox Bryant is an American socialite.

Wife:

Vanessa Bryant

Vanessa Bryant (born May 5, 1982) is an American former model and philanthropist.

Daughter:

Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant

(b. May 1, 2006 - d. January 26, 2020)

Uncle:

Chubby Cox

Chubby Cox, in full John Arthur "Chubby" Cox III, (born December 29, 1955), is an American former professional basketball player.

Sister:

Sharia Washington

Sister:

Shaya Tabb

Daughter:

Natalia Diamante Bryant

(b. 2003)

Daughter:

Bianka Bella Bryant

(b. December 5, 2016)

Daughter:

Capri Kobe Bryant

(b. 2019)

ex-girlfriend:

Brandy Norwood

Brandy Norwood (born February 11, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and businesswoman.

coach:

Phil Jackson

Phil Jackson, in full Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945), is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Friend:

Barack Obama

Barack Obama, in full Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961), is an American politician and attorney. He held the post of the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017.

Teammate:

Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal (born March 6, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. Currently, he serves as a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA on TNT.

References

• Kobe Bryant's Instagram
• Kobe Bryant's Twitter
• Kobe Bryant's Facebook
• Kobe Bryant's Official Website