[482], In 2009, American rapper Lil Wayne released a song called "Kobe Bryant". [331] He averaged 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting .462 from the field in eight Olympic contests. [133] By the end of the 200506 season, Bryant set Lakers single-season franchise records for most 40-point games (27) and most points scored (2,832). Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak had spoken to Bryant about his extensive playing time 10 days earlier, but Bryant insisted the minutes needed to continue given the Lakers' playoff push. "[126], In addition to his abilities on offense, Bryant also established himself as a standout defensive player. Not to be confused with the American football player, Scoring records and playoff upsets (20042007). On March 28, Bryant scored a season-high 53 points to go with 10 rebounds in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. [258][259], With the Lakers fighting to secure the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference, coupled with injuries on the team, Bryant began playing almost all 48 minutes each game. [413] On December 16, 2011, Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, and the couple requested joint custody of their daughters. [393] He was selected to the All-NBA Team on 15 occasions, tied for the most with Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan,[397] and his 11 first-team honors are tied for the second-most with Karl Malone. [414][415] On January 11, 2013, Bryant and his wife both announced via social media that they had called off their divorce. [73], The 199899 season marked Bryant's emergence as a premier guard in the league. On January 22, 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points; the second most points scored in a single NBA game, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game. Kobe Unveils Investment Fund With Business Partner Jeff", "Sports Academy retires 'Mamba' name out of respect to Kobe Bryant", "Legendary photographer Andrew Bernstein talks collaboration with Kobe Bryant on Mamba Mentality", "Author deletes children's book co-written with Kobe Bryant", "Kobe Bryant brought sports to page, podcast and film through Costa Mesa production company Granity Studios", "Kobe Bryant Book For Children And Young Adults Hits No. [307][308] Still, he was honored around the league with video tributes and fan ovations,[306] including arenas that historically jeered him such as TD Garden in Boston, Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Moda Center in Portland, Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, and Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City. [219][220][221] The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation praised the NBA's decision to fine Bryant, and the Human Rights Campaign said that Bryant's language was a "disgrace" and "distasteful". [329], On June 23, 2008, he was named to the USA Men's Senior National Team for the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 1997, he appeared on an episode of Hang Time, this was followed by a guest appearance on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That (1998). [341][352] Throughout his career, Bryant was disparaged for being a selfish, high-volume shooter;[350][353][354] he missed more field goal attempts in his career than any other player in NBA history. [195] After being sidelined for five games by an ankle injury, Bryant made his return and made another clutch three-pointer to give the Lakers a one-point lead with four seconds remaining against the Memphis Grizzlies. [383][393] He was the first guard to play 20 seasons in the NBA. Due to an ectopic pregnancy, Vanessa suffered a miscarriage in the spring of 2005. He joined Jordan (3 times), Karl Malone (3) and Abdul-Jabbar. [116] During the season, Bryant also engaged in public feuds with Malone and Ray Allen. [31] Another source of inspiration was animated European films about sports, from which he learned more about basketball. Bryant's assists were the second-highest of his career and his field goal percentage was its highest since 200809. Ahead of the match, the Lakers paid tribute to Bryant and all who lost their lives in the crash with a ceremony held just before tip-off, with Usher singing "Amazing Grace" and Boyz II Men singing the National Anthem, while Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth reunited to perform "See You Again"originally their tribute to Paul Walker after his death while filming Furious 7at halftime. Navigation Toggle NBA. [45] In his senior year of high school, Bryant led the Aces to their first state championship in 53 years. [156] Bryant later confirmed his desire for West's return to the franchise but denied stating that he would want to be traded if that did not take place. ), Lakers need comeback to top woeful Bobcats", "Dwight Howard powers surging Lakers past Blazers", "Kobe Bryant recognizes he's better defending on the ball", "Mike D'Antoni minces words when describing Kobe Bryant's defense", "Lakers found formula, can they repeat it? During the season, Bryant signed a six-year contract extension worth $70million. [382] He was the Lakers' all-time leading scorer, and his five titles are tied for the most in franchise history. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter. His debut album, Visions, was scheduled to release in the spring of 2000. [321] The Lakers finished the season with a 1765 record, their worst record in franchise history. [53], "If you closed your eyes and thought a little bit, you might have thought you were watching Michael Jordan. He was selected to his 11th consecutive All-Star Game as a starter,[180] and was named the Western Conference Player of the Month for December and January in addition to being named Western Conference Player of the week three times. [50] In 2012, Bryant was honored as one of the 35 Greatest McDonald's All-Americans for his high-school play as well as his later accomplishments. [550] Bryant was posthumously inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021, with Vanessa delivering the acceptance speech on Bryant's behalf.[551]. 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[17] Bryant was once again voted to both the All-NBA and All-Defensive First Teams,[17] and came in third place in voting for the MVP award. [227] The team's quest for another three-peat was ended when they were swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs. [460] After promoting Nike's Hyperdunk shoes, Bryant came out with the fourth edition of his signature line by Nike, the Zoom Kobe IV. Fans were upset at the omission, especially as actors Naya Rivera and Chadwick Boseman had been featured prominently in both;[543][544][545][546] after Rivera and Boseman's unexpected deaths in July and August 2020 respectively, the three young black celebrities were popularly compared. During the All-Star weekend, Bryant participated in the Rookie Challenge and won the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, becoming the youngest dunk champion at the age of 18. On November 2, 2012, Bryant scored 40 points with two steals, and he passed Magic Johnson (1,724) as the Lakers career leader in steals. [112] Midway through the season, Tomjanovich suddenly resigned as Lakers coach, citing the recurrence of health problems and exhaustion. His 18 All-Star designations are the second most all time, and he has the most consecutive appearances as a starter. The #BlackMamba @KobeBryant is in the building!. [h] Bryant was voted the league MVP in 2008 and led his team to the 2008 NBA Finals as the first seed in the Western Conference. [61] As a rookie in 199697, Bryant mostly came off the bench behind guards Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. - https://www.twitch.tv/staxmontanaJOIN THE MONTANA FAM DISCORD! [502][504], Bryant established Kobe Inc. to own and grow brands in the sports industry. He did everything well beyond well. [485][486][487] It was featured on his debut studio album, Finally Rich, as a part of the deluxe edition. . [144] On March 7, the NBA handed Bryant his second one-game suspension. [107] Jackson's contract as coach was not renewed, and Rudy Tomjanovich took over. [291] He was expected to be sidelined for nine months with a return targeted toward the start of the 201516 season. The series would stretch to seven games, the first time this had happened to the Lakers since the 2000 Western Conference Finals. [535] The game was the second-most-watched in ESPN history, averaging 4.41 million viewers. The Lakers defeated the Spurs in five games, sending themselves to the NBA Finals, against the Boston Celtics. Rocky Hendrix MyCareer in NBA 2K11FOLLOW ME ON TWITCH! [529], On February 7, Bryant and his daughter were buried in a private funeral in Pacific View Memorial Park in the Corona del Mar neighborhood of Newport Beach, California. [34][35] During summers, Bryant would come back to the United States to play in a basketball summer league. [124] In addition to breaking the previous franchise record of 71 set by Elgin Baylor, Bryant's 81-point game was the second-highest point total in NBA history, surpassed only by Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. [236] In April, Bryant missed seven games with a bruised left shin. 8 and 24, making him the only player in NBA history to have multiple numbers retired by the same franchise. [412] The birth resulted in a reconciliation between Bryant and his parents. [192] He continued his dominant clutch plays making yet another game-winning three-pointer against the Sacramento Kings,[193] and what would be the game-winning field goal against the Boston Celtics. [462] On February 9, 2009, Bryant was featured on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. [146] In his first game back on March 9, he elbowed Kyle Korver in the face which was retroactively re-classified as a Type 1 flagrant foul. [231] On January 10, 2012, Bryant scored 48points against the Suns. [437] Before the scheduled trial, a settlement was reached allowing the auction house the sale of less than 10% of the items. [212] In Boston on February 10, Bryant scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half as the Lakers rallied from an early 15-point deficit for a 9286 win over the Celtics. The superstar player clearly played far longer than Michael . And I feel good about that", he said. dummy help@azsecuritygroup.com. Bryant scored just four points in 25 minutes on 1-for-14 shooting, matching the worst-shooting game of his career in which he attempted at least five shots. [492] The film also won the Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject and a Sports Emmy Award. In addition to the trading cards, there are baseball . The Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in five games. In the 2002 Finals, against the New Jersey Nets, Bryant averaged 26.8 points, 51.4% shooting, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists per game, which included scoring a quarter of the team's points. [137], Later in the season, it was reported that Bryant would change his jersey number from 8 to 24 at the start of the 200607 season. and Sister, Sister (episode: "Kid-Napped"). [189] Bryant considered the shot "one of the luckiest he has made". After the draft, the trade was put in jeopardy when Divac threatened to retire rather than be traded from Los Angeles. "[356] 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 early September 2008, Bryant decided not to have surgery to repair his right pinkie. [496][497] He also appeared on MTV's Ridiculousness in 2019. "[168] In addition to winning his MVP award, Bryant was the only unanimous selection to the All-NBA team on May 8, 2008, for the third straight season and sixth time in his career. [523][524] Witnesses reported hearing a helicopter struggling before crashing. [317] West teammates offered to feed him the ball in an attempt to get him another All-Star MVP, but he declined. [140] After scoring 50 points on 20 of 35 shooting in the Game 6 loss, Bryant was criticized for only taking three shots in the second half of the 12190 Game 7 loss to Phoenix. [g] 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. [13], Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia,[14] the youngest of three children and the only son of Pamela Cox Bryant and former NBA player Joe Bryant. Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, received the Eucharist together just hours before they died. Jordan and Bryant didn't really guard . On December 20, 2005, Bryant scored 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks. [306] Prior to announcing his retirement, he had been steadfast about not wanting the fuss of a staged farewell tour, preferring to hear boos instead of cheers. [76], Bryant's fortunes would improve when Phil Jackson took over as coach of the Lakers in 1999. I'm very proud to represent this organization, to represent this city. The Lakers began the playoffs as the number one seed in the Western Conference against the Oklahoma City Thunder,[199] eventually defeating them in six games. ', "Adidas Airs Out New Kobe Bryant Shoe, Ad Campaign", "Bryant will lose out again to Big Three", "Endorsements Coming Back to Kobe Bryant", "Kobe Bryant shoots 'em up in new 'Call of Duty' ad", "No, Kobe Bryant Did Not Jump Over a Car", "Nike launches Nike Zoom Kobe V with Kobe Bryant", "Kobe Bryant Wearing Nubeo Black Mamba MVP Watch "UpscaleHype", "Kobe Bryant ESPN The Magazine Fan Issue", "Kobe Bryant To Endorse Turkish Airlines", "Kobe Bryant's Turkish Airlines deal outrages Armenian Americans", "The first Kobe Bryant Turkish Airlines commercial has landed", "Kobe vs Messi: Legends on Board Turkish Airlines", "LeBron James: Cleveland Cavaliers return for NBA star", "Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside for Nintendo 64", "NBA 3 on 3 Featuring Kobe Bryant for GBC", "Sony Debuts SIX Cover Athletes for NBA 09: The Inside", "NBA 2K17 honors Kobe Bryant with 'Legend Edition' this fall", "FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019: Dirk Nowitzki named as third global ambassador joining Kobe Bryant and Yao Ming", "Revisiting Kobe Bryant's (Super Brief) Rap Career, Including That Time He Remixed Destiny's Child", "CRI.com: Kobe Bryant Works with Jay Chou in New Song", "ChinaSmack: Sprite China Kobe Bryant and Jay Chou music video " " ("Tian Di Yi Dou") with Jay Chou feat. [126][127] Chamberlain, playing in an era when the games were paced faster and scoring opportunities were more plentiful,[127][128] accounted for 59 percent of his team's points in Philadelphia's 169147 win, compared to Bryant scoring 66 percent of the Lakers' 122 points. 1", "Suns' Steve Nash Wins Second Consecutive MVP Award", "Bryant will hang up his No. He won gold medals on the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams. Home; Tickets; Schedule. Bryant led the team to consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, both times being named NBA Finals MVP. [530] A public memorial service was held on February 24 (2/24, marking both Kobe's and Gianna's jersey numbers) at Staples Center with Jimmy Kimmel hosting. [38] Bryant became the first freshman in decades to start for Lower Merion's varsity team, but the team finished with a 420 record. Byron Scott missed the game with a sprained wrist, Robert Horry was ejected for fighting with Utah's Jeff Hornacek, and Shaquille O'Neal fouled out with 1:46 remaining in the fourth quarter. Games. [171] That made Denver the first 50-win team to be swept out of the first round of the playoffs since the Memphis Grizzlies fell in four games to the San Antonio Spurs in 2004. [364][365] A fierce competitor, Bryant made opponents and teammates alike the objects of his scorn. Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has an idea to change the NBA logo to honor Kobe Bryant -- and Bryant's widow, Vanessa Bryant, fully supports it. In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Irving . [451][452] His first signature shoe was the Equipment KB 8. [77] After years of steady improvement, Bryant became one of the premier shooting guards in the league, earning appearances in the league's All-NBA,[78] All-Star, and All-Defensive teams. (Beckett/BAS & PSA/DNA LOAs)", "As Kobe returns home, his old coach urges Philadelphia to give him proper sendoff", "Kobe may already be the greatest Laker ever and he's not done yet", "Wilkins Honored as One of 35 Greatest McDonald's All Americans", "How Kobe Bryant almost became Boston Celtic", "Lakers' trade for Bryant has been misconstrued", "Kobe Bryant Will Retire With Record $680 Million In Career Earnings", "Kobe Bryant's farewell season has been painful to watch", "How Kobe, LeBron and other NBA stars fared in Summer League debuts", "The Youngest NBA Basketball Player Records", "Kobe Bryant: Perfect time for All-Star break as 'everything' aches", "Kobe Bryant's 'airball game' in 1997 was as defining moment in his career", "NBA Playoffs; A Dilemma for Kobe; NBA playoffs: The Lakers can still go small with Bryant in the frontcourt, but it could come at a price against the bigger Schrempf", "Basketball: N.B.A. [95][96] This cemented Bryant's reputation as a "clutch player". [151] Throughout the 200607 season, his jersey became the top selling NBA jersey in the United States and China. [e] On January 21, 2015, Bryant suffered a rotator cuff tear in his right shoulder while driving baseline for a two-handed dunk against the New Orleans Pelicans. [121][122] A month later, at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, the two were seen laughing together. "[301] In a letter distributed to Lakers' fans before that evening's game against the Indiana Pacers, Bryant wrote, "What you've done for me is far greater than anything I've done for you. Kobe Bean Bryant (/kobi/ KOH-bee; August 23, 1978 January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. It also makes sense to design a build inspired by a younger Kobe. [489] That same year, he guest starred as himself on an episode of Arli$$ (episode: "What About the Fans?") He was exceptional in everything that he did. [41], At Adidas ABCD Camp, Bryant earned the 1995 senior MVP award[43] while playing alongside future NBA teammate Lamar Odom. By the end of the season, he averaged 15.5 minutes a game. He did not say how many pages had been written or whether the book had a title. Criminal charges were later dropped after the accuser failed to testify, and a lawsuit was settled out of court, with Bryant issuing a public apology and admitting to a sexual encounter he maintained was consensual. In 2006, Bryant said that he was 6feet 4inches (1.93m). [289] Though he was right-handed, he returned to play in the game and ran the offense while shooting, dribbling, and passing almost exclusively with his left hand. "[374] Reuters called him "arguably the best player of his generation",[347] while both Sporting News and TNT named him their NBA player of the decade for the 2000s. Vanessa Bryant's father is of Mexican and Italian descent and her mother is of Mexican and Filipino descent. [245] His streak would be snapped at 10 on December 28 in a 10487 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, when he scored 27 points, sitting out the whole fourth quarter. The cause of the crash was hard to investigate, as the helicopter was not equipped with a black box. Free shipping for many products! His next two seasons were cut short by injuries to his knee and shoulder, respectively. [134] He won the league's scoring title for the first time by averaging 35.4 points per game, becoming just the fifth player in league history to average at least 35 in a season. [368][369][370] According to sportswriter Mark Heisler of Forbes, "circa 20042007, Kobe was the most alienated superstar the NBA had ever seen. [117][118], The 200506 season marked a crossroads in Bryant's basketball career. [150] Bryant finished the year with a total of ten 50-plus point games, surpassed only by Chamberlain. "[490], Bryant was the subject of Spike Lee's 2009 documentary film Kobe Doin' Work, which chronicled Bryant during the 200708 NBA season. [113] Without Tomjanovich, stewardship of the remainder of the Lakers' season fell to career assistant coach Frank Hamblen. They would go on to win the next four games and bring their second championship to Los Angeles in as many seasons. [b] Bryant finished in fourth place in the voting for the 2006 NBA Most Valuable Player Award but received 22 first place votessecond only to winner Steve Nash. 2 and appeared in commercials for the video games Guitar Hero World Tour (with Tony Hawk, Michael Phelps, and Alex Rodriguez) in 2008 and Call of Duty: Black Ops (alongside Jimmy Kimmel) in 2010. [328], Bryant's United States national team career finally began in 2007. To get him another All-Star MVP, but he declined player in 2K11FOLLOW. Marked a crossroads in Bryant 's assists were the second-highest of his scorn [ 231 on! 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