Biography of basketball players

(1978-2020)

Who Was Kobe Bryant?

Kobe Bryant spent his early years hem in Italy and joined the NBA straight out of high institution. A dominant scorer, Bryant won five NBA championships and blue blood the gentry 2008 MVP Award with representation Los Angeles Lakers.

Although ulterior seasons were marred by injuries, he surpassed Michael Jordan endorse third place on the NBA all-time scoring list in Dec 2014 and retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points connect his final game. In 2018, Bryant earned an Academy Honour for Best Animated Short Vinyl for Dear Basketball. On Jan 26, 2020, he was remodel a helicopter crash that fasten Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gigi and seven others.

Early Life

Kobe Bonce Bryant was born on Venerable 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Penn.

Named after a city hem in Japan, Bryant is the dissimilarity of former NBA player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant.

In 1984, after conclusion his NBA career, the superior Bryant took the family evaluate Italy, where he played solution the Italian League. Growing fasten in Italy alongside two energetic older sisters, Shaya and Law, Bryant was an avid theatrical of both basketball and boundaries.

When the family returned commence Philadelphia in 1991, Bryant coupled the Lower Merion High Primary basketball team, leading it indifference the state championships four duration in a row. With clean up eye on the NBA, be active also started working out pick up again the 76ers.

Though he boasted positive grades and high SAT set aside, Bryant decided to go strung out to the NBA from feeling of excitement school.

He was selected insensitive to the Charlotte Hornets with description 13th overall pick of greatness 1996 NBA draft and was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA Career and Stats

In his second season with interpretation Lakers, Bryant was voted nifty starter for the 1998 All-Star Game, becoming the youngest All-Star in NBA history at 19.

The shooting guard then teamed up with superstar center Shaquille O'Neal to win three continuous NBA championships and was favored first-team all-NBA from 2002-2004. Noteworthy also inked multi-year endorsement deals with Adidas, Sprite and nook top sponsors.

Although the Lakers struggled after O'Neal left in 2004, Bryant performed brilliantly.

He scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006, greatness second-highest single-game mark in NBA history, and led the association in scoring that year ray the next.

In 2008, Bryant was named Most Valuable Player swallow carried his team to honesty NBA Finals, where they gone to the Boston Celtics. Compact the 2009 NBA Finals, character Lakers beat the Orlando Black art to win the championship.

By afterward, Bryant was part be totally convinced by the memorial service to observe friend and music superstar Archangel Jackson. The following year, magnanimity Lakers won their second tense title by defeating the Celtics.

Bryant played on both the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams, winning consecutive gold medals resume teammates Kevin Durant, LeBron Outlaw and Carmelo Anthony, among various other top players.

After suffering spick torn Achilles tendon in Apr 2013, Bryant worked hard hide return to the court formerly fracturing his knee just hexad games into the 2013-2014 term.

The veteran All-Star surpassed Archangel Jordan for third all-time hold the NBA scoring list break open December 2014, but his edible ended due to injury shield the third straight year conj at the time that he sustained a torn rotator cuff in January 2015.

Retirement

Although Bryant returned in purpose for the start of magnanimity 2015-2016 NBA season, he on one's own struggled alongside his young Lakers teammates. In November 2015, elegance announced that he would go off at the end of high-mindedness season.

"This season is collective I have left to give," he wrote on The Players' Tribune website. "My heart glance at take the pounding. My acquiesce can handle the grind on the other hand my body knows it's offend to say goodbye."

The announcement thespian a strong reaction, particularly deviate NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

"With 17 NBA All-Star selections, spoil NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Athletics gold medals and a malignant work ethic, Kobe Bryant evenhanded one of the greatest seek reject in the history of pungent game," Silver said in boss statement. "Whether competing in loftiness finals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an unoccupied gym, Kobe has an unconditioned love for the game."

On Apr 13, 2016, Bryant dazzled trig sold-out crowd at the Produce Center and fans everywhere give back the last game of coronate career, scoring 60 points favour leading the Lakers to dexterous win against the Utah Addition.

It was Bryant’s sixth 60-point game of his career.

After greatness game, Bryant spoke to authority crowd. "I can't believe spiritualist fast 20 years went by," he said. "This is preset crazy ... and to attach standing at center court amputate you guys, my teammates give up me, appreciating the journey defer we've been on — we've been through our ups, antique through our downs.

I fantasize the most important part practical we all stayed together throughout."

An all-star lineup of Laker icons also paid tribute to Bryant, including O’Neal, Phil Jackson, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom and Magic Johnson. "We beyond here to celebrate greatness acknowledge 20 years," Johnson said. "Excellence for 20 years.

Kobe Bryant has never cheated the undertaking, never cheated us as description fans. He has played gore injury, he has played sting. And we have five backup banners to show for it."

Academy Award for 'Dear Basketball'

In Nov 2015, Bryant announced his affable retirement from the Lakers unwanted items a poem on The Players' Tribune website, titled "Dear Basketball." The athletic great soon requisite the best in other comedian to turn his poem industrial action a short film, including Filmmaker animator Glen Keane and framer John Williams.

The result was far-out beautifully rendered five-minute, 20-second hide, which debuted at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival.

Oscar voters took note, leading to prestige unexpected sight of Bryant acceptance an Academy Award for Conquer Animated Short Film at probity 2018 ceremony.

The Academy of Action Picture Arts and Science's slight films and animation branch further extended an invitation for Bryant to become a member bequest the organization.

However, in June 2018 it was revealed ramble the Academy's governors committee abstruse rescinded the invitation, saying high-mindedness retired basketball great needed turn to show more efforts in loftiness field before being considered uncontaminated membership.

Sexual Assault Charge

In July 2003, Bryant was charged with separate count of sexual assault volunteer a 19-year-old female hotel workman in Colorado.

Bryant said unquestionable was guilty of adultery on the contrary innocent of the rape throw. The case against Bryant was dismissed in 2004, and operate settled the civil lawsuit filed by the hotel worker despoil him out of court.

Philanthropy

Among realm philanthropic endeavors, the basketball pleasant partnered with the non-profit After-School All-Stars as part of prestige Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Race Foundation.

He also ran mediocre annual summer camp called class Kobe Basketball Academy.

Wife spell Children

Bryant married 19-year-old Vanessa Laine in April 2001.

The unite became parents to four daughters: Natalia Diamante (b. 2003), Gianna Maria-Onore (b. 2006, d. 2020), Bianka (b. 2016) and Island (b. 2019).

Death

On January 26, 2020, Bryant was onboard a Industrialist S-76 helicopter that crashed slender the Los Angeles suburb clutch Calabasas.

Nine people, inclusive of Bryant and his 13-year-old bird Gianna "Gigi," died. The whirlybird was on its way stranger Orange County to Thousands Oaks, California where Bryant was destined to coach a tournament pastime at Mamba Sports Academy.

"We shoot completely devastated by the spurofthemoment loss of my adoring hoard, Kobe — the amazing curate of our children; and trough beautiful, sweet Gianna — smart loving, thoughtful, and wonderful bird, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri," Bryant's old woman Vanessa posted on Instagram.

"There aren’t enough words to display our pain right now. Hilarious take comfort in knowing go off Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so acutely loved. We were so mellifluous blessed to have them amuse our lives. I wish they were here with us perpetually. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon."

Bryant and his daughter were rest to rest in a unofficial funeral on February 7, 2020.

On February 24, they were honored in a memorial fit at the Staples Center, keep Beyoncé and Alicia Keys conveyance musical tributes and Jordan, Shaq and wife Vanessa among those sharing emotional recollections of interpretation basketball great and family man.

On April 4, 2020, Bryant was elected to the Naismith Cenotaph Basketball Hall of Fame.

In Feb 2021, the National Transportation Protection Board ruled that pilot Constellation Zobayan was “flying under optic flight orders, or VFR, which legally prohibited him from delicate the clouds,” likely causing him to be disoriented.

• Birth Year: 1978
• Birth date: August 23, 1978
• Birth State: Pennsylvania
• Birth City: Philadelphia
• Birth Country: Affiliated States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Anterior pro basketball player Kobe Bryant won five NBA titles keep the Los Angeles Lakers from way back establishing himself as one pick up the check the game's all-time greats.

  Let go died tragically in a eggbeater crash on January 26, 2020.

• Astrological Sign: Virgo
• Schools
• Death Year: 2020
• Death date: January 26, 2020
• Death State: California
• Death City: Calabasas
• Death Country: United States

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