[53], "If you closed your eyes and thought a little bit, you might have thought you were watching Michael Jordan. "[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. [326] Along with LeBron James, he was one of the first two players to be publicly named to the 20062008 U.S. preliminary roster in 2006 by Jerry Colangelo. In 2017, Vanessa Bryant said that Kobe was 6 feet 4 and 3/4 inches (1.95 m) without shoes and 6feet 6inches (1.98m) with shoes. By finishing off the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Finals in six games, the Lakers earned their second straight trip to the NBA Finals. A few other guards recently played into their late 30s. The two-time All-Star has never hidden his admiration for the Los Angeles Lakers great, whose life was tragically cut short in January 2020 when he died in a helicopter crash along with his. [169] He would then headline the NBA All-Defensive First Team with Kevin Garnett, receiving 52 points overall including 24 first-place nods, earning his eighth selection. [500] Bryant also started the Kobe Bryant China Fund which partnered with the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, a charity backed by the Chinese government. [256][257] In two crucial wins in March, he scored at least 40 points and had at least 10 assists in back-to-back games, becoming the first Laker to accomplish the feat since West in 1970. [366][367] Many players have considered him difficult to play with because of his high level of commitment and performance. His debut album, Visions, was scheduled to release in the spring of 2000. [459], Together with his wife, Bryant founded the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation (KVBFF). The #BlackMamba @KobeBryant is in the building!. ", "Kobe Bryant rests again, Lakers fall to Trail Blazers, 10694", "Kobe Bryant notches triple-double as Lakers hold off Nuggets", "Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has torn rotator cuff in right shoulder", "Lakers' Kobe Bryant has torn rotator cuff; severity to be determined", "Kobe Bryant to undergo season-ending surgery for torn rotator cuff", "Lakers star Kobe Bryant out for season after shoulder surgery", "Lakers, Knicks close out worst seasons in franchise history", "Byron Scott says Kobe Bryant likely OK for next game", "Kobe Bryant on his play so far: "I freaking suck", "Two decades in: Kobe Bryant clears another milestone with start of 20th Lakers season", "Kobe Bryant's possible farewell tour hits new low", "Kobe's shooting struggles not putting 'pretty defined' role in jeopardy", "Kobe Bryant to retire after this season", "Los Angeles Lakers (2-13) Vs. Indiana Pacers (105)", "Kobe Bryant's struggles cause some in NBA circles to say it's time he retires", "With Flair for the Dramatic, Kobe Spins Frustrating End into Emotional Final Act", "Kobe Bryant: 'Do I want to play again or don't I the reality is no, I don't. [89] They swept the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Finals to advance to the Finals, before losing their first game against the Philadelphia 76ers in overtime. [302], During the 2020 NBA playoffs, the Lakers' players wore 'Black Mamba' jerseys in honor of Bryant. Jan. 24, 2021 4 AM PT. In the playoffs, teammate O'Neal declared Bryant the best player in the league. This included leading the team in assists per game and steals per game. [55], The Lakers were looking to trade their starting center Vlade Divac for a player's draft rights to free up salary cap space to make an offer to free-agent center Shaquille O'Neal. 5", "Ranking The Top 10 Pure Scorers In NBA History", "Kobe Bryant and the Sexual Assault Case That Was Dropped but Not Forgotten", "Where does a rape allegation fit in the legacy of Kobe Bryant? "[263] Eight times he reached 40 points during the season, and eleven times he had 10 or more assists in his role as distributor, dubbed "Magic Mamba" after the passing skills of Magic Johnson. Rare Pikachu, Kobe's sneakers a hidden vault guards it all. On January 28 while attempting to draw contact on a potential game-winning jump shot, he flailed his arm, striking San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginbili in the face with his elbow. [368][371] Bryant's longtime head coach Phil Jackson noted a big difference during his two Lakers coaching stints in Bryant's demeanor towards his teammates. [485][486][487] It was featured on his debut studio album, Finally Rich, as a part of the deluxe edition. [396] Four times Bryant was named the All-Star MVP, a record he shares with Bob Pettit. Largely because he spent so much time in a system de-emphasizing traditional point guard play, mitigating the need for an elite one, in terms of "classic" point guards Bryant basically goes from . Rose later admitted he placed his foot under Bryant intentionally. [188] Bryant was the league's leading scorer throughout the 2000s decade, accumulating 21,065 points in regular season play between the 1999-00 and 200809 seasons. Kobe Bryant On NBA's Toughest Players To Guard. Lakers guard Russell Westbrook channels inner Kobe Bryant after finger dislocation in loss vs. Nuggets. [494], On August 22, 2016, Bryant and his business partner Jeff Stibel launched Bryant-Stibel, a venture capital firm focused on different businesses including media, data, gaming, and technology, with $100 million in funding. [520], Due to light rain and fog that morning, the Los Angeles Police Department helicopters[518] and most other air traffic were grounded. In Game 2 win against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals, Anthony Davis made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer and yelled Bryant's name, while the team was wearing the 'Black Mamba' jerseys. [413] On December 16, 2011, Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, and the couple requested joint custody of their daughters. [144] On March 7, the NBA handed Bryant his second one-game suspension. [109] The following day, Bryant declined a six-year, $100 million offer to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers and re-signed with the Lakers on a seven-year, $136.4 million contract. [339][340][341] Like Jordan, he became most known for shooting a fall-away jump shot. [270] He had played six games since returning from his Achilles injury, which included time at point guard after injuries to Nash, Steve Blake, and Jordan Farmar. [83] He also threw an alley-oop pass to O'Neal to clinch the game and the series. He claimed his first All-Star MVP trophy after a 31-point performance in Philadelphia when he was loudly booed by fans as they had throughout the game, stemming from his earlier comment to a 76ers heckler during the Finals that the Lakers were "going to cut your hearts out". Connect with us. [46][50] In 1996, Bryant took R&B singer Brandy to her Hollywood High senior prom. My love for this city, this team and for each of you will never fade. He was exceptional in everything that he did. Monsky asked Kobe who the best point guard is he ever played with and Kobe jokingly said Monsky was the best with Nash in a close second. [364][365] A fierce competitor, Bryant made opponents and teammates alike the objects of his scorn. To avoid media scrutiny, she finished high school through independent study. This followed with O'Neal winning the MVP and Bryant being named to the All-NBA Second Team and All-NBA Defensive Team for the first time in his career (the youngest player to receive All-Defensive honors). By the end of the season, he averaged 15.5 minutes a game. Reportedly Bryant's parents had problems with him marrying so young, especially to a woman who was not African-American. [157] However, three days later, on Stephen A. Smith's radio program, Bryant expressed anger over a Lakers "insider" who claimed that Bryant was responsible for Shaquille O'Neal's departure from the team, and publicly stated, "I want to be traded. However, after high schooler Kevin Garnett went in the first round of the 1995 NBA draft, Bryant also began contemplating going directly to the pros. His 18 All-Star designations are the second most all time, and he has the most consecutive appearances as a starter. [99] Bryant averaged 30 points per game and embarked on a historic run, posting 40 or more points in nine consecutive games while averaging 40.6 in the entire month of February. [105] However, they were upset in five games by the Detroit Pistons, who won their first championship since 1990. [391] Bryant led the NBA in scoring during the 200506 and 200607 seasons. [33], Bryant also learned to play soccer, and his favorite soccer team was A.C. [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. 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. [213] It was the Lakers' first victory of the season against one of the league's top four teams, as they entered the game 05 in previous matchups and had been outscored by an average of 11 points. [112] Midway through the season, Tomjanovich suddenly resigned as Lakers coach, citing the recurrence of health problems and exhaustion. ", "Kobe Bryant's Charity Work, Events and Causes", "Honor Kobe Bryant's legacy through the charities he supported", "Statement on the Death of Basketball Icon and Museum Founding Donor Kobe Bryant", "Kobe Bryant Granted Over 200 Make-A-Wish Requests During Career: It Was the 'Highlight of My Life', "Kobe's $6M drink investment has $200M return", "Kobe Bryant and Jeff Stibel Unveil $100 Million Venture Capital Fund", "What Is Bryant Stibel, Venture Capitalist Fund? A security guard opens a steel door leading into a vault containing hundreds of collectibles at Collectors Vault, a new company that is making it easier for collectors to store and trade. He scored at least 50 points 24 times in his career, which is third in league history behind Jordan (31) and Chamberlain (118);[302] six times Bryant scored at least 60. [25], Sony pushed Bryant from his roots of underground hip hop into a more radio-friendly sound. [501] The Kobe Bryant China Fund raises money within China earmarked for education and health programs. [507][508] In 2018, Bryant and Sports Academy launched Mamba Sports Academy, a joint athletic-training business venture. [538] In May 2020, the Mamba Sports Academy was renamed to Sports Academy out of respect for Bryant. [147] The following game, Bryant recorded 50 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves,[148] after which he scored 60 points in a road win against the Memphis Grizzliesbecoming the second Laker to score three straight 50-plus point games, a feat not seen since Jordan last did it in 1987. Level of commitment and performance one-game suspension and 200607 seasons singer Brandy to her Hollywood high prom. 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