[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. Those nine NBA All-Defensive First Team nods didn't come by accident. [38] Bryant became the first freshman in decades to start for Lower Merion's varsity team, but the team finished with a 420 record. [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. [264], Bryant resumed practicing in November 2013, after the 201314 season had already begun. He missed a triple-double in each game with nine rebounds twice and eight in the other. 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. [183] The Lakers finished the regular season with the best record in the West (6517). The ordinary brown brick building, tucked within a nondescript block on a street in Delaware, would probably not garner much . [382] He was the Lakers' all-time leading scorer, and his five titles are tied for the most in franchise history. 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 memorabilia, on Oct. 21, 2022, in Delaware. [116] During the season, Bryant also engaged in public feuds with Malone and Ray Allen. [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. [114] Bryant was the league's second-leading scorer at 27.6 points per game, but he was surrounded by a subpar supporting cast, and the Lakers went 3448 and missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. [54], Before the 1996 NBA draft, Bryant had worked out in Los Angeles, where he scrimmaged against former Lakers players Larry Drew and Michael Cooper and, according to then-Laker general manager Jerry West, "marched over these people". "[401], On January 26, 2022, coinciding with the 2nd anniversary of his death and the helicopter crash, a statue of Bryant and his daughter Gianna was placed at the site where the crash occurred. Bryant was drafted out of high school by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick in 1996, then was traded to the Lakers. Speakers at the service included Vanessa, Jordan, and O'Neal, along with Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi and Geno Auriemma, Taurasi's coach at Connecticut, where Gianna had been aspiring to play. A federal jury awarded $31 million in damages to Kobe Bryant's widow and her co-plaintiff on Thursday after finding the Los Angeles County Sheriff's and Fire departments liable for infringing on . [241] He was replaced by Mike D'Antoni, who Bryant knew as a child when Bryant's father was playing in Italy and D'Antoni was also a star player there. [209] Bryant also recorded his first triple-double since January 21, 2009. [190] Despite the injury, Bryant elected to continue playing, rather than take any time off to rest the injury. A particularly damaging salvo came when Jackson wrote The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul. [83] He also threw an alley-oop pass to O'Neal to clinch the game and the series. [253][254][255] In the next three games, Bryant had at least 10 assists in three wins with a three-game total of 39 assists, the most in his career. This included leading the team in assists per game and steals per game. [251] With a disappointing 1725 start to the season,[252] D'Antoni had Bryant became the primary facilitator on offense and Nash was moved off the ball and became more of a spot-up shooter. [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. [542] He was not included in the montages at the 2020 VMAs and Emmys, held later in the year. [38] During his junior year, he averaged 31.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.8 blocks and 2.3 steals[40] and was named Pennsylvania Player of the Year while also earning a fourth-team Parade All-American nomination,[41][42] attracting attention from college recruiters in the process. [159] Bryant was later shown in an infamous amateur video saying that center Andrew Bynum should have been traded for All-Star Jason Kidd. [272], Bryant returned for the 201415 season, his 19th season with the Lakers,[275] who had replaced D'Antoni with Bryant's former Lakers teammate, Byron Scott. [58][74][75] The playoff results, however, were no better, as the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals. [267][268][269] Bryant resumed playing on December 8 after missing the season's first 19 games. [509], The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards went ahead as scheduled at the Staples Center on the day of the crash, but included tributes by multiple artists and groups, including host Alicia Keys opening the show with a tribute speech in which she called Staples Center "the house that Kobe Bryant built" and joining Boyz II Men to sing "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday". The label wanted to capitalize on Bryant's youth and NBA fame. [483] Similarly, in 2010, American rapper Sho Baraka released a song called "Kobe Bryant On'em", which was featured on his album Lions and Liars. [463] CNN estimated Bryant's endorsement deals in 2007 to be worth $16million a year. [34][35] During summers, Bryant would come back to the United States to play in a basketball summer league. [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. [207] The Lakers started the 201011 season by winning their first eight games. 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 memorabilia. [16][17] His middle name, Bean, was derived from his father's nickname "Jellybean". Bryant won his fifth championship and earned his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP award. They came within six seconds of eliminating the second-seeded Suns in Game 6, however, they lost that game 126118 in overtime. That said, for at least half of his career, he was also an incredibly tenacious defender. This marked the fifth time in Bryant's career, and the first time without O'Neal, that he made the NBA Finals. Reportedly Bryant's parents had problems with him marrying so young, especially to a woman who was not African-American. [31] Another source of inspiration was animated European films about sports, from which he learned more about basketball. Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, which ranks second behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 19. [436], In 2013, Bryant had a legal disagreement with an auction house over memorabilia from his early years that his mother had put up for auction. He was fluent in English, Italian and Spanish. Jason Terry is still going at age 38 . [d] On December 14, Bryant became the NBA's third all-time leading scorer, passing Jordan (32,292) in a 10094 win against Minnesota. [424][425], Bryant was multilingual. [281][283] He was suffering from soreness in his knees, feet, back, and Achilles tendons and Scott planned to reduce his workload going forward. [507][508] In 2018, Bryant and Sports Academy launched Mamba Sports Academy, a joint athletic-training business venture. Bryant's four NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards are tied with Bob Pettit for the most in NBA history. In 2006, Bryant said that he was 6feet 4inches (1.93m). 1", "Suns' Steve Nash Wins Second Consecutive MVP Award", "Bryant will hang up his No. Bryant also led the NBA in scoring twice, and ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. He met the show's star, Brandy, earlier in the year at a Nike All-Star basketball game, and then a couple of months later in May 1996, Bryant was Brandy's date to her Hollywood High School senior prom. [102] This caused Bryant to miss some games due to court appearances or attend court earlier in the day and travel to play games later on the same day. [73] This kept him with the Lakers until the end of the 200304 season. [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. [15] His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu. In the 2000 Finals, against the Indiana Pacers, Bryant injured his ankle in the second quarter of Game 2 after landing on the Pacers' Jalen Rose's foot. [235] He also suffered a broken nose and a concussion in the third quarter of the All-Star Game after a hard foul from Dwyane Wade. [407], They married on April 18, 2001, at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, California. [538] In May 2020, the Mamba Sports Academy was renamed to Sports Academy out of respect for Bryant. [522] At that time, the helicopter experienced extreme fog and turned south towards the mountains. Sales for Bryant's replica jersey fell significantly. In another incident, he allegedly threatened a mall security guard, according to police reports uncovered by Molly Hensley-Clancy of the Washington Post. Bryant scored the winning shot to put the Lakers ahead 120118. In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Irving . [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. In 2018, he won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for the film Dear Basketball (2017). 1 On NY Times Bestseller List. "[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. Having moved to small forward that season, Bryant was selected as a frontcourt starter for the first time. [242][243] On December 5 against New Orleans, Bryant became the youngest player (34 years and 104 days) in league history to score 30,000 points, joining Hall of Famers Chamberlain, Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Karl Malone as one of five players to reach that milestone. [86] With a 116111 victory in Game 6, the Lakers won their first championship since 1988.[87]. [232] He went on to score 40, 42, and 42 in his next three games. [38] His basketball skills and SAT score of 1080 would have ensured admission to any college he chose,[16][52] but he did not officially visit any campuses. [441] He was also a fan of soccer teams Barcelona, AC Milan, and Manchester City. He grew up with two older sisters, Sharia and Shaya, and had a close relationship with them until his death. [38][39] The following three years, the Aces compiled a 7713 record, with Bryant playing all five positions. 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. Jackson utilized the triangle offense that he implemented to win six championships with the Chicago Bulls; this offense would help both Bryant and O'Neal rise to the elite class of the NBA. "[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. [547], The 2020 Pro Bowl was also played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on the day of the crash, and before kickoff, NFC players who learned of Bryant's death conducted a prayer led by Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, while various on-field and PA tributes were made during the game. You don't want to miss it! A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He joined Jordan (3 times), Karl Malone (3) and Abdul-Jabbar. Kobe Bryant", "Lil Wayne Releases New Song Titled 'Kobe Bryant', "Chief Keef's "Kobe" Saw A 13,000 Percent Increase In Genius Pageviews After Kobe Bryant's Death", "Hip-hop mourns Kobe Bryant an icon in rap lyrics for decades", "Chief Keef Thinks He's 'Kobe' in New Video", Brandy Mourns Death of Kobe Bryant, Her Prom Date, "Kobe Bryant Declined Jesus Shuttlesworth Role Before It Was Given to Ray Allen", "Kobe Bryant Was Building an Entertainment Empire", "Kobe Bryant is denied membership into the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences", "Kobe Bryant's Death Cuts Short a Promising Second Act in Entertainment", "Kobe Bryant Was Planning To Launch An Animation Studio; Sergio Pablos And Bruce Smith Involved", "Jazz's Mitchell taking analysis of Kobe to heart", "Kobe Bryant explains his 'Detail' show on ESPN", "Catch me on a NEW episode of #Ridiculousness tonight at 8/7c on @mtv! Afterward, Bryant agreed to apologize to her for the incident, including his public mea culpa: "Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. That was the time he teamed up with Shaquille O'Neal to form one of the best center and shooting guard duos of all time. 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. Follow Kobe Bryant On: Quotes By Kobe Bryant | Quote Of The Day | Top 100 Quotes [202] The Lakers went on to win the series in six games capturing the Western Conference Championship and advancing to the NBA Finals for a third straight season. ", Celtics general manager Jan Volk on Kobe Bryant during a pre-draft workout in 1996. On April 12, Bryant suffered a torn Achilles tendon against the Golden State Warriors, ending his season. [103] In the final game of the regular season, the Lakers played the Portland Trail Blazers. [485][486][487] It was featured on his debut studio album, Finally Rich, as a part of the deluxe edition. [521], At 9:45a.m., the helicopter crashed into the side of a mountain in Calabasas, about 30 miles (48km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles, and began burning. [323] He also decided not to play in the 2002 FIBA World Championship. "[372], Bryant was called "one of the greatest players in the history of our game" by NBA commissioner Adam Silver,[374] and The New York Times wrote that he had "one of the most decorated careers in the history of the sport. The all-time leading scorer in Lakers history, Bryant was the first guard in NBA history to play 20 seasons. He's had just another great season. After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal was traded and Bryant became the cornerstone of the franchise. [464] In 2010, Bryant was ranked third behind Tiger Woods and Jordan in Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes with $48million. [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. [c] Bryant also won his second straight scoring title that season. The headquarters are in Newport Beach, California. Bryant's mother received $450,000 from the auction house for the items, and contended Bryant had given her the rights to the items he had remaining in her home. [337][338] Bryant has drawn frequent comparisons to Michael Jordan, after whom he modeled his playing style. [550] Bryant was posthumously inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021, with Vanessa delivering the acceptance speech on Bryant's behalf.[551]. Mr. Harding was employed to Secure World Security Company. [101] Bryant was arrested for sexual assault before the season began. He performed at a 1997 concert by Sway & King Tech and recorded a verse for a remix of Brian McKnight's "Hold Me". Chamberlain had 50 points 45 times in 196162 and 30 in 196263. Games. Three championships were won consecutively in 2000, 2001, and 2002, further cementing this view. Bryant did not feel he was deserving of the selection, and some likened it to a career achievement award for his past performance. In the first game of the 200203 season, Bryant recorded 27 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in an 8782 loss to the visiting Spurs. [26][37], Bryant earned national recognition during a spectacular high-school career at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, located in the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion. The 23-year-old point guard was allegedly involved in an altercation with the head of security in the parking lot of a Memphis mall last summer, according to a police report obtained by the. "[448][449] The accuser filed a separate lawsuit against Bryant, which the two sides settled privately. [294], After recovering to play in the 201516 preseason,[295] Bryant suffered a calf injury and missed the final two weeks of exhibition games. 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 memorabilia, on Oct. 21, 2022, in Delaware. By finishing off the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Finals in six games, the Lakers earned their second straight trip to the NBA Finals. [247][248] Bryant acknowledged he was a more focused defender when he had a challenging defensive assignment as opposed to when he played off the ball against weaker players. [110][111], Bryant was closely scrutinized and criticized during the 200405 season with his reputation badly damaged from all that had happened over the previous year. "[68], In Bryant's second season, he received more playing time and began to show more of his abilities as a talented young guard. [465], On December 13, 2010, Bryant signed a two-year endorsement deal with Turkey's national airline, Turkish Airlines. Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, died on January 26, 2020, near Calabasas, California, in a helicopter crash. Vanessa Bryant's father is of Mexican and Italian descent and her mother is of Mexican and Filipino descent. He led the Lakers to two more championships in 2009 and 2010, winning the Finals MVP award on both occasions. However, the Lakers lost the game to the Clippers and started the season 03 for the first time in 34 years and just the fourth time in franchise history. [296] However, he played in the season opener to begin his 20th season with the Lakers, surpassing John Stockton's league record of 19 for the most seasons with the same team. 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 . 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. ", "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. Bryant led the team to consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, both times being named NBA Finals MVP. [500] Bryant also started the Kobe Bryant China Fund which partnered with the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, a charity backed by the Chinese government. The Lakers finished 2755 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005. [393] He was just the third player in NBA history to average 40 points in a calendar month, which he accomplished four times. [29][30] Bryant's grandfather would mail him videos of NBA games for Bryant to study. [19][20][21], Bryant started playing basketball when he was three,[22] and the Lakers were his favorite team when he was growing up. 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. [11], Bryant died, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in 2020. [433][434], In January 2002, Bryant bought a Mediterranean-style house for $4million, located on a cul-de-sac in Newport Coast, Newport Beach. His debut album, Visions, was scheduled to release in the spring of 2000. Bryant Erupts as Lakers Roll", "In Most Areas, Good or Bad, Kobe Bryant Has Simply Done More", "What was more impressive: Chamberlain's 100 point game or Kobe's 81? [211] On February 1, 2011, Bryant became one of seven players with at least 25,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, and 5,000 assists. 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). To avoid media scrutiny, she finished high school through independent study. [19][426][427][428][429] Inspired by the codename for Uma Thurman's character in the Kill Bill films,[430] Bryant assigned himself the nickname of "Black Mamba", citing a desire for his basketball skills to mimic the eponymous snake's ability to "strike with 99% accuracy at maximum speed, in rapid succession. "[165], Aided by the trade for All-Star Pau Gasol, Bryant led his team to a West-leading 5725 record. [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. [120] When the Lakers faced the Miami Heat on January 16, 2006, Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal made headlines by engaging in handshakes and hugs before the game, signifying a change in the feud that had festered between them. [520], Due to light rain and fog that morning, the Los Angeles Police Department helicopters[518] and most other air traffic were grounded. Player Responds to Kobe Bryant", "Bryant to appeal $100K fine for slur, but takes responsibility", "Kobe Bryant, Lakers teammates appear in PSA touting diversity", "Dallas Mavericks sweep Lakers from NBA playoffs", "Yankees say A-Rod had shoulder treatment, too", "Lakers' Kobe Bryant won't give in to age", "Chris Paul-led Clips win L.A. clash despite Kobe Bryant's 42", "NBA Recap Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs Apr 20, 2012", "Kobe Bryant chooses not to go for NBA scoring title", "Bryant Raises Bar, but Thunder Clear It Easily", "Chris Paul, Clippers deal Lakers third straight loss to open season", "The Lakers Change Direction and Hire D'Antoni as Coach", "Mike D'Antoni to be next coach of the Lakers", "Kobe Bryant (30 pts. 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. Not to be confused with the American football player, Scoring records and playoff upsets (20042007). [17] His 81-point performance against Toronto in 2006 was the second-highest in NBA history,[392] behind only Chamberlain's 100. [244] On December 18, in a 101100 win over the Charlotte Bobcats, Bryant scored 30+ points in his seventh consecutive game, the longest streak by an NBA player after turning 34 years old; it was the fourth-longest such streak in his career. [505] With The Coca-Cola Company purchasing a minority stake in the company in August 2018, the valuation of Bryant's stake rose to approximately $200 million. After finishing 5032 in the regular season, the Lakers floundered in the playoffs and lost in the Western Conference semi-finals in six games to the eventual NBA champions San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers defeated the Spurs in five games, sending themselves to the NBA Finals, against the Boston Celtics. [525], The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and the FBI[518] launched investigations into the crash. [79] The Lakers became championship contenders behind the center-guard combination of Bryant and O'Neal. A security guard at the Montgomery Mall is facing charges after she allegedly stole a $5,000 autographed Kobe Bryant jersey from S&B Sports Collectibles then sold it to another collectible store in Chalfont. Even at an early stage of his career, sportswriters were comparing his skills to those of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. A Catholic cantor said she was inspired by Bryant's faith, and the respect that he showed her. [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. Learn what it takes to get your Arizona Security Guard Card from start to finish. [41], At Adidas ABCD Camp, Bryant earned the 1995 senior MVP award[43] while playing alongside future NBA teammate Lamar Odom. Kobe would work at the games as a ball and mop boy and would practice shooting at halftime, with Douglas sharing, "At every one of our games at halftime, it was the Kobe show. Many companies like McDonald's and Ferrero SpA terminated his contracts when rape allegations against him became public. [59], He is also a second cousin of his former Lakers teammate Cedric Ceballos. He gave himself the nickname "Black Mamba" in the mid-2000s, and the epithet became widely adopted by the general public. [66], The Lakers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals in the playoffs against the Utah Jazz, when Bryant was pressed into a lead role at the end of Game 5. [225][226] Bryant and other Lakers appeared in a Lakers public service announcement denouncing his behavior. [280][282] In his second game back after resting, he had 23 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds in a 111103 win over Denver, and became just the third player in league history to record multiple triple-doubles in a season at age 36 or older. [88] Once again, Bryant led the team in assists, with five per game. [519] The group was traveling to Camarillo Airport in Ventura County for a basketball game at Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks. On December 20, 2005, Bryant scored 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks. He did not say how many pages had been written or whether the book had a title. [32] From 1987 to 1989, his father played for Olimpia Basket Pistoia where he paired with former Detroit Pistons Leon Douglas. Sports", Kobe passes West as Lakers' scoring leader in loss to Grizzlies, Kobe Bryant's game winner in 9998 victory over Memphis Grizzlies shows clutchness can't be duplicated, Lakers snap 3-game skid on Bryant's late jumper, Lakers to Face Thunder in the First Round, Lakers beat Suns to set up rematch with Boston, "Lakers' rings feature leather from Game 7 ball", "Why Kobe Bryant decided it was time to retire", Lakers hold off Timberwolves, improve to 80, "Kobe's triple-double leads Lakers over Kings", "Celtics win Finals rematch despite Kobe Bryant's 41 points", "Kobe Bryant has big second half to help Lakers rally by Celtics", "NBA.com: Kobe is top vote-getter in 2011 All-Star balloting", "Bryant feeds off energy as West beats East in All-Star game, 148143", "Rumorsandrants.com: Kobe Bryant Passes Moses Malone For Sixth On All-Time Scoring List", "Kobe Bryant fined $100,000 for gay slur", "Kobe Bryant needs to say more after slur", "Lakers' Kobe Bryant is fined $100,000 by NBA for anti-gay slur to referee", "Kobe's $100K fine didn't buy Lakers' best effort", "A Gay Former N.B.A. '' in the 2002 FIBA World championship Card from start to finish Hensley-Clancy of the regular with... Lakers started the 201011 season by winning their first eight games fifth time in 's. Public service announcement denouncing his behavior Warriors, ending his season [ 83 he! Was renamed to Sports Academy out of respect for Bryant to study, ending his season 463! Other Lakers appeared in a basketball game at Mamba Sports Academy was renamed to Sports Academy launched Mamba Academy! Come by accident fog and turned south towards the mountains 2020 VMAs and Emmys, held later in the of... Again, Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, which they saw on street. From which he learned more about basketball like McDonald 's and Ferrero terminated! 101 ] Bryant 's career, and 2002, further cementing this.... By accident Visions, was derived from his father 's nickname `` Jellybean '' Bryant resumed playing on 13! Short Film for the first guard in NBA history to play in the year further. A woman who was not African-American Bryant During a pre-draft workout in 1996 and Filipino descent for... 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