Kobe Bean Bryant, popularly known as ‘Kobe Bryant’, is an American professional basketball player. Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). NBA Commissioner Adam Silver regards Kobe Bryant as one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. He called himself ‘Black Mamba’ in the mid-200s, and the public adopted this epithet.
At 23, Kobe Bryant was the youngest NBA basketball player to win three championships. Bryant is an all-time leading scorer and was the first guard to play in 20 seasons in the NBA.
Player profile
NBA professional basketball player Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 23, 1978. He was the son of Joe Bryant, a former NBA player. He spent his basketball career with the Los Angeles Lakers in 20 years. Before entering the NBA, Bryant was a top-performing player in Lower Merion High School in California. His qualifications made him a strong candidate for the NBA draft.
Bryant played as a shooting guard in the NBA from 1996 to 2016. This NBA player stands 6 feet 6 inches and weighs 212 pounds, making him an ideal player for the shooting guard position. In addition, he is one of the greatest scorers in NBA league history. Also, Bryant received several awards for NBA championships and other league games. On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant died at 41.
Professional career
With his 20-year career in professional basketball, his league record shows that he was a multi-awarded player. Bryant was the first shooting guard selected in the 1996 NBA draft. Finally, he debuted his NBA career in the Summer Pro League in California. Bryant held a rookie record from 1996 to 1997. For the record, Kobe Bryant was the second youngest player to join the NBA games.
At the age of 18, he became the youngest NBA starter. Bryant surpassed the record of Wilt Chamberlain, reaching 25,000 points in a season. This all-time leading scorer also received four NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards in NBA history. Moreover, he received gold medals during the U.S. Olympics in 2008 and 2012.
In 1999, Bryant’s career with the Los Angeles Lakers improved as he worked with head coach Phil Jackson. He was one of the greatest shooting guards. Bryant also earned appearances in significant basketball events such as All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defensive teams. Lakers also became NBA championship contenders with the combined performances of Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. With coach Jackson, the team managed to win the NBA finals with the Chicago Bulls.
The 2005 to 2006 season led to crossroads in his basketball career. Bryant had past differences with head coach Phil Jackson. But Jackson decided to return to the Lakers and work with Bryant the second time. This development led the Lakers to get into the playoffs again. Bryant’s individual scoring accomplishments made him one of the most exciting players in the league. Kobe Bryant earned several achievements as a top-notch scorer. For example, he earned an 81-point after a victory against the Toronto Raptors. It’s the second highest point total in the history of the NBA.
In the 2002 to 2003 season, Bryant set an NBA record for three-pointers when the Lakers won against the Seattle Supersonics. The Lakers defeated the latter in the game between the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs, taking them to the NBA final. However, the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics during the 2008 NBA Finals. During the 2009-2010 season, Bryant had an avulsion fracture in the right index finger in a game with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Despite the injury, he made another game-winning shot in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. From 2015 to 2016, Bryant played against the Philadelphia 76ers, his hometown team. The Lakers lost the game with a score of 103-91. Bryant’s last NBA game was during the season finale on April 13, when he made it against Utah. He became the oldest player to score 60 and above in a game.
National team career
Kobe Bryant’s national career started in 2007 when he played for the United States national team. The team was qualified to participate in the 2008 Olympics after finishing with a 10-0. Bryant’s first participation in the Olympics was the USA Men’s Senior National Team in 2008. The team earned a victory in the gold medal game against Spain. Kobe Bryant rejoined the national team in the 2012 Summer Olympics, where he achieved another gold medal. He ended his national career with the United States national team with a league record of 26-0 in three tournaments.
