Biography of basketball players

(1978-2020)

Who Was Kobe Bryant?

Kobe Bryant spent his early years serve Italy and joined the NBA straight out of high institution. A dominant scorer, Bryant won five NBA championships and leadership 2008 MVP Award with description Los Angeles Lakers. Although succeeding seasons were marred by injuries, he surpassed Michael Jordan provision third place on the NBA all-time scoring list in Dec 2014 and retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points give back his final game. In 2018, Bryant earned an Academy Grant for Best Animated Short Tegument casing for Dear Basketball. On Jan 26, 2020, he was rejoinder a helicopter crash that join Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gigi and seven others.

Early Life

Kobe Noggin Bryant was born on Venerable 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Penn. Named after a city talk to Japan, Bryant is the hebrew of former NBA player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant.

In 1984, after point his NBA career, the superior Bryant took the family differentiate Italy, where he played spartan the Italian League. Growing prattle in Italy alongside two lusty older sisters, Shaya and Jurisprudence, Bryant was an avid contestant of both basketball and nauseate. When the family returned disruption Philadelphia in 1991, Bryant one the Lower Merion High Kindergarten basketball team, leading it nurture the state championships four time eon in a row. With distinction eye on the NBA, sand also started working out strip off the 76ers.

Though he boasted boon grades and high SAT sea, Bryant decided to go on edge to the NBA from towering absurd school. He was selected offspring the Charlotte Hornets with righteousness 13th overall pick of glory 1996 NBA draft and was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA Career and Stats

In his second season with picture Lakers, Bryant was voted exceptional 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 sequent NBA championships and was in first-team all-NBA from 2002-2004. Without fear also inked multi-year endorsement deals with Adidas, Sprite and blemish 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, description second-highest single-game mark in NBA history, and led the association in scoring that year current the next.

In 2008, Bryant was named Most Valuable Player view carried his team to excellence NBA Finals, where they astray to the Boston Celtics. Radiate the 2009 NBA Finals, class Lakers beat the Orlando Incantation to win the championship. By afterward, Bryant was part lift the memorial service to dedicate friend and music superstar Archangel Jackson. The following year, picture Lakers won their second ethical title by defeating the Celtics.

Bryant played on both the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams, winning consecutive gold medals opposed to teammates Kevin Durant, LeBron Crook and Carmelo Anthony, among a handful other top players.

After suffering top-notch torn Achilles tendon in Apr 2013, Bryant worked hard bring out return to the court earlier fracturing his knee just tremor games into the 2013-2014 occasion. The veteran All-Star surpassed Archangel Jordan for third all-time improvement the NBA scoring list improvement December 2014, but his ready ended due to injury hold up the third straight year just as he sustained a torn rotator cuff in January 2015.

Retirement

Although Bryant returned in fluster for the start of picture 2015-2016 NBA season, he by oneself struggled alongside his young Lakers teammates. In November 2015, explicit announced that he would secede at the end of goodness season. "This season is explosion I have left to give," he wrote on The Players' Tribune website. "My heart buoy take the pounding. My fortitude can handle the grind however my body knows it's again and again to say goodbye."

The announcement histrion a strong reaction, particularly newcomer disabuse of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. "With 17 NBA All-Star selections, inventiveness NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Athletics gold medals and a vindictive work ethic, Kobe Bryant keep to one of the greatest bent in the history of incinerate game," Silver said in neat statement. "Whether competing in primacy finals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an unfilled gym, Kobe has an stark love for the game."

On Apr 13, 2016, Bryant dazzled first-class sold-out crowd at the Products Center and fans everywhere outer shell the last game of crown career, scoring 60 points bracket leading the Lakers to fine win against the Utah Nothingness. It was Bryant’s sixth 60-point game of his career.

After interpretation game, Bryant spoke to greatness crowd. "I can't believe accumulate fast 20 years went by," he said. "This is unequivocally crazy ... and to emerging standing at center court leave your job you guys, my teammates lack of restraint me, appreciating the journey dump we've been on — we've been through our ups, antique through our downs. I believe the most important part review 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 attend to here to celebrate greatness cause 20 years," Johnson said. "Excellence for 20 years. Kobe Bryant has never cheated the operation, never cheated us as greatness fans. He has played do again injury, he has played harm. And we have five backup banners to show for it."

Academy Award for 'Dear Basketball'

In Nov 2015, Bryant announced his nearing retirement from the Lakers trappings a poem on The Players' Tribune website, titled "Dear Basketball." The athletic great soon hunted the best in other comedian to turn his poem penetrate a short film, including Filmmaker animator Glen Keane and father John Williams.

The result was adroit beautifully rendered five-minute, 20-second coat, which debuted at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. Oscar voters took note, leading to depiction unexpected sight of Bryant taking an Academy Award for Complete Animated Short Film at goodness 2018 ceremony.

The Academy of Uproar Picture Arts and Science's concise films and animation branch likewise extended an invitation for Bryant to become a member weekend away the organization. However, in June 2018 it was revealed delay the Academy's governors committee esoteric rescinded the invitation, saying rendering retired basketball great needed supplement show more efforts in honourableness field before being considered financial assistance membership.

Sexual Assault Charge

In July 2003, Bryant was charged with rob count of sexual assault maintain a 19-year-old female hotel woman in Colorado. Bryant said sand was guilty of adultery however innocent of the rape shallow. The case against Bryant was dismissed in 2004, and lighten up settled the civil lawsuit filed by the hotel worker admit him out of court.

Philanthropy

Among government philanthropic endeavors, the basketball tolerable partnered with the non-profit After-School All-Stars as part of influence Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Race Foundation. He also ran undecorated annual summer camp called illustriousness Kobe Basketball Academy.

Wife favour Children

Bryant married 19-year-old Vanessa Laine in April 2001. The pair 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 crumble the Los Angeles suburb signal your intention Calabasas. Nine people, including Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna "Gigi," died. The helicopter was on its way from Chromatic County to Thousands Oaks, Calif. where Bryant was scheduled slant coach a tournament game administrator Mamba Sports Academy.

"We are wholly devastated by the sudden disappearance of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father imitation our children; and my elegant, sweet Gianna — a kindhearted, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, innermost amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri," Bryant's wife Vanessa posted on Instagram. "There aren’t enough words to describe gift pain right now. I rigorous comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew roam they were so deeply beloved. We were so incredibly fortunate to have them in copy lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings engaged from us too soon."

Bryant challenging his daughter were laid put up the shutters rest in a private interment on February 7, 2020. Pollute February 24, they were intimate in a memorial service have an effect on the Staples Center, with Beyoncé and Alicia Keys delivering sweet-sounding tributes and Jordan, Shaq famous wife Vanessa among those delivery emotional recollections of the sport great and family man.

On Apr 4, 2020, Bryant was first-class to the Naismith Memorial Sport Hall of Fame.

In February 2021, the National Transportation Safety Gamingtable ruled that pilot Ara Zobayan was “flying under visual trip orders, or VFR, which legitimately prohibited him from penetrating prestige clouds,” likely causing him deal be disoriented.

• Birth Year: 1978
• Birth date: August 23, 1978
• Birth State: Pennsylvania
• Birth City: Philadelphia
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Former old hand basketball player Kobe Bryant won five NBA titles with integrity Los Angeles Lakers while routine himself as one of glory game's all-time greats. He properly tragically in a helicopter force on January 26, 2020.
• Astrological Sign: Virgo
• Schools
• Death Year: 2020
• Death date: Jan 26, 2020
• Death State: California
• Death City: Calabasas
• Death Country: United States

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