His next two seasons were cut short by injuries to his knee and shoulder, respectively. He continued to be among the premier players in the league through the 2012–13 season when he suffered a torn achilles tendon at age 34. Bryant led the team to consecutive championships in 20, and was named NBA Finals MVP on both occasions. 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. He led the NBA in scoring in the 2005––07 seasons and was named league MVP in 2008. Īfter the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal was traded and Bryant became the cornerstone of the franchise. The accusation briefly tarnished his reputation, resulting in the loss of several of his endorsement contracts. Criminal charges were dropped after the accuser refused to testify, and a lawsuit was settled out of court, with Bryant issuing a public apology and admitting to a sexual encounter he maintained was consensual. In 2003, Bryant was charged with sexual assault, the alleged victim being a 19-year-old hotel employee. Despite a feud with teammate Shaquille O'Neal, the pair led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. As a rookie, he earned a reputation as a high-flyer by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest and was named an All-Star by his second season. Recognized as the top American high-school basketball player while at Philadelphia suburb Lower Merion, Bryant declared for the 1996 NBA draft and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick he was then traded to the Lakers. The son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, he was born in Philadelphia and partly raised in Italy. He was posthumously voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. He also led the NBA in scoring twice and ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, Bryant won five NBA championships and was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Kobe Bean Bryant ( / ˈ k oʊ b i/ KOH-bee Aug– January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. Naismith Prep Player of the Year (1996).Gatorade National Player of the Year (1996).

Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2014

Kobe and gigi memorial