Kobe Bryant
| Position: | Shooting Guard |
| Height: | 6 feet 6 inches (198 cm) |
| Weight: | 220 lb. (100 kg) |
| College: | None |
| High School: | Lower Merion High School |
| NBA draft: | 1996, 1st round 13th overall |
| Pro career: | 10th season |
| Hall of Fame: | None (Active) |
Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an All-Star shooting guard in the National Basketball Association. He is also the son of former Philadelphia 76ers player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant. Although he has many detractors who criticize his attitude and perceived arrogance, at the age of 27, he is already considered by many to be one of the most solid professional basketball players of all time.
Early life
Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the age of 6 he, his two sisters, and his parents moved to Italy, where his father began playing professional basketball. While living there, he gradually became accustomed to the lifestyle and subsequently learned to speak Italian fluently. In 1994, the Bryants moved back to the United States. After a spectacular high school career in the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion, at Lower Merion High School, Bryant achieved national recognition as a prodigal basketball talent. He then scrapped his original plans of continuing on to college by making the leap from high school directly to the NBA, a bold but controversial decision made by the then 17-year-old. He was originally selected 13th by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA Draft, but they traded him on July 11, 1996 to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Vlade Divac. Though young and somewhat introverted, Bryant's talent made an impression on his teammates on the practice court. Despite his natural talent, Bryant often had trouble relating to teammates away from the basketball court, and he struggled to make friends early in his career.
It was during this time that the 20-year-old Bryant first met 16-year-old Vanessa Laine on the set of a music video where Laine was working as a background dancer. The two began dating and were engaged six months later. They married on April 18, 2001 in Dana Point, California, while Laine was still a senior at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California. Their daughter Natalia Diamante was born on January 19, 2003. Bryant's parents initially disapproved of the marriage because of the couple's young age, but have since reconciled with him. After Vanessa suffered a miscarriage due to an ectopic condition in the spring of 2005, the Bryants announced that they are expecting another child, a girl, in May 2006.
NBA career
Bryant's career trajectory as an NBA player out of high school has been nothing short of exceptional. Even before he was chosen as the 13th pick overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996, Bryant had made a lasting impression on then-Lakers general manager Jerry West, who immediately foresaw the potential in Bryant's basketball talent during pre-draft workouts. After overseeing the arrival of Shaquille O'Neal to Los Angeles, West continued his quest to return the Lakers to championship status by trading center Vlade Divac to the Hornets for the 18-year old Bryant.
Bryant was primarily labeled a work-in-progress by then-Laker coach Del Harris during his first two seasons with the Lakers, in which he played mostly off the bench under guards Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. However, Bryant's fortunes would soon change when Phil Jackson became coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. After years of steady improvement, Bryant had become one of the premier shooting guards in the league, a notion that was indicated by his annual presence in the league's All-NBA, All-Star, and All-Defensive teams. The Los Angeles Lakers became perennial championship contenders under Bryant and former teammate Shaquille O'Neal, who teamed up to form one of the deadliest center-guard combinations in NBA history. Their success gave the Lakers three consecutive NBA championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002.
The 2003 season saw the end of the Lakers's run as a mini-dynasty, but also became the definitive season for Kobe Bryant. A superstar at only 24 years of age, Bryant averaged over 30 points per game and embarked on a historic scoring run, posting 40 or more points per game for nine consecutive games. In the following season, the Lakers ventured to the 2004 NBA Finals where they heavy favorites against the Eastern Conference Champion Detroit Pistons, but lost the series four games to one (The one game the Lakers did win, Game 2, was sent to Overtime on a last-second three-pointer by Bryant). Following the loss to the Pistons, Bryant opted out of his contract to test the free agent market. After flirting with the idea of joining several teams, including the Lakers' cross-town rivals the Los Angeles Clippers, he signed a new seven-year deal with the Lakers worth over US$136 million on July 15, 2004.
Bryant's image and accomplishments on and off the basketball court made him one of basketball's most popular and marketable players. He became a spokesperson for major corporations such as McDonald's and Coca-Cola. For several years, he had an exclusive apparel and shoe deal with Adidas but is currently under a four-year, $45 million advertising contract with Nike [1].
Much of Kobe Bryant's meteoric rise to NBA superstardom is attributed to his consummate work ethic. In each of his years in the league, Bryant showed improvement in all areas of his game, from offense to strength to defense. On-court he is a very composed and competitive player with impressive concentration, able to deliver the toughest and clutch shots at the times most needed. These attributes, for the most part, have made him a premier player in the NBA.
Current season: 2005-2006
On December 20, 2005, in one of the most spectacular individual scoring feats in NBA history, Bryant scored a then career-high 62 points in only 33 minutes of play in a 112-90 rout of the Dallas Mavericks. His 30 points in the third quarter alone surpassed the Lakers' previous franchise record of 24 points in a single quarter. Bryant had outscored the entire Dallas Mavericks team 62-61 by the time he departed at the end of the third quarter, becoming the first player ever to outscore his opposition through three quarters since the advent of the 24-second shot clock. His career night was only 9 points shy of Elgin Baylor's franchise record of 71, and may well have broken it had he set foot on the court during the fourth quarter.
Currently, Bryant is the leading scorer of the 2005-2006 NBA season, averaging 36 points per game, the most since Michael Jordan averaged 37 points per game in 1987. He has done all this while helping the otherwise mediocre Lakers maintain their playoff berth in the Western Conference. Consequently, he is among those mentioned as possible candidates of the Most Valuable Player award.
In late January 2006, Bryant offcially agreed to a three-year commitment to the USA Basketball team that, once qualified, will play in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored a career high and Los Angeles Lakers team record 81 points as the Lakers defeated the Toronto Raptors 122-104 at Los Angeles. The 81 points rank second all-time in points scored in a single game, behind the late Wilt Chamberlain's 100 on March 2, 1962, and broke Elgin Baylor's previous franchise record of 71. Bryant shot 28 of 46 from the field, including 7 of 13 from 3-point range, and made 18 of 20 free throws. He also recorded 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. The accomplishment made Bryant only the fifth player in NBA history to score 70 points in a game (the others being Chamberlain, who accomplished the feat six different times, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson), and only the second player to score 80.
Bryant's 2005 scoring splurge, especially his two career best games, have sparked a widespread discussion in the media and among sports fans regarding the implications of his scoring so many points. Commentators have vehemently debated whether Kobe's 81 point-game in the modern NBA era is a more impressive feat then Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962.
Additionally, there are frequent arguments over whether Bryant's prolific scoring is a good thing for the Laker team as a whole. Some argue that Bryant taking so many shots is not true 'team' basketball and thus sets a bad example, as well as inhibits the development of other Laker players. Others argue that the other players on the team are not nearly as talented as is Bryant, and thus having Bryant take the bulk of the team's shot gives the team the best chance to win, which is what should be the ultimate goal of 'team' basketball.
Controversy and trial
Kobe Bryant has, however, received and abundance of criticism spawning from what many consider a collection of personality flaws. Detractors have branded Bryant as a selfish, egotistic player who pads his own achievements at the expense of his team. These criticisms came under great discussion following sexual assault allegations stemming from his June 2003 encounter with 19-year-old Katelyn Faber in a Vail, Colorado hotel room. Consequently, Bryant's "squeaky-clean" image was tarnished considerably.
Although these charges were eventually dropped in the fall of 2004 and a civil suit that followed was settled, Bryant's tarnished image continued to plummet. His endorsement contracts with McDonald's, Nutella, and Ferrero SpA were terminated. Furthering Bryant's blemished reputation was the public rift through the Laker core of Bryant, O'Neal, and coach Phil Jackson. In well-documented episodes throughout their careers together on the Lakers, mainly over leadership of the team, O'Neal and Bryant have feuded in dramatic fashion. The 2000-era Lakers were built around the dominant center in O'Neal but Bryant seemed to tire of his formal role as "second fiddle" on the team. Bryant and O'Neal would often launch jarring verbal attacks at each other, including O'Neal's allegations of Bryant as a greedy ball-hog and Bryant's maligning of O'Neal as "fat." What is considered to be one of the largest blows to the relationship between Bryant and O'Neal, as well as a serious blow to Bryant's personal reputation among other NBA players, was the release of a police transcript of Bryant being questioned by Colorado police during the sexual assault investigation. When the transcript was publicly released, it was shown that Bryant had brought up O'Neal's own alleged extramarital affairs in an attempt to deflect questioning from police investigators, as well as detailing the specific sex acts that Bryant had performed with and requested from Faber during their encounter [2].
Bryant also clashed with coach Jackson. While efficient in Jackson's "triangle offense," Bryant had a personal distaste for Jackson's brand of ball and subsequently called it "boring." In games, Bryant would often disregard the set offense completely to experiment with his own one-on-one moves, incensing the normally calm Jackson. Bryant managed to test Jackson's patience enough that the "Zen Master" demanded a Bryant trade, although Laker management rejected the request. When Jackson's coaching contract ran out following the 2003–04 season and the Lakers failed to produce a championship despite sporting hall-of-fame caliber players Karl Malone and Gary Payton, in addition to O'Neal and Bryant, Jackson was not invited back to coach the team. Most fans attributed Jackson's departure directly to Bryant, whom Laker owner Dr. Jerry Buss championed. Buss also seemed determined to facilitate O'Neal's departure from L.A. Bryant was a free agent and O'Neal had two more years of record-breakingly high pay left on his contract. For these reasons, many basketball fans have blamed Bryant for the break-up of the Lakers' dynasty after their one-sided 2004 Finals loss to the Detroit Pistons. Shaquille O'Neal was hastily traded to the Miami Heat, resulting in a complete overhaul of the Laker roster, with Kobe Bryant remaining as its centerpiece. Bryant re-signed with the Lakers for the veteran maximum salary after a long flirtation with the Lakers' Staples Center suitemates, the Los Angeles Clippers, but only after Jackson and O'Neal were out of the picture, and it was guaranteed that he no longer had to play "second fiddle" in an offense that didn't use him as the focal point.
Bryant's first season at the helm of a team would prove to be a very rocky one, however. With his reputation already badly damaged from the proceedings in Colorado, Bryant was closely scrutinized and criticized in the 2004–2005 NBA season. The first salvo came from Phil Jackson in his book The Last Season: A Team in Search of its Soul. The book detailed the sordid events of the Lakers' tumultuous 2003–04 season and hurled numerous harsh criticisms of Bryant. Along with other unsavory adjectives, Jackson called Bryant "uncoachable." Then, midway through the season, Rudy Tomjanovich suddenly resigned as Lakers coach, citing the recurrence of health problems and exhaustion. Without "Rudy T," stewardship of the remainder of the Lakers' season fell to career assistant coach Frank Hamblen. Despite the fact that Bryant was the league's second leading scorer at 27.6 points per game, the Lakers floundered and missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.
When the Lakers faced the Miami Heat on January 16, 2006, Bryant and O'Neal made headlines by engaging in handshakes and hugs before the game, an event that is believed to signify the end of the feud that had festered between the two players since the center left Los Angeles.
Awards and achievements
- 3-time NBA Champion: 2000, 2001, 2002
- 8-time NBA All-Star: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
- NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2002
- 3-time All-NBA First Team: 2002, 2003, 2004
- 3-time All-NBA Second Team: 1999, 2000, 2001
- 2-time All-NBA Third Team: 1998, 2005
- 3-time All-NBA Defensive First Team: 2000, 2003, 2004
- 2-time All-NBA Defensive Second Team: 2001, 2002
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 1997
- NBA Slam Dunk Champion: 1997
- 2nd highest single-game point total in NBA history: 81 on January 22, 2006
- 1996 Naismith High School Player of the Year
- 1996 Gatorade Circle of Champions High School Player of the Year
- 1996 McDonald's High School All-American
- USA Today and Parade Magazine's 1996 National High School Player of the Year with a seasonal average of 30.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4.0 steals and 3.9 blocks per game.
- Led Lower Merion High School to a 31-3 record, including 27 straight wins, and the PIAA Class AAAA state title as a senior (1996).
- Was voted as a starter on the 1998 Western Conference All-Star squad, becoming at 19 the youngest All-Star starter in NBA history. Scored 18 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in his debut.
- Co-holds NBA record for most 3-point field goals made in one game with 12 vs. the Seattle SuperSonics on January 7, 2003.
- Co-holds NBA record for most 3-point field goals made in one half with 8 vs. the Washington Wizards on March 28, 2003.
- Co-holds NBA record for most consecutive 3-point field goals made in one game with 9 (January 7, 2003).
- Co-holds NBA record for most consecutive 3-point field goals made in one half with 8 (January 7, 2003).
- Along with Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain, one of only three players in NBA history to score 40-plus points per game for 9 consecutive games.
- Youngest player to reach 10,000 points in his career (24 years, 193 days), set March 5, 2003 vs. the Indiana Pacers.
- Holds Lakers franchise record of most points in a single quarter with 30 points in the third quarter on December 20, 2005, breaking a record previously jointly held by Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and himself.
- Youngest player to reach 15,000 points in his career (27 years, 136 days), set January 6, 2006 vs. the Philadelphia 76ers.
- Holds Lakers franchise record for most 3-point field goals made without a miss in one game with 7, set January 6, 2006 vs. the Philadelphia 76ers.
- Along with Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain, one of only three players in NBA history to score 45-plus points per game for 4 consecutive games. He was the first to accomplish it since Chamberlain, who did it in November of 1964.
- Scored 62 points in three quarters of play on December 20, 2005 vs. the Dallas Mavericks, becoming the first player ever to outscore the opposing team through three quarters since the advent of the 24-second shot clock.
- Co-holds the NBA record for most free throws made in one quarter with 14 vs. the Dallas Mavericks on December 20, 2005.
- Holds Lakers franchise record for most consecutive free throws made at 62.
- Holds Lakers franchise record for most points scored in one half with 55 in the second half vs. the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006.
- Holds Lakers franchise record for most field goals made in one game with 28 vs. the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006.
- Holds Lakers franchise record for most points in a game with 81 points in 42 minutes (also a career high), the 2nd highest point total in NBA history after Wilt Chamberlain, set on January 22, 2006 vs. the Toronto Raptors. Only four others have scored over 70 points: Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, David Thompson, and David Robinson. He and Wilt Chamberlain are the only players ever to have scored over 80 points.
- Holds the NBA record for greatest percentage of own teams' point total with 66.4% of the Lakers' 122 points, set on January 22, 2006 vs. the Toronto Raptors.
- Holds the NBA record for greatest percentage of both teams' combined point total with 35.8% of 226 points, set on January 22, 2006 vs. the Toronto Raptors.
- Along with Wilt Chamberlain, one of only two players in NBA history to average 40-plus points per game for an entire month on two separate occasions (40.6 ppg in February 2003, 43.7 ppg in January 2006).
Late-game heroics
Throughout much of his career, Kobe Bryant has been heralded as arguably the premier "clutch" scorer in the NBA today. In a sense, this term refers to a player's ability to take over and lead his team to victory under pressure during tight games, notably at the end of regulation or in overtime periods. Bryant's exceptional ability to will his team to victory in the last seconds of the game has been compared to the legendary Michael Jordan's capacity to do the same thing. According to an NBA poll directed at general managers throughout the league before the 2005–06 season, Bryant was overwhelmingly voted as the player they would choose to take the last shot during the crucial moments of basketball games.
Bryant has made 21 game-winning shots so far in his career, listed below. In this instance, a game-winning shot is defined as the final made field goal in the game, bringing the team from a trailing or tied position into a lead that is not relinquished. (It should be noted that other criteria exist to determine what is and isn't a game winning shot.)
- 01/19/98: Lakers 92, Magic 89
- 02/13/00: Lakers 113, Nets 110 (OT)
- 05/10/00: Lakers 97, Suns 96 (Western Conference Semifinals)
- 06/14/00: Lakers 120, Pacers 118 (NBA Finals)
- 11/16/00: Lakers 112, Kings 110
- 02/07/01: Lakers 85, Suns 83
- 01/02/02: Lakers 87, Nuggets 86
- 02/22/02: Lakers 96, Hornets 94
- 05/12/02: Lakers 87, Spurs 85 (Western Conference Semifinals)
- 12/06/02: Lakers 105, Mavericks 103
- 04/04/03: Lakers 102, Grizzlies 101
- 04/06/03: Lakers 115, Suns 113 (OT)
- 02/17/04: Lakers 89, Blazers 86
- 02/19/04: Lakers 101, Nuggets 99
- 03/03/04: Lakers 96, Rockets 93
- 03/21/04: Lakers 104, Bucks 103 (OT)
- 04/14/04: Lakers 105, Blazers 104 (2OT)
- 03/13/05: Lakers 117, Bobcats 116
- 11/02/05: Lakers 99, Nuggets 97 (OT)
- 01/07/06: Lakers 112, Clippers 109
- 01/12/06: Lakers 99, Cavaliers 98
Trivia
- He lists Star Wars as his all-time favorite movie.
- Bryant has two sisters, Shaya and Sharia.
- As a young student in Italy, he was considered unapt to any sport activity by his sport professor.
- He wore jersey #33 while at Lower Merion High School.
- Bryant is the all-time leading scorer in Southeastern Pennsylvania school history (2,883 points).
- He took R&B singer Brandy to his senior prom in 1996.
- Bryant's first name was given after the famous Kobe beef in Japan.
- He guest starred on TV shows Moesha and In the House.
- Bryant almost released a rap album, guest rapped on Brian McKnight's "Hold Me" remix.
- He has a number of nicknames including Black Mamba (a venomous snake), Employee #8, Izzo, KB8, Three Rings (when at Rucker Park), The Dagger, Neo, Kobe Wan Kenobi, Ocho, The 8th Wonder of the World, and most recently, Mr. 81.
- The duo of Kobe Bryant & Lamar Odom is known as Law & Order.
- Bryant's 81-point-game was the 666th game of his professional career. It came from 66 shots, 46 from the field and 20 from the free-throw line.