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Kobe Bryant grew up in Italy and went directly from high school to the NBA. Bryant was a scoring machine for the Los Angeles Lakers, helping them win five NBA titles and the Most Valuable Player award in 2008. However, in December 2014, he eclipsed Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring record, and he retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points in his last game. Injuries hindered his later seasons. For his work on the short film Dear Basketball, Bryant won the 2018 Academy Award for Best Animated Short. On January 26, 2020, Bryant and his daughter Gigi, then 13 years old, were among eight people killed in a helicopter accident.
Personal life
On August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a baby boy named Kobe Bean Bryant entered the world. Bryant is the son of former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, and his name is a nod to a city in Japan.
After retiring from the NBA in 1984, the older Bryant moved his family to Italy to play in the Italian League. Bryant was an active basketball and soccer player growing up in Italy with two athletic elder sisters, Shaya and Sharia. When the family relocated to Philadelphia in 1991, Bryant joined the Lower Merion High School basketball team, which he led to four consecutive state titles. With his sights set on the NBA, he began working out with the 76ers.
Bryant skipped college to begin his professional basketball career, despite his excellent academic record and high SAT scores. In the 1996 NBA draft, the Charlotte Hornets used the thirteenth overall choice on him before trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Who was Kobe’s wife?
In April of 2001, Bryant tied the knot with Vanessa Laine, then 19. Natalia Diamante was born in 2003; Gianna Maria-Onore in 2006 (who will pass away in 2020); Bianka in 2016; and Capri in 2019.
Is Kobe Bryant the top 5 NBA player of all time?
Bryant was selected as a starter for the 1998 All-Star Game in his second season with the Lakers, making him the NBA’s youngest All-Star at the age of 19. The shooting guard then won three straight NBA titles alongside superstar center Shaquille O’Neal, and he was named first-team all-NBA from 2002 to 2004. He also signed multi-year sponsorship agreements with Adidas, Sprite, and other major brands.
Despite the fact that the Lakers struggled when O’Neal departed in 2004, Bryant excelled. He set an NBA record with 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006, the second-highest single-game total in NBA history, and led the league in scoring the next year and the year after.
In 2008, Bryant won the award for Most Valuable Player and led his team to the NBA Finals, where the Boston Celtics defeated them. The Lakers won the NBA Finals in 2009, defeating the Orlando Magic. Soon later, Bryant attended a memorial ceremony for friend and music legend Michael Jackson. The Lakers won their second consecutive championship the following year, beating the Celtics.
Bryant was a member of the United States Olympic teams in 2008 and 2012, capturing gold medals alongside teammates Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony, among others.
Bryant battled hard to return to the court after tearing his Achilles tendon in April 2013, but he fractured his knee only six games into the 2013-2014 season. The veteran All-Star overtook Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA scoring chart in December 2014, but his season was cut short for the third time in a row when he tore his rotator cuff in January 2015.
Academy Award for ‘Dear Basketball
Bryant posted a poem titled “Dear Basketball” on The Players’ Tribune website in November 2015 to announce his retirement from the Lakers. The sports legend quickly enlisted the help of industry heavyweights like Disney animator Glen Keane and musician John Williams to adapt his poetry into a short film.
The finished product was a stunningly created short film that premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. Voters took notice, and Bryant was presented with the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film at this year’s presentation.
Bryant was also invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ short films and animation division. The governors committee of the Academy said in June 2018 that they had canceled the invitation, citing the former basketball great’s lack of sufficient contributions to the field as the reason.
Philanthropy
The basketball legend has collaborated with After-School All-Stars as part of the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation’s charitable work. He also oversaw the Kobe Basketball Academy, a summer program that occurred every year.
Sexual Assault Charge
Bryant was arrested in Colorado in July 2003 on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old hotel employee. Bryant said he committed adultery but was not responsible for the rape. In 2004, Bryant’s case was dropped when he reached a civil settlement with the hotel worker who had sued him.
Why did Kobe Bryant retire?
Bryant did make it back for the start of the 2015–2016 NBA season, but he and his youthful Lakers colleagues faltered. He announced his retirement in November 2015, after the conclusion of the season. He said on the website The Players’ Tribune, “This season is all I have left to give.” That won’t bother my heart too much. My head can take it, but my body is telling me it’s over.
Even NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had strong feelings about the news. “With 17 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals, and a relentless work ethic, Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our game,” Silver said in a press release. “Whether competing in the finals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an unconditional love for the game.”
Bryant’s last game was on April 13, 2016, and he left a lasting impression on the sold-out crowd at the Staples Center and on basketball fans across the world by scoring 60 points and guiding the Lakers to a victory against the Utah Jazz. It was Bryant’s sixth career game with at least 60 points.
After the game, Bryant addressed the spectators. “I can’t believe how fast 20 years went by,” he said. We’ve had our ups and downs, but to be standing here in the middle of the floor with my teammates behind me, recognizing the road that we’ve been on, is simply surreal. What matters most is that we stuck together, I believe.
In addition to Shaquille O’Neal and Shaquille Arthur, Lakers legends Phil Jackson, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, and Magic Johnson also spoke highly of Bryant. “We are here to celebrate greatness for 20 years,” Johnson said. Two decades of unmatched quality. Kobe Bryant is one athlete who has never deceived his fans by cheating. He’s played despite being hurt or injured. And we may hang up five banners proclaiming our success as a result.
What was Kobe doing when he died?
Bryant was on board a Sikorsky S-76 aircraft when it crashed in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Calabasas on January 26, 2020. Bryant’s daughter, Gianna “Gigi,” 13, was one of nine people who lost their lives. Bryant was on his way to Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California, from Orange County by helicopter for a tournament game.
Vanessa, the wife of Bryant, said on Instagram.”We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri,” There are no adequate words to express the depth of our suffering at this time. It gives me peace of mind to think that Kobe and Gigi understood how much they were adored. Having them in our life was an incredible gift. I hope they could stay with us indefinitely. They were our precious gifts from God that were snatched from us much too soon.
On February 7, 2020, a private burial service was held for Bryant and his daughter. On February 24, a memorial ceremony was held at the Staples Center to pay respect to the basketball great and family man. Beyoncé and Alicia Keys performed musical tributes, while Jordan, Shaq, and Vanessa said moving words.
Bryant entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 4, 2020.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in February 2021 that pilot Ara Zobayan was likely confused because he was “flying under visual flight orders, or VFR, which legally prohibited him from penetrating the clouds.”
QUICK FACTS
| Date of Birth: | 23-Aug-78 |
| Birth City: | Philadelphia |
| Birth State: | Pennsylvania |
| Birth Country: | United States |
| Gender: | Male |
| Astrological Sign: | Virgo |
| Schools: | Lower Merion High School |
Best Known For Former pro basketball player Kobe Bryant won five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers while establishing himself as one of the game’s all-time greats. He died tragically in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.
| Date of Death: | 26-Jan-2020 |
| Death State: | California |
| Death City: | Calabasas |
| Death Country: | United States |
