biographies about kobe bryant

Kobe Bryant

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.

(1978-2020)

Who Was Kobe Bryant?

Kobe Bryant spent his early years in Italy and joined the NBA straight out of high school. A dominant scorer, Bryant won five NBA championships and the 2008 MVP Award with the Los Angeles Lakers. Although later seasons were marred by injuries, he surpassed Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA all-time scoring list in December 2014 and retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points in his final game. In 2018, Bryant earned an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Dear Basketball . On January 26, 2020, he was in a helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gigi and seven others.

Kobe Bean Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Named after a city in Japan, Bryant is the son of former NBA player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant.

In 1984, after ending his NBA career, the elder Bryant took the family to Italy, where he played in the Italian League. Growing up in Italy alongside two athletic older sisters, Shaya and Sharia, Bryant was an avid player of both basketball and soccer. When the family returned to Philadelphia in 1991, Bryant joined the Lower Merion High School basketball team, leading it to the state championships four years in a row. With an eye on the NBA, he also started working out with the 76ers.

Though he boasted good grades and high SAT scores, Bryant decided to go straight to the NBA from high school. He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick of the 1996 NBA draft and was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA Career and Stats

In his second season with the Lakers, Bryant was voted a 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 consecutive NBA championships and was voted first-team all-NBA from 2002-2004. He also inked multi-year endorsement deals with Adidas, Sprite and other 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, the second-highest single-game mark in NBA history, and led the league in scoring that year and the next.

In 2008, Bryant was named Most Valuable Player and carried his team to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics. In the 2009 NBA Finals, the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic to win the championship. Shortly afterward, Bryant was part of the memorial service to honor friend and music superstar Michael Jackson . The following year, the Lakers won their second straight title by defeating the Celtics.

Bryant played on both the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams, winning consecutive gold medals with teammates Kevin Durant , LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony , among several other top players.

After suffering a torn Achilles tendon in April 2013, Bryant worked hard to return to the court before fracturing his knee just six games into the 2013-2014 season. The veteran All-Star surpassed Michael Jordan for third all-time on the NBA scoring list in December 2014, but his season ended due to injury for the third straight year when he sustained a torn rotator cuff in January 2015.

Although Bryant returned in time for the start of the 2015-2016 NBA season, he personally struggled alongside his young Lakers teammates. In November 2015, he announced that he would retire at the end of the season. "This season is all I have left to give," he wrote on The Players' Tribune website. "My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind but my body knows it's time to say goodbye."

The announcement drew a strong reaction, particularly from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. "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 statement. "Whether competing in the finals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an unconditional love for the game."

On April 13, 2016, Bryant dazzled a sold-out crowd at the Staples Center and fans everywhere in the last game of his career, scoring 60 points and leading the Lakers to a win against the Utah Jazz. It was Bryant’s sixth 60-point game of his career.

After the game, Bryant spoke to the crowd. "I can't believe how fast 20 years went by," he said. "This is absolutely crazy ... and to be standing at center court with you guys, my teammates behind me, appreciating the journey that we've been on — we've been through our ups, been through our downs. I think the most important part is 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 are here to celebrate greatness for 20 years," Johnson said. "Excellence for 20 years. Kobe Bryant has never cheated the game, never cheated us as the fans. He has played through injury, he has played hurt. And we have five championship banners to show for it."

Academy Award for 'Dear Basketball'

In November 2015, Bryant announced his upcoming retirement from the Lakers with a poem on The Players' Tribune website, titled "Dear Basketball." The athletic great soon sought the best in other fields to turn his poem into a short film, including Disney animator Glen Keane and composer John Williams .

The result was a beautifully rendered five-minute, 20-second film, which debuted at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. Oscar voters took note, leading to the unexpected sight of Bryant accepting an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 2018 ceremony.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's short films and animation branch also extended an invitation for Bryant to become a member of the organization. However, in June 2018 it was revealed that the Academy's governors committee had rescinded the invitation, saying the retired basketball great needed to show more efforts in the field before being considered for membership.

Sexual Assault Charge

In July 2003, Bryant was charged with one count of sexual assault on a 19-year-old female hotel worker in Colorado. Bryant said he was guilty of adultery but innocent of the rape charge. The case against Bryant was dismissed in 2004, and he settled the civil lawsuit filed by the hotel worker against him out of court.

Philanthropy

Among his philanthropic endeavors, the basketball great partnered with the non-profit After-School All-Stars as part of the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation. He also ran an annual summer camp called the Kobe Basketball Academy.

Wife and Children

Bryant married 19-year-old Vanessa Laine in April 2001. The couple became parents to four daughters: Natalia Diamante (b. 2003), Gianna Maria-Onore (b. 2006, d. 2020), Bianka (b. 2016) and Capri (b. 2019).

On January 26, 2020, Bryant was onboard a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter that crashed in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas. Nine people, including Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna "Gigi," died. The helicopter was on its way from Orange County to Thousands Oaks, California where Bryant was scheduled to coach a tournament game at Mamba Sports Academy .

"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," Bryant's wife Vanessa posted on Instagram . "There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon."

Bryant and his daughter were laid to rest in a private funeral on February 7, 2020. On February 24, they were honored in a memorial service at the Staples Center, with Beyoncé and Alicia Keys delivering musical tributes and Jordan, Shaq and wife Vanessa among those sharing emotional recollections of the basketball great and family man.

On April 4, 2020, Bryant was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

In February 2021, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled that pilot Ara Zobayan was “flying under visual flight orders, or VFR, which legally prohibited him from penetrating the clouds,” likely causing him to be disoriented.

QUICK FACTS

• Birth Year: 1978
• Birth date: August 23, 1978
• Birth State: Pennsylvania
• Birth City: Philadelphia
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• 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.
• Astrological Sign: Virgo
• Lower Merion High School
• Death Year: 2020
• Death date: January 26, 2020
• Death State: California
• Death City: Calabasas
• Death Country: United States

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Kobe Bryant’s Brilliant and Complicated Legacy

Bryant, who died with his daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash on Sunday, was an unquestioned basketball great, but his legacy is not so straightforward.

The Lakers retired Bryant’s jerseys — Nos. 8 and 24 — during a ceremony on Dec. 18, 2017. Credit... Harry How/Getty Images

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By Marc Stein

• Published Jan. 26, 2020 Updated Feb. 25, 2020

Kobe Bryant , who made the leap directly from high school to a glittering 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers that established him as one of basketball’s all-time greats, was among nine people killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday north of Los Angeles. Bryant was 41.

The crash also killed Gianna Bryant , 13, the second oldest of Kobe Bryant’s four daughters with his wife, Vanessa. They were traveling from the family’s base in Orange County, Calif., to Thousand Oaks, 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles. A budding star herself, Gianna was scheduled to play an afternoon game with her travel team, coached by her father, at Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy.

News of Bryant’s death predictably rocked the N.B.A., which is filled with players who grew up watching Bryant as he won five championships with the Lakers and scored 81 points in a single game. Fueled by a seemingly endless reservoir of self-confidence, Bryant was a mammoth figure almost from the moment he arrived, at age 17, as the 13th overall pick in the 1996 N.B.A. draft.

The son of the former N.B.A. player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, Kobe Bryant was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets on behalf of the Lakers and did not try — at all — to hide his ambition to surpass the accomplishments of the legendary Michael Jordan. Charlotte had agreed going into the draft to trade Bryant’s rights to Los Angeles in exchange for the veteran center Vlade Divac.

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Kobe Bryant

The making of a global superstar.

By Matias Grez, Patrick Sung and Ben Church, CNN

T he sporting world and beyond is mourning the death of Kobe Bryant, aged 41. The NBA legend and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were among nine on board a helicopter that crashed on Sunday.

CNN looks back at 24 defining moments in the career of an NBA great, who mesmerized, broke records and transcended his sport.

The world reacts to Kobe Bryant's death 1:48

Kobe Bean Bryant is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Pam and Joe Bryant, who is a professional basketball player. Bryant is named after Kobe beef, a type of Wagyu steak from Japan’s Kobe region. His middle name – Bean -- is derived from his father’s nickname, Jellybean.

European adventure

After his father retires from the NBA in 1983, the Bryant family moves to Italy where his Dad continues to play basketball until 1991.

After being named National High School Player of the Year and the Naismith Player of the Year, Bryant is selected by the Charlotte Hornets as the 13th pick in the NBA’s first round of the draft. On July 11, 1996, Bryant is traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac.

Bryant plays in his debut NBA season -- mainly coming off the bench for the Lakers -- and becomes both the youngest player (18 years and 72 days) and the youngest starter (18 years and 158 days) in league history.

All-Star debut

After becoming the youngest ever Slam Dunk Contest winner in 1997, Bryant goes on to play in the All-Star game a year later to become the youngest All-Star starter in history.

First NBA title

Despite a frosty relationship, Bryant and Shaquille O’Neil form an unstoppable center-guard partnership to lead the Lakers to three successive NBA titles, which is dubbed the “Three-peat.” Bryant becomes the youngest player to win three championships.

All-Star MVP

Bryant leads The West to victory over The East in the 2002 All-Star game, scoring 31 points and recording five assists and five rebounds to be named All-Star MVP for the first time. He is to pick up that accolade again in 2007, 2009 and 2011.

Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, gives birth to their first child, daughter Natalia. The couple have another three children, Gianna (pictured), 13, who died along with Bryant in Sunday’s crash, Bianca, three, and Capri, seven months.

Sexual assault case

Bryant is charged with one count of sexual assault in a case involving a 19-year-old hotel worker. The charge accuses Bryant of "sexual penetration or intrusion and (that) he caused submission of the victim through actual physical force," according to District Attorney Mark Hurlbert.

September 1

Charges dropped.

The criminal sexual assault charge is dropped.

Civil lawsuit

Bryant’s accuser agrees to settle her civil lawsuit. The terms of the settlement are not disclosed.

Bryant scores 81 points in the Lakers' 122-104 win over Toronto. To this day it remains the second-highest points tally in a single game, surpassed only by Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962.

After leading the Lakers to a 4-0 demolition of the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2007-08 playoffs, Bryant is named as the league MVP for the first and only time in his career.

An all-star Team USA -- with Bryant as captain -- sweeps aside all in its path to be crowned Olympic champion at Beijing 2008. It’s dubbed the “Redeem Team,” a play on the famous “Dream Team” nickname of the 1992 side, following the disappointing bronze medal in Athens four years prior.

Bryant leads the Lakers to a first NBA title since 2002 and is named Finals MVP for the first time in his career. He records 40 points, eight assists and eight rebounds in Game 1 as the Lakers go on to win 4-1.

For the second season in a row, Bryant is named the NBA Finals MVP as the Lakers win consecutive titles. The Lakers win Game 6 to avoid elimination against the Boston Celtics and recover from a 13-point deficit in the third quarter of Game 7 to take the title.

December 16

After staying with Bryant through the sexual assault allegations and after his public apology for cheating on his wife, Vanessa files for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences.” On January 11, 2013 the couple publicly announce their reconciliation and remain married up until Bryant’s death.

Second gold medal

Bryant helps Team USA win a second straight Olympic gold medal, beating Spain 107-100 in the final in a rematch of four years earlier.

December 14

Surpasses michael jordan.

In a 100–94 victory over Minnesota, Bryant reaches 32,310 career points to move into third on the NBA's all-time scoring list and overtake Michael Jordan’s tally of 32,310.

November 29

Announces retirement.

In a poetic post on The Players' Tribune, Bryant announces that he will retire at the end of the NBA season. He later tells reporters he is "at peace" with his decision.

Bryant scores an incredible 60 points in the final game of his career, helping the Lakers defeat the Utah Jazz 101-96. He is swarmed by players and coaches on court after the game.

December 18

Lakers retire jerseys.

Following his retirement, the LA Lakers retire both of Bryant's famous jersey numbers -- No. 8 and No. 24 -- during a ceremony at the Staples Center.

Bryant adds an Academy Award to his plethora of trophies, winning an Oscar for best short animated film -- "Dear Basketball" -- based on a poem he wrote.

Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna are among nine people killed when a helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California. The news shocks the world with tributes pouring in for the NBA legend.

Design + development: Mark Oliver, Woojin Lee, Caitlin Clancy, Byron Manley and Sean O'Key

Additional images: Getty Images

Kobe Bryant

• Small Forward
• Birthdate 8/23/1978
• Draft Info 1996: Rd 1, Pk 13 (CHA)
• Birthplace Philadelphia, PA

Career History

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Kobe BRYANT

Regarded as one of the best American basketball players of all time, Kobe Bryant played a decisive role in Team USA’s Olympic triumphs of 2008 and 2012. He died tragically in a helicopter crash, at the age of 41, on 26 January 2020.

Born to shoot hoops

Born in Philadelphia, Kobe Bryant is the youngest of three offspring of former basketball player and coach, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant. By the age of three, he was already at home on the basketball court. Having spent the early part of his childhood in Italy, where his father was playing for the Rieti club, in 1996, aged 18 and 158 days, Bryant became the youngest player in history to start a game in the NBA - the US professional basketball league - when he made his debut for the Los Angeles Lakers. He would remain with the Lakers for the rest of his career, helping them to win five NBA titles and notching a record 30,000 points in the process.

The ‘Redeem Team’

Nicknamed “the Black Mamba”, Bryant and his co-star LeBron James were the leaders of the USA’s ‘Redeem Team’, which went to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing tasked with exorcising the demons of Athens 2004, where the USA had been eliminated in the semi-finals by Argentina. Bryant was in brilliant form throughout the tournament, not least in the final against Spain. With Team USA clinging to the most fragile of leads (91-89) with eight minutes left, Kobe went into overdrive, making his presence felt on every inch of the court. In the final quarter, he scored 13 points, chipped in with three assists, and produced two vital blocks at the other end to help secure a 118-107 victory in what is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball matches of all time.

Kobe strikes gold again in London

In 2009 and 2010, Bryant clinched his fourth and fifth NBA titles and was voted MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the final each time. At the age of 34, he then focused his attentions on helping Team USA defend their Olympic crown at London 2012. “It’s a huge honour for me, because I’ve always wanted to play for [Team USA],” he said, before revealing that London would be his Olympic swansong. “This will definitely be my last Olympic Games so it has a lot of symbolism to it.”

As captain of Team USA, Bryant lit up the London stage with each one of his appearances. Among the numerous highlights was a personal haul of 20 second-half points against Australia, which included four consecutive three-pointers, several decisive actions in the semi-final against Argentina, and 17 valuable points in the final against Spain, which helped secure a 107-100 victory and a second consecutive Olympic gold.

Call to action for International Olympic Day

After beginning another fine NBA season for the Lakers, Kobe suffered a serious Achilles’ tendon injury in April 2013. During his recovery, he joined forces with the IOC ahead of International Olympic Day on 23 June, with a ‘call-out to people around the world to get involved: “I can’t run, I can’t jump and I can’t swim yet,” he said. “So I need you guys to pick up the slack for me and be doubly active.” It was a message that typified the boundless enthusiasm and civic spirit of this truly extraordinary athlete.

Glittering end to an illustrious career

The end of Bryant’s career was blighted by injury, but the appearances he did make on the court saw him surpass the 33,000-point mark in the regular season and rack up more than 6,000 career assists. In December 2015, he wrote a moving open letter, entitled “Dear Basketball”, to announce his retirement from the sport. In his final NBA match on 13 April 2016, Bryant scored 60 points (making 22 out of a career-high 50 attempted shots and bagging 6 out of 21 three-pointers) to help the Lakers claim a 101-96 victory over Utah Jazz. On 18 December 2017, he became the first player to have two jersey numbers retired by the same team, having worn 8 and 24 over the course of his 20-year career with the Lakers. Bryant’s poetic retirement letter was subsequently made into an animated short film, which won an Oscar in 2018. 

Tragic death

Tragedy struck the world of basketball and sport in general on 26 January 2020 when Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash in California at the age of 41. All nine people on board, including Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, died in the crash. National and international tributes came flooding in from sports stars, fans and celebrities. Bryant truly made his mark on the history of basketball, and his death leaves an immense void.

"The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great at whatever they want to do."

Beijing Olympic Basketball Final: USA Redeem Team rematch with 2006 World Champ Spain

Usa's redeem team in full flow, final group stage test against nba star dirk nowitzki and germany, olympic basketball medal round begins: redeem team usa vs feisty australia, kobe bryant replays, olympic results.

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Kobe Bryant Had a Singular Impact on His Game and the World

K obe Bryant was the fair heir to Michael Jordan, a scoring assassin who could rip a defender’s heart out by way of a devastating dunk, or an elusive fadeaway jump shot from the baseline, his singular work of art. He won five NBA championships, made 18 All-Star teams, won an MVP award, two scoring titles, two Olympic gold medals and just last night was passed by LeBron James on the NBA’s all-time scoring list: Kobe Bryant finished with 33,643 points, good for fourth.

Bryant craved competition and broke down basketball like a scholar; his brain was as elevated as his body. Bryant skipped college to take over the NBA, but after one conversation with him, you just sensed he would have thrived in the classroom, the boardroom or any path he chose.

Kobe Bryant was complicated. Never cuddly, he could be ruthless to his underperforming teammates. Critics called him selfish, and knocked him for not passing the ball. He embraced his villainy, real or supposed, creating a pop philosophy he called “The Mamba Mentality.” It was an approach to life that required extreme focus, discipline, and enthusiasm for taking on all comers.

“I always aimed to kill the opposition,” he once wrote . The Mamba grew into an iconic persona all its own.

Now, the world can’t fathom that it’s gone.

In one of the most stunning and tragic losses in the history of sports and global celebrity, Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles on Sunday, along with eight others, including his daughter Gianna, 13. Bryant was 41 years old. Though he wasn’t cut down in the prime of his basketball career, Bryant had so much more to give. For example, he won an Oscar in 2018 for Best Animated Short Film, Dear Basketball. Deciphering Bryant’s post-NBA plans became a parlor game among Kobe-watchers. Would he coach? Own a team? Go Hollywood mogul? He could have done it all, and maybe would have. He leaves behind his wife, Vanessa, and three surviving children.

Bryant was the son of Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant, a former NBA player, and Pam Bryant. Part of Kobe’s childhood was spent in Italy, where his father also played professionally. The family eventually settled outside Philadelphia, where Bryant became a high school phenom. In 1996, in a move that changed basketball forever, Bryant decided to skip college for the NBA. The year before, Kevin Garnett had become the first player to make the direct jump in 20 years, but he was nearly 7-feet tall. Never had a guard skipped college. But Bryant was that confident in his ability. He taught a generation of players to grab their opportunity, to “get theirs.” In the ensuing years, LeBron James and others decided to forgo college ball because they saw Bryant succeed.

In a draft day deal, he was lucky enough to be acquired by a winning franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers, and an executive, Jerry West, who foresaw his talent and paired him with Shaquille O’Neal. At the 1998 NBA All-Star game in New York City, he and Michael Jordan memorably went at each othe r, in what was a clear generational shift. The Lakers of Shaq and Kobe — or was it Kobe and Shaq? The pair won three straight NBA titles, from 2000-2002, after Jordan had retired from the Bulls. Bryant and O’Neal had a predictable falling out: no LA sprawl could two contain two alpha-egos.

There’s no words to express the pain Im going through with this tragedy of loosing my neice Gigi & my brother @kobebryant I love u and u will be missed. My condolences goes out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board. IM SICK RIGHT NOW pic.twitter.com/pigHywq3c1 — SHAQ (@SHAQ) January 26, 2020

In 2003, Bryant was arrested and charged with sexual assault; the criminal case was dropped after his accuser refused to testify in court. A civil case was settled. The whole affair threatened his family and career. But Bryant continued to thrill his fans, and enrage his haters, for another decade-plus.

The Lakers had some down years in the mid-aughts. Bryant played alongside teammates like Smush Parker, who he later called “the worst” and who, according to Bryant, “shouldn’t have been in the NBA.” Unfiltered opinion was never one of Bryant’s weaknesses. In 2006, he scored 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors. In 2018, Bryant was told Parker was the second leading Laker scorer in that game.

“Now you know why I had to score 81,” Bryant said.

Another Lakers renaissance followed: Los Angeles won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010, and Bryant was MVP of both finals’ series. Bryant willed these teams to the championship: they were the ones without Shaq, the ones he could call his own. The titles secured Bryant’s place among the game’s legends; he belongs in the conversation with Jordan, LeBron and anyone else.

He continued to produce, but injuries plagued the last few years of his career. In November of 2015, he announced his retirement through a letter, “Dear Basketball,” published on The Players Tribune website. “I fell in love with you,” Bryant said about the game. “A love so deep I gave you my all —/From my mind & body/To my spirit & soul.”

The 2015-2016 goodbye season served as a coronation to his basketball greatness. He scored 60 points, on 50 shots, at the Staples Center in the final game of his career. Bryant went full Mamba and the hoops finale was all too fitting.

Once they hang up their uniforms, however, sports icons are supposed to age with the rest of us. They show up at ceremonies, hair a little more salty on each occasion, but the applause still raucous than ever. In his final tweet, Bryant gave a shoutout to James, who viewed Kobe as an inspiration, for passing him on the all-time scoring list. It posted at 10:39 p.m. ET Saturday night.

“Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames,” Bryant wrote. “Much respect my brother.” He added a flex emoji. And #33644.

This ending just doesn’t make sense.

Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames . Much respect my brother 💪🏾 #33644 — Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) January 26, 2020

Want a print of TIME’s commemorative Kobe Bryant cover? Find it here .

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Kobe Bryant

• Small Forward
• Birthdate 23/8/1978
• Draft Info 1996: Rd 1, Pk 13 (CHA)
• Birthplace Philadelphia, PA

Career History

Career highlights, latest videos, who are the best athletes of the past 25 years, tyrese haliburton gifts mcafee an autographed pacers jersey, tyrese haliburton joins mcafee to show off olympic gold, derozan confident he would've helped raptors win title in 2019, demar derozan isn't done talking about mental health, ranking 5 nba teams that hold most first-round draft picks, former nba sixth moty montrezl harrell signs with 36ers.

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Kobe Bryant summary

Kobe Bryant , (born Aug. 23, 1978, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.—died Jan. 26, 2020, Calabasas, Calif.), U.S. basketball player. Bryant, whose father also played professional basketball, entered the NBA draft straight from high school. He was picked by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996 but was soon traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. When the 1996–97 season opened, he was the second youngest NBA player in history. Bryant, a shooting guard, helped the Lakers win five championships (2000–02; 2009–10). In 2008 he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. He retired following the 2015–16 NBA season. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Bryant was a member of the Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. men’s basketball teams in 2008 and 2012. In 2015 he wrote the poem “Dear Basketball,” which served as the basis for a short film (2017) that he narrated. The work won an Academy Award for best animated short film. In 2020 Bryant died in a helicopter crash.

Kobe Bryant Biography | Life, Lakers Career and Legacy

Kobe Bean Bryant was born on August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When Bryant was 6 years old his father Joe retired from the NBA and moved the family to Italy where he would continue his basketball career overseas.

Bryant played both basketball and soccer while in Italy becoming huge fans of the Los Angeles Lakers as well as the A.C. Milan soccer team. When Bryant was 13 his family moved back to Philadelphia.

Bryant attended Lower Merion High School, starting on the varsity team as a freshman. He was named Philadelphia Player of the Year as a junior and a fourth team All-American. In Bryant’s senior season he was named both Gatorade and Naismith High School Basketball Player of the Year as well as being a McDonalds All-American. He led Lower Merion to their first state championship in 53 years and was Southeastern Pennsylvania’s all-time leading scorer.

Despite scholarship offers from nearly every major college, Bryant decided to enter the 1996 NBA Draft.

LAKERS CAREER

Kobe was drafted 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets and immediately dealt to the Lakers for starting center Vlade Divac. Then-GM Jerry West had become enamored with Bryant following a workout in which he dominated former NBA players Michael Cooper and Larry Drew in scrimmages. This move also freed up salary cap space which the Lakers used to sign Shaquille O’Neal.

Kobe spent his first two seasons mostly as a reserve behind Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. He saw very limited minutes early on, but did become the youngest player to play in an NBA game when he made his debut, playing 6 scoreless minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bryant would score his first NBA point, a free throw, in the team’s next game against the New York Knicks.

As the season went on, Bryant gradually began to earn more minutes and became the youngest player to start an NBA game in a January 28 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. During All-Star Weekend Bryant would win the 1997 Slam Dunk Championship and his performance through the season earned an NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection.

The Lakers would make the second round of the playoffs that season, falling to the Utah Jazz 4-1. In the deciding fifth game, Bryant found himself on the floor down the stretch and in overtime, but airballed multiple shots as the Jazz would clinch the elimination.

Bryant remained a reserve for his second season, but his minutes increased and as a result, his scoring more than doubled. He would earn his first All-Star selection, along with teammates O’Neal, Jones, and Van Exel, and finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting to behind Toni Kukoc of the Chicago Bulls.

After the Lakers traded away Jones and Van Exel, Bryant became a full-time starter in his third season. He also signed a six-year, $70 extension with the Lakers during the season, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team.

Phil Jackson became the Lakers head coach ahead of the 1999-2000 season and his presence immediately paid dividends as he structured the famed triangle offense around Kobe and Shaq. The Lakers would win 67 games as O’Neal would win NBA MVP. Kobe grew immensely as well, being named to his first All-Defense First Team while also making All-NBA Second Team. He was also named to his second All-Star team, beginning a streak of 17 straight selections. On March 12, 2000, Kobe notched his first career 40-point game in a 109-106 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Kobe’s growth was even more evident in the playoffs. In Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, Kobe led the Lakers with 25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 block, as the Lakers came back from a 15-point fourth quarter deficit to advance to the NBA Finals. He punctuated the victory with the famous alley-oop to Shaquille O’Neal.

Bryant also came up huge in those Finals, particularly in Game 4 where he scored 22 points in the second half and led the Lakers to a huge 120-118 road win in overtime after Shaquille O’Neal fouled out. The Lakers would go on to win the series in 6 games, winning their first NBA Championship since 1988.

The 2000-01 season saw more growth from Bryant as he raised his scoring to 28.5 points per game. He dropped his first 50 point game on December 6, 2000 and Kobe was named All-NBA Second Team again. The Lakers would go on arguably the most dominant playoff run ever, going 15-1 in route to their second straight NBA Championship.

In 2002 Bryant garnered his first All-NBA First Team selection as well as his first All-Star Game MVP award. Bryant’s all-around play continued and he set a new career-high with 56 points on January 12 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite their toughest playoff series to date, in the Western Conference Finals against the Sacramento Kings, the Lakers would push through, beating the Kings in a Game 7 on the road before sweeping the New Jersey Nets for their third straight Championship.

The 2003 and 2004 seasons saw Kobe’s individual play grow to even greater heights, but the Lakers team success faltered as friction between himself and Shaq grew. Kobe averaged 30 points per game for the first time in ’03, leading the Lakers, and finishing third in NBA MVP voting. He also went on a streak of nine straight 40-point games in February of that year but L.A. fell to the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the second round.

The team added future Hall of Famers Gary Payton and Kobe Bryant the following year, but the issues between Kobe and Shaq grew even greater. The Lakers returned to the Finals but were dominated by the Detroit Pistons in five games, as Kobe struggled mightily against the stout Pistons defense.

As a free agent that summer Bryant strongly considered signing with the Los Angeles Clippers, but would ultimately re-sign with the Lakers on a seven-yea max contract just one day after the team dealt away Shaquille O’Neal to the Miami Heat. Head coach Phil Jackson also left that off-season with the Lakers choosing not to renew his contract.

The 2005 season marked the first time in Kobe’s career that his team failed to make the playoffs. He was still named All-NBA Third Team, but failed to make the All-Defensive Team as the Lakers finished just 34-48.

Phil Jackson would return as the team’s head coach in 2006 as Kobe would have best individual season, staking his claim as the best player in the league. Bryant averaged 35.4 points, becoming just the fourth player in history to reach that mark and the first since Michael Jordan in 1987. He famously scored 62 points in 3 quarters against the Dallas Mavericks on December 20, 2005, singlehandedly outscoring Dallas 62-61 during that stretch before sitting out the final period.

Just over a month later Bryant would score 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in a 122-104 victory, the second-highest scoring game in NBA history. This was also a Lakers franchise record, breaking Elgin Baylor’s 71-point night in 1960. Kobe would set Lakers single-season franchise records for total points (2,832) and 40-point games (27). He was also named to his first of eight straight All-NBA First Teams and six straight All-Defensive First Teams.

Kobe would finish fourth in NBA MVP voting this season, but had the second most first-place votes behind only eventual winner Steve Nash. He also led the Lakers back to the playoffs where they pushed the heavily favored Phoenix Suns to seven games before falling in the first round.

Then in 2007, Bryant changed his number to 24 before a season in which he again lead the NBA in scoring. This included a streak of four straight 50-point games, two of which were 60-point contests and ten 50-point outings in the season, but the Lakers again fell to the Suns in the first round of the playoffs.

The following offseason, Bryant publicly demanded a trade, but ultimately backed off his demand. Boosted by an in-season trade for All-Star big man Pau Gasol, Kobe led the Lakers to a 57-25 record, landing him his first and only NBA MVP award after averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.8 steals. The Lakers would march through the Western Conference playoffs setting up an NBA Finals meeting with the Boston Celtics which they lost in 6 games.

That summer Kobe starred on the USA Men’s National Team. In the Gold Medal game against Spain, Bryant scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to help USA pull away for a 118-107 victory, the country’s first gold medal since 2000.

Motivated by their failures the previous season the Lakers went on a tear in 2009, finishing 65-17. Kobe finished second in MVP voting to LeBron James, but the Lakers again blew through the Western Conference for their second straight NBA Finals appearance. This time facing the Orlando Magic the Lakers defeated them 4-1 with Kobe winning his fourth NBA Championship and first NBA Finals MVP after averaging 32.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 5.6 rebounds.

Despite dealing with numerous injuries throughout the regular season, Kobe missed just nine games as the Lakers again had the best record in the West at 57-25. On February 1, 2010 Kobe surpassed Jerry West to become the Lakers’ all-time leading scorer. Kobe would sign a three-year, $87 million extension during the season as well.

The Lakers had struggles in the playoffs with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns, but ultimately advanced to their third straight NBA Finals where they would have a rematch with the Boston Celtics. The teams would engage in a back-and-forth seven game series with the Lakers ultimately prevailing. Though Bryant struggled mightily against the Celtics defense, he still finished with 23 points and 15 rebounds in the final game, winning his fifth championship, and second straight NBA Finals MVP.

Bryant would continue to push for his sixth championship in the following years. Kobe won his fourth All-Star Game MVP and climbed up to sixth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list in 2011, but the Lakers were swept by the eventual NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks in the second round. This also marked Bryant’s final appearance on the All-NBA First Team. Following the season Phil Jackson would leave as Lakers head coach.

In 2012 Bryant struggled with minor injuries, missing 8 games, but remaining among the NBA’s elite players. He had his sixth career streak of at least four 40-point games and became the All-Star Game’s all-time leading scorer, but the Lakers again fell in the second round of the playoffs, this time in six games to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Bryant would play for the Men’s National Team for the final time this summer. Though no longer the best player on the team, Bryant took on the role as the team’s top perimeter defender and again helped lead USA to a Gold Medal.

The Lakers would acquire All-Stars Dwight Howard and Steve Nash in the offseason in an attempt to get Bryant one last championship, but the team never gelled as expected with Mike D’Antoni took over as head coach in the middle of the season. Nash missed 32 games due to injury while Kobe and Howard struggled to get along as the Lakers underachieved.

In an attempt to push the Lakers to the playoffs, Bryant took on a major load, scoring at least 30 points in six of 10 games. Unfortunately in the last of those contests, Bryant crumbled to the floor during a drive, rupturing his achilles tendon. Following a timeout, Bryant would slowly limp on the court and make two free throws before leaving the floor to a rousing ovation. Bryant was named to his final All-NBA First Team in 2013.

Due to the achilles tear Bryant missed the first 19 games of the 2013-14 season. He signed one last contract extension, a two-year $48.5 million deal before returning to the floor. He scored just nine points in his return on December 8, 2013, a 12-point loss to the Toronto Raptors. However, in just his sixth game back, Kobe suffered a lateral tibial fracture in his left knee, ultimately being ruled out for the remainder of the season.

2015 did not go much better for Bryant as he played in only 35 games. On December 14, 2014 Kobe surpassed Michael Jordan for third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with a free throw in a 100-94 win over the Timberwolves. Kobe suffered a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder in a January game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Once again showing his toughness, Bryant would return to the game, playing almost exclusively left-handed before being pulled out and eventually undergoing season-ending surgery.

On November 29, 2015, Bryant announced that the current season would be his last, penning a poem in The Players Tribune entitled ‘Dear Basketball.’ Though Bryant requested that no road teams have any on-court ceremonies for him, teams would honor Bryant with video packages and opposing fans showered him with raucous standing ovations. Bryant played in his final All-Star Game, finishing with 10 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds.

In the final game of his career on April 13, 2015, Bryant would put forth an incredible 60-point performance in a 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz. Bryant scored 23 points in the fourth quarter of the game and became the oldest player in NBA history to score 60 points in a game.

After a 20-year career spent entirely with the Lakers, Kobe Bryant retired as the franchise career leader in points, games, minutes, and steals as well as total field goals, three-pointers, and free throws made.

On December 18, 2017 the Los Angeles Lakers retired both Kobe Bryant’s no. 8 and 24 jerseys in a ceremony at Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and 7 others were tragically killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. He and his daughter were buried in a private memorial on February 7 and a public memorial was held at Staples Center on February 24.

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Kobe Bryant Biography

Birthday: August 23 , 1978 ( Virgo )

Born In: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Kobe Bean Bryant was an American former professional basketball player. He was one of the most popular and successful basketball players of his time. His father is a retired professional basketball player and is probably the inspiration behind his fondness for this game. He started playing from an early age and represented his school in many games. He helped his school register a victory after 53 years which was a great moment for Bryant and his school. After completing high school, Bryant decided to pursue a career in basketball and did not further his studies. He became one of the few players who were drafted into the ‘NBA’ directly from high school. He was made a member of his long-time favorite team ‘Lakers’ and since then, this talented player never looked back. His performance improved with every game and he added a new feather to his crown. He faced injuries and also got embroiled in controversies, but emerged successful out of all this. He had set several records and also broken many old records. He was an asset to his team, ‘Los Angeles Lakers,’ and dedicated his entire career of twenty years to the ‘Lakers.’

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Nick Name: Kobe

Also Known As: Kobe Bean Bryant

Died At Age: 41

Spouse/Ex-: Vanessa Bryant

father: Joe Bryant

mother: Pam Bryant

siblings: Sharia Bryant, Shaya Bryant

children: Bianka Bella Bryant, Capri Kobe Bryant, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, Natalia Diamante Bryant

Born Country: United States

Basketball Players American Men

Height: 6'6" (198 cm ), 6'6" Males

Died on: January 26 , 2020

place of death: Calabasas, California, United States

U.S. State: Pennsylvania

Cause of Death: Helicopter Crash

City: Philadelphia

Humanitarian Work: Player associated with NGO ‘After-School All-Stars’.

awards: 2008 - NBA Most Valuable Player Award 2011 2009

2007 - NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award 2010 2009 - Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award 2011 2010 2009 - NBA All-Defensive Team 2013 2012 2011 - All-NBA Team 2010 2008 - Best NBA Player ESPY Award 1996 - Naismith Boy's High School Player of the Year 2008 2003 2002 - BET Award for Best Male Athlete of the Year 2006 - Under Armour Undeniable Performance ESPY Award

You wanted to know

How many nba championships did kobe bryant win.

Kobe Bryant won a total of five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2010.

What is Kobe Bryant's career high in points scored in a single game?

Kobe Bryant scored a career-high of 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006.

How many NBA All-Star selections did Kobe Bryant have in his career?

Kobe Bryant was selected to the NBA All-Star game 18 times in his career, tied for the most in NBA history.

What was Kobe Bryant's jersey numbers during his career with the Lakers?

Kobe Bryant wore two jersey numbers during his career with the Lakers - number 8 from 1996 to 2006, and number 24 from 2006 to 2016.

How many Olympic gold medals did Kobe Bryant win with Team USA?

Kobe Bryant won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics.

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He was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. He has two elder sisters named Shaya and Sharia.

He played basketball and football from an early age and was a fan of the ‘Los Angeles Lakers’ and the football team ‘AC Milan.’

When he was six years old, his family shifted to Rieti, Italy. In 1991, his family returned to Philadelphia, and Kobe enrolled at the ‘Lower Merion High School.’

His participation in basketball won the ‘Lower Merion High School’ state championship after 53 years.

In 1996, he was drafted into the ‘National Basketball Association’ (NBA) by the ‘Charlotte Hornets,’ before he was traded to play for the ‘Los Angeles Lakers’ team. So, he did not join college and embarked on his sports career.

In the 1996-97 ‘NBA’ season, Bryant played well and created a record by becoming the youngest player ever to play in an ‘NBA’ game.

In the ‘All-Star weekend,’ held in February 1997, he won the ‘Slam Dunk Contest’ and registered his name as the youngest player to win this championship. His remarkable performances during the year got him a place in the ‘NBA All Rookie’ second team.

In the 1997-98 ‘NBA’ season, he performed better than the previous season and was voted the ‘NBA All-Star’ starter. He was the youngest ‘NBA’ player to receive this honor.

In the following season, Bryant played exceptionally well and established himself as a premier guard in the league. During the same time, he entered into a contract with the ‘Lakers’ team which extended for six years.

In 1999, the former American basketball player Phil Jackson was appointed as the coach of the ‘Lakers’ team and this helped Bryant improve his skills in basketball. He excelled as a shooting guard in the league and played with the ‘All-Star,’ ‘All-NBA,’ and ‘All-Defensive’ teams. This popular basketball player led his team to victory and they became champions from 2000 to 2002.

In the 2002–03 season, the ‘Lakers’ could not make it to the finals after their loss to the ‘San Antonio Spurs.’

Kobe could not take part in the initial matches of the 2003-04 NBA season, but when he resumed, he led his team to the finals and even won the ‘Pacific Division’ title. However, they lost to the ‘Detroit Pistons’ team.

The same year, Rudy Tomjanovich was appointed as the new coach of the ‘Lakers’ team and Kobe signed a seven-year contract with the ‘Lakers.’ The season which followed was not a successful one, both for the team and Bryant. ‘Lakers’ lost the playoffs which had not happened in years. Moreover, coach Rudy resigned from his post.

The 2005-06 ‘NBA’ season was a season of revival for the ‘Lakers.’ The team was once again under the guidance of Coach Phil Jackson, and the two important team members of ‘Lakers,’ Kobe and Shaquille, made peace with their differences. The team was back in the playoffs.

In January 2006, Kobe scored 81 points in a game against the ‘Toronto Raptors.’ He also scored well in the following four games, becoming the first player to score 45 points or more in four consecutive games. His team too improved in comparison to the earlier season, although they did not win the season.

In the 2006-07 ‘NBA’ season, he performed well and even got selected to the ‘All-Star Game’ for the ninth time. He also got the ‘All-Star Game MVP Trophy’ for the second time. However, his team lost the playoffs 4-1 to the ‘Phoenix Suns.’

In December 2007, he created a record of being the youngest player to reach 20,000 points. The record was later broken by LeBron James. The following year, he represented the ‘U.S. men’s national basketball team’ and won a gold medal at the ‘Olympics.’ He was also bestowed with the ‘NBA Most Valuable Player’ award.

In the 2007-08 ‘NBA’ season, the ‘Lakers’ reached the finals but lost to the ‘Boston Celtics.’

The ‘Lakers’ had a good start at the 2008-09 ‘NBA’ season and Bryant’s performance won him ‘All-Star Game’ as a starter. He was also made the ‘Western Conference Player of the Month’ for December and January.

The ‘Lakers’ registered a win at the 2009 ‘NBA Finals’ and Kobe won his first ‘NBA Final MVP’ trophy.

In the 2009-10 ‘NBA’ season, he played exceptionally well and broke Jerry West’s record, and became the all-time leading scorer in the history of the ‘Los Angeles Lakers’ team.

The 2010 ‘NBA Finals’ was also won by his team ‘Lakers’ and this talented player once again received the ‘NBA Finals MVP Award.’

The ‘Lakers’ team’s quest for another three-peat was foiled by the ‘Dallas Mavericks’ in the second round of the playoffs. ‘Dallas Mavericks’ went on to win the 2011 ‘NBA Finals.’

In the ‘2012 Summer Olympics,’ he won a gold medal. Kobe has been named the top ‘NBA’ player of the 2000s by ‘Sporting News’ and ‘TNT.’

In December 2012, he reached 30,000 career points, becoming the first player in ‘NBA’ history to reach this milestone. That season, Mike D’Antoni was appointed as the coach for ‘Lakers.’ Bryant knew Mike D’Antoni from his childhood and had grown close to him when his father was playing in Italy.

After facing severe injuries, Bryant returned to the 2013-14 season. That season, the ‘Lakers’ did not make it to the playoffs, a first since 2005. Bryant faced severe injuries during the 2014-15 season as well.

After a brief recovery, he returned to his 20th season with the ‘Lakers,’ surpassing John Stockton’s record for most seasons with the same team. At the age of 37, Bryant became the oldest player to score 60 or more points in a game. However, ‘The Lakers’ finished their season with the worst record in the franchise’s history.

On 29 November 2015, Bryant announced his retirement through ‘Player’s Tribune’ in a poem titled ‘Dear Basketball,’ expressing his love for the sport since his childhood. He also expressed his love for his favorite team ‘Lakers’ and thanked his fans who helped him grow alongside the sport. He was also the leading vote-getter of the 2016 ‘All-Star’ game with 1.9 million votes ahead of Stephen Curry.

This remarkable player was named ‘NBA Most Valuable Player’ in 2008. He has won the ‘NBA Finals MVP’ on two occasions.

He led his team to victory in the ‘NBA Finals’ on five occasions. Bryant was named the ‘NBA All-Star’ on 18 occasions. He was also named ‘NBA All-Star Game MVP’ on four occasions.

In 2001, he married Vanessa Laine and the couple have four daughters, Natalia, Gianna, Bianka, and Capri.

He was accused of sexual assault by a hotel employee. The accusation affected his reputation and made him lose endorsements. However, the prosecutor dropped the case when the accuser failed to appear before the court.

Popular rappers Lil Wayne and Sho Baraka worked on songs named after this basketball player.

He owned the company ‘Kobe Bryant Inc.’ which invests in various emerging sports brands. One of the earliest investments of the company was made in a sports drink brand named ‘BODYARMOR.’

In October 2018, Bryant published his book ‘The Mamba Mentality: How I Play’ which chronicles his career.

Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, died on January 26, 2020, near Calabasas, California, in a helicopter crash.

Kobe Bryant was fluent in multiple languages, including Italian and Spanish, thanks to spending a significant part of his childhood in Italy where his father played professional basketball.

Kobe Bryant won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 2018 for his production of "Dear Basketball," a film based on a poem he wrote announcing his retirement from the NBA.

Outside of basketball, Kobe Bryant was an avid supporter of women's sports and was known for his commitment to empowering female athletes and advocating for gender equality in sports.

Kobe Bryant had a passion for storytelling and creativity, which led him to establish Granity Studios, a multimedia company focused on creating content that inspires and educates young audiences.

Kobe Bryant was known for his intense work ethic and dedication to his craft, often arriving at the gym hours before practice to work on his skills and staying late to fine-tune his game.

See the events in life of Kobe Bryant in Chronological Order

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• Reading Lists

The 10 Best Books on Kobe Bryant

Essential books on kobe bryant.

There are countless books on Kobe Bryant, and it comes with good reason, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, won five NBA championships, and spent his entire 20-year career with the storied Los Angeles Lakers.

“The mindset isn’t about seeking a result – it’s more about the process of getting to that result. It’s about the journey and the approach. It’s a way of life. I do think that it’s important, in all endeavors, to have that mentality,” he remarked.

In order to get to the bottom of what inspired one of history’s most consequential athletes to the height of his craft, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best books on Kobe Bryant.

The Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant

In the wake of his retirement from professional basketball, Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant decided to share his vast knowledge and understanding of the game to take readers on an unprecedented journey to the core of the legendary “Mamba mentality.” Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it “the right way,” The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players ever.

In his own words, Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Readers will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They’ll also get fascinating granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career.

The Rise by Mike Sielski

In The Rise , readers will travel from the neighborhood streets of Southwest Philadelphia – where Kobe’s father, Joe, became a local basketball standout – to the Bryant family’s isolation in Italy, where Kobe spent his formative years, to the leafy suburbs of Lower Merion, where Kobe’s legend was born. The story will trace his career and life at Lower Merion – he led the Aces to the 1995-96 Pennsylvania state championship, a dramatic underdog run for a team with just one star player – and the run-up to the 1996 NBA draft, where Kobe’s dream of playing pro basketball culminated in his acquisition by the Los Angeles Lakers.

In researching and writing  this hallmark among books on Kobe Bryant , Mike Sielski had a terrific advantage over other writers who have attempted to chronicle the legend’s life: access to a series of never-before-released interviews with him during his senior season and early days in the NBA. For a quarter century, these tapes and transcripts preserved Kobe’s thoughts, dreams, and goals from his teenage years, and they contained insights into and told stories about him that have never been revealed before.

This is more than a basketball book. This is an exploration of the identity and making of an icon and the effect of his development on those around him – the essence of the man before he truly became a man.

Showboat by Roland Lazenby

Eighteen-time All-Star, scorer of 81 points in a single game, MVP, and one of the best shooting guards in NBA league history: Kobe Bryant is among basketball’s absolute greatest players, and his importance to the sport is undeniable. Third on the NBA career scoring list and owner of five championship rings, he is an undisputed all-time great, one deserving of this deep and definitive biography.

Even within the flashiest franchise in all of sports – the Los Angeles Lakers, where he played his entire career – Bryant always took center stage, and his final game captivated the basketball world, indeed the country. Roland Lazenby delves deep to look behind this public image, using classic basketball reporting and dozens of new interviews to reveal the whole picture, from Bryant’s childhood through his playing years.

Three Ring Circus by Jeff Pearlman

In the history of modern sport, there have never been two high-level teammates who loathed each other the way Shaquille O’Neal loathed Kobe Bryant, and Kobe Bryant loathed Shaquille O’Neal. From public sniping and sparring, to physical altercations and the repeated threats of trade, it was warfare. And yet, despite eight years of infighting and hostility, by turns mediated and encouraged by coach Phil Jackson, the Shaq-Kobe duo resulted in one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history. Together, the two led the Lakers to three straight championships and returned glory and excitement to Los Angeles. In the tradition of Jeff Pearlman’s other bestsellers,   Three-Ring Circus is a rollicking deep dive into one of sports’ most fraught yet successful pairing.

The Gold Standard by Mike Krzyzewski

In his previous bestselling books, Coach K has guided readers to success the way he has guided his teams at Duke University – with the power of his inspirational words and phenomenal leadership skills.

But that was with college kids. Now, Coach K has stepped up to take on an entirely new challenge: volunteering to coach the US Olympic Basketball team.

Comprised of some of the biggest NBA stars, Coach K had to work with huge egos and personal rivalries in order to create an American team that could win against the best competition in the world and restore Team USA to the gold standard of basketball.

This is more than a celebratory book – it’s Coach K’s first-hand account of how he dealt with such stars as Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and all the rest to buy into his “total team” play.

The Last Season by Phil Jackson

For the countless basketball fans who were spellbound by the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2003–2004 high-wire act, this book is a rare and phenomenal treat. In  The Last Season , Lakers coach Phil Jackson draws on his trademark honesty and insight to tell the whole story of the season that proved to be the final ride of a truly great dynasty. From the signing of future Hall-of-Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton to the Kobe Bryant rape case/media circus, this is a riveting tale of clashing egos, public feuds, contract disputes, and team meltdowns that only a coach, and a writer, of Jackson’s candor, experience, and ability could tell. Full of tremendous human drama and offering lessons on coaching and on life, this is a book that no sports fan can possibly pass up.

The Soul of Basketball by Ian Thomsen

The Soul of Basketball tells the story of an NBA prodigy, his league and their sport in the throes of crisis during the pivotal 2010-11 season. It began with The Decision , that infamous televised moment when uber-star LeBron James revealed that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers – thereby distancing himself from his role model Michael Jordan – to pursue his first championship with his former opponents on the Miami Heat.

To the great fortune of LeBron, the NBA, and basketball itself, the mission didn’t work out as planned. Veteran NBA writer Ian Thomsen portrays the NBA as a self-correcting society in which young LeBron is forced to absorb hard truths inflicted by his rivals Kobe Bryant, Doc Rivers, and Dirk Nowitzki, in addition to lessons set forth by Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Larry Bird, David Stern, Joey Crawford and many more.

This is about the making of a champion. Brimming with inside access,  The Soul of Basketball tells the inspiring story of LeBron’s loneliest year, insecure and uncertain, when his ultimate foe was an unlikely immigrant who renewed the American game’s ideals. From Miami to Boston, Los Angeles to Dallas, Germany to the NBA’s Manhattan headquarters, the biggest names in basketball are driven by something more valuable than money and fame  – a quest that will pave the way for Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and future generations to thrive.

Relentless by Tim S. Grover

Direct, blunt, and brutally honest, Grover breaks down what it takes to be unstoppable: you keep going when everyone else is giving up, you thrive under pressure, you never let your emotions make you weak. He details the essential traits shared by the most intense competitors and achievers in sports, business, and all walks of life.

Relentless   shows you how to trust your instincts and get in the Zone; how to control and adapt to any situation; how to find your opponent’s weakness and attack. Grover gives you the same advice he gives his world-class clients – “don’t think” – and shows you that anything is possible.

One of the few books Kobe Bryant has ever written an editorial review for, Bryant tells readers, “Tim Grover is the master of mental toughness. This book is the blueprint for discovering what you are capable of achieving, getting results you never imagined, reaching the highest level of success – and then going even higher.”

Remembering Kobe Bryant by Sean Deveney

When he entered the NBA in 1996 as a high-school star from Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, Kobe Bryant faced enormous expectations. No one can deny that he rose to the challenge. Today Bryant’s status as a future Hall of Fame player is assured. During his stellar career, Bryant won five NBA championships; was a seventeen-time All-Star, NBA MVP, and two-time NBA Finals MVP. He led the league in scoring in 2006 and 2007.

Now for the first time, hear stories from opponents, teammates, and players about what it was like to go against The Black Mamba in this absolute gem among books on Kobe Bryant.

Legacy and the Queen by Annie Matthew; Created by Kobe Bryant

GAME. SET. MAGIC.

Game – Tennis means life and death for the residents of the magical kingdom of Nova, and for twelve-year-old Legacy, it’s the only thing getting her through the long days taking care of the other kids at the orphanage. That’s all about to change when she hears about Silla’s tournament.

Set – Silla, the ruler of Nova, hosts an annual tournament for the less fortunate of her citizens to come and prove themselves and win entrance to the Academy, where they can train to compete at nationals. The prize is Silla’s favor and enough cash to keep open the orphanage, and Legacy has her heart set on both.

Magic – What Legacy has yet to know is that the other players have something besides better skills and more money than she does. In Nova, tennis can unlock magic. Magic that Silla used to save the kingdom long ago and magic that her competitors have been training in for months already.

Now, with the world turned against her and the orphanage at stake, Legacy has to learn to use her passion for the game to rise above those around her and shine.

If you enjoyed this guide to essential books on Kobe Bryant, check out our list of The 10 Best Books on Michael Jordan !

The Rise: A Review of Mike Sielski's Kobe Bryant Biography

“I wanted to do Batman Begins for the Black Mamba,” Mike Sielski tells me as he describes the pitch for  The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality . Over Zoom, the increasingly popular method of communication in the pandemic era, we discuss his recently-released biography of Bryant, which chronicles the formative years of the late basketball great’s life.

“I didn’t want to write a hagiography of him. I felt like if I told the story of his early life in the right way, you would be able to see everything else that came after it,” Sielski continues. The scope of the project would take the  Philadelphia Inquirer scribe from the streets of West Philadelphia, the birthplace of Kobe’s parents Joe and Pam, to the bucolic landscapes of Italy before settling in Wynnewood and Lower Merion High School.

In the hands of a lesser writer, the narrative would have been lost in a fog of nostalgia, polluted with the rose-tinted recollections of people either inclined to withhold any criticisms of Kobe given his tragic fate or eager to portray themselves as uniquely farsighted in their analysis of Bryant’s career trajectory. After all, there are fewer vantage points better than the one hindsight offers for those in the prognostication business.

Instead, Sielski presents readers with a comprehensive portrait of a young man who is simultaneously just like and nothing like any other teenager. The Kobe Bryant that emerges from the pages of The Rise wrestles with the same existential questions that define any adolescent’s life: who am I? What do I want to be? On the basketball court, Kobe had all of the answers. He knew exactly what he wanted to be — an NBA superstar — and he combined an obsessive work ethic with his prodigious talents and a limitless confidence to ensure he would reach his professional goals. Bryant would spend most of his free time either honing his craft on a basketball court or watching tapes of Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, studying their moves and the way they approached the game.

Off the court, the answers were less obvious. In so many ways, Kobe was an enigma to his peers and contemporaries. There are not too many cities with the provincial culture of Philadelphia, where one’s location is tied so intricately to one’s identity. Just think: how often have you been asked what parish you were from? What street did you grow up on, and what neighborhood? Where did you go to school? We don’t have a ready frame of reference for a teenager who hopscotched the country before settling in Europe for nearly a decade and learning how to speak fluent Italian before returning to the area for high school. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for a young Kobe Bryant to find his place in such an environment.

Not helping matters was the reverence in which the young basketball prodigy was held. Sielski captures the whirlwind that surrounds Bryant as he evolves from a local curiosity to a national phenom. From the college coaches and Adidas executive who, in Bryant, saw their next meal ticket to the growing number of fans who would line up seeking Kobe’s autograph after games while a team manager carried his bags, the scenes are surreal. You’re left wondering how anyone can grow into a well-adjusted adult in such circumstances.

Grounding Bryant, as Sielski explains, was a strong support system at home and on the Lower Merion court. Bryant, whose tendency to clash with coaches began long before his NBA career started, lucked into working with Gregg Downer, the head coach of the Lower Merion Aces varsity basketball team. Downer was able to strike a balance between recognizing the greatness that lay within his star player and challenging him every day to reach his full potential.

Bryant also benefited from forging his game in the crucible of the Philadelphia basketball scene, a community filled with young players unimpressed and unintimidated by Bryant. Sielski includes the recollections of Donnie Carr, who played against Bryant through high school before starring at La Salle University.

“I didn’t think he was that good,” Carr asserts to Sielski as he describes his first encounter with Bryant when the two were in 8th grade. “He wasn’t athletic. He was just tall. He could dribble, but you get underneath him and dictate his movements. He wasn’t anything special at that age, to be honest with you.'”

Sielski charts Bryant’s rapid development from a young player who didn’t score one point in 25 games in the Sonny Hill League during the summer of ’92 to a dominant guard holding his own against NBA players in summer pickup games just three years later. The transformation is a testament to Bryant’s obsession with the game of basketball and his relentless focus on getting to the NBA.

Making the jump from high school to the pros was a leap no player had attempted for two decades until Kevin Garnett landed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1995 draft. Still, no one thought a guard, even one as skilled as Bryant, could survive in the NBA without at least a year of college experience.

“Nobody else at the time could see him doing that,” Sielski tells me.

Included in the camp of non-believers was La Salle head coach Speedy Morris, who held out hope the lure of home and the possibility of playing for his father, Joe, who was an assistant coach with the Explorers, might persuade Kobe to spend his college years in Olney.

Sielski devotes some time to describing the state of La Salle’s basketball program in the mid-90s. After the graduation of Lionel Simmons in 1990, the program plunged into mediocrity largely because school administrators failed to make the investments necessary to keep the Explorers relevant. Instead of building a proper on-campus home court and giving Morris a competitive recruiting budget, La Salle’s athletic department decided to place all of its eggs in the Kobe basket in the hope his arrival would restore the program.

“He’s got Speedy Morris’s future in his hands,” Sielski affirms as we discuss Kobe and La Salle. “If he decides to go there, everything’s different.”

I’m skeptical after reading Sielski’s deep dive into the program that anything would have changed for La Salle long term had Kobe spent a year at Broad and Olney. It turns out, Sielski agrees.

“I’m not convinced it would have changed anything either. LaSalle would have had one year of glory, maybe,” he concedes. Besides, the author discovers, Kobe likely would have chosen Duke and Mike Krzyzewski had he decided to spend a year in the NCAA.

So, is the book worth your time? Before I started reading, I wasn’t sure I would be interested in a Kobe Bryant biography. I was never really a fan of Bryant. He seemed like an arrogant diva and a bad teammate who blew up the Lakers dynasty because he refused to play second fiddle to Shaq. He appeared allergic to passing the basketball, to buying into the concept of a team game that might lead to more wins but less time dominating Sports Center highlights.

What I found after reading is that the player I thought I knew was a lot more complicated. The cockiness that may have limited Bryant’s game also fueled his rapid rise, and in Sielski’s book you find a prospect struggling to find that balance between taking over and playing within structure. Yes, Bryant could be incredibly selfish — Sielski includes an anecdote from Bryant’s AAU coach who described a player who would work on refining his individual game at the expense of teammates trying to showcase their abilities for recruiters. He was nevertheless capable of raising the level of play of those around him to heights they never thought possible, as we see with the other members of the Lower Merion basketball team.

In short, you don’t need to like Kobe Bryant to appreciate  The Rise . I found the book to be an excellent study of greatness, much like  The Last Dance. Sielski is a very talented writer who has an ability to suck the reader into a scene. I really thought the games Kobe played against Chester High School and Rip Hamilton’s Coatesville squad were the biggest games of his life. For Kobe Bryant, in those moments, they were.

I appreciated the non-Kobe portions of the book as well, particularly one tangent where Sielski describes the city of Chester and The Pit, a basketball court surrounded by a project:

In the pit, those kids learned that the sport could be as vital to their survival and flourishing as their beating hearts. In the pit, the sinister pops of gunfire and foreboding blares of police sirens, the awful sounds intrinsic to their lives, would fall, to their ears, silent for a while. In the pit, there was nothing to dread. In Chester, the pit was where you went to climb out.

So, if you’re looking for a decent book to read that is well-written, you should consider giving The Rise a chance. Kobe may not have been from Philly, and he was probably better off in a city of transplants like Los Angeles. But his game was forged here, in suburban high school gyms and on city blacktops. If you want to understand who Kobe Bryant was, there is no better place to start than at the beginning.

You can buy the book here. Sielski has also released a companion podcast, I am Kobe , which is available wherever you get your podcasts.

If you’re a Kobe fan, you have to read the @MikeSielski book “Rise.” For me, the details were stunning b/c I grew up in Lower Merion, had same teachers and coaches as Kobe. Just a bit less talent. pic.twitter.com/ugDH6hbsg3 — Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) January 19, 2022

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Mamba Day 2024: Here's how Los Angeles is honoring Kobe Bryant

Here's everything going on for kobe bryant day 2024 on aug. 24, by michael duarte • published august 23, 2024 • updated on august 23, 2024 at 3:03 pm.

The annual Kobe Bryant Day is upon us, and as Los Angeles gears up to honor the life of one of its greatest icons, the air is thick with a mix of nostalgia, admiration and deep respect.

Bryant, whose impact on the city transcends basketball, would have been celebrating his 46th birthday on Aug. 23. The following day, Aug. 24, is officially known as "Kobe Bryant Day" or "Mamba Day."

What is Kobe Bryant Day or Mamba Day?

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Following Bryant's retirement from basketball in 2016, former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti officially declared Aug. 24 as Kobe Bryant Day.

The day is a nod to Bryant's two jersey numbers that he wore during his 20-year, Hall of Fame career with the Los Angeles Lakers . Bryant won five championships for the purple and gold and was recognized for his talent on the court as well as his philanthropy work, which was dedicated to "improving the lives of youth families in need and encouraging young people to stay active through sports."

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That charity is now known as the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation and is run by Bryant's widow, Vanessa.

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In 2020, after Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, along with seven other passengers, tragically died in a helicopter crash, the Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to declare Aug. 24 officially "Kobe Bryant Day," as well.

That same year, Nike, launched "Mamba Week," which includes events and programming to honor Bryant, as well as the Mamba and Mambacita Foundation.

A city dressed in purple and gold

This year's "Mamba Week" features weekend festivities beginning with the launch of the "LA Royal" collection by the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, led by Vanessa Bryant. This line of merchandise, draped in the unmistakable purple and gold, is more than just apparel — it's a piece of Kobe's heart given back to the city he loved. From sweatshirts to shorts, each item is a reminder of his unwavering dedication to Los Angeles, a city that now wears his memory as a badge of honor.

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A statue that speaks volumes

Earlier this month, on Aug. 2, a day honoring the numbers of Kobe (No. 8) and Gianna, who wore No. 2, the Lakers unveiled a new statue honoring both the love of both father and daughter just outside Crypto.com Arena.

This tribute stands tall, casting a shadow that reaches far beyond the arena, symbolizing a legacy that continues to inspire. For fans, this statue is not just a monument; it's a place of pilgrimage, where stories of "Mamba Mentality" are shared, and memories of Kobe's greatness are relived.

Mamba League Invitational: The spirit of competition

The weekend officially kicks off on Aug. 23 with the second annual Mamba League Invitational, a two-day basketball tournament created by Nike. Elite high school athletes from across the nation will gather to showcase their skills, each driven by the ethos Kobe instilled in every player who ever aspired to be great.

This event is more than just a tournament; it's a living embodiment of the "Mamba Mentality" — a relentless pursuit of excellence, a celebration of hard work and a testament to Kobe's enduring influence on the game. Last year's event featured LeBron James' son Bryce James, as well as many other top high school players across the country.

Dodger Stadium: A weekend of hoops and homage

Dodger Stadium joins the citywide celebration with a weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays, beginning on Friday, Aug. 23. The matchup not only revives memories of the 2020 World Series but also intertwines the legacies of the Lakers and Dodgers . Friday night will see a Lakers-themed drone show, lighting up the sky in tribute to Kobe and the 2020 NBA champions.

Saturday's game is all about Showtime, with the first 40,000 fans receiving a special Lakers Showtime T-shirt. The shirt, featuring legends like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, is a nod to an era that defined basketball and a reminder of Kobe's place in that storied lineage.

Join us at Dodger Stadium on 8/24 to get this Lakers Showtime T-Shirt! 🎟: https://t.co/36IUWLzvoH pic.twitter.com/sYIDzqPM2M — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 19, 2024

Sunday wraps up the weekend with a 1:10 p.m. PT game, where fans will receive a black and gold Kobe Bryant jersey. This jersey, more than just a piece of memorabilia, is a symbol of the legacy Kobe left behind — a legacy that continues to inspire generations. After the game, young fans will get their own moment of glory, running the bases in a stadium where Kobe's name will forever echo.

The Dodgers are giving away an exclusive Kobe Bryant jersey at their game on Aug. 25th 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/MISrSif5uv — MLB (@MLB) July 24, 2024

Other Mamba Day celebrations

The Pacific Park Ferris wheel at Santa Monica Pier will be illuminated Wednesday with the Nos. 8 and 24 and the purple and gold colors of the Lakers. The light show will feature patterns and transitions.

Honoring the Black Mamba

As we commemorate Kobe's 46th birthday and Mamba Day, it's clear that his influence on Los Angeles and the world remains as potent as ever. This weekend isn't just about remembering a basketball player — it's about honoring a man who embodied the very spirit of the city he called home.

From the Mamba League to Dodger Stadium, the events of this weekend serve as a powerful reminder that Kobe Bryant's legacy is not confined to the past; it lives on in every corner of Los Angeles, in every aspiring athlete and in the hearts of fans who continue to be inspired by his life.

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