Despite past differences with Bryant, Jackson returned to coach the Lakers. [302][303] In his press conference after the announcement, he acknowledged his declining skills. [217] Bryant finished the season averaging less than 20 shots a game, his fewest since the 200304 season. His 18 All-Star designations are the second most all time, and he has the most consecutive appearances as a starter. [38] During his junior year, he averaged 31.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.8 blocks and 2.3 steals[40] and was named Pennsylvania Player of the Year while also earning a fourth-team Parade All-American nomination,[41][42] attracting attention from college recruiters in the process. We'd come out of the locker room at halftime and have to chase him off the court". [97] On November 1, Bryant recorded a triple-double of 33 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists in a 10893 win over the LA Clippers. Due to an ectopic pregnancy, Vanessa suffered a miscarriage in the spring of 2005. [245] His streak would be snapped at 10 on December 28 in a 10487 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, when he scored 27 points, sitting out the whole fourth quarter. And I feel good about that", he said. [459], Together with his wife, Bryant founded the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation (KVBFF). [213] It was the Lakers' first victory of the season against one of the league's top four teams, as they entered the game 05 in previous matchups and had been outscored by an average of 11 points. Stern stated, "Kobe deserved it. [406] According to Vanessa's cousin Laila Laine, there was no prenuptial agreement. But, this is an injury that myself [sic] and the Lakers' medical staff will just have to continue to monitor on a day-to-day basis. This was the second-best scoring performance of his 11-year career. On November 2, 2012, Bryant scored 40 points with two steals, and he passed Magic Johnson (1,724) as the Lakers career leader in steals. [126][127] Chamberlain, playing in an era when the games were paced faster and scoring opportunities were more plentiful,[127][128] accounted for 59 percent of his team's points in Philadelphia's 169147 win, compared to Bryant scoring 66 percent of the Lakers' 122 points. [210] On January 30 against the Celtics, he became the youngest player to score 27,000 points. [453] Bryant's other, earlier endorsements included deals with The Coca-Cola Company to endorse their Sprite soft drink, appearing in advertisements for McDonald's, promoting Spalding's new NBA Infusion Ball, Upper Deck, Italian chocolate company Ferrero SpA's brand Nutella, Russell Corporation,[454] and appearing on his own series of video games by Nintendo. [41] Duke, Michigan, North Carolina and Villanova were at the top of his list. [515][516][517][518] The helicopter was registered to the Fillmore-based Island Express Holding Corp., according to the California Secretary of State business database. [398] Bryant was also a 12-time All-Defensive Team selection, trailing only Duncan's 15, and nine times he was named to the All-Defensive First Team, tied with Jordan, Garnett, and Gary Payton for the most all time. The 201516 season "is all I have left to give./My heart can take the pounding/My mind can handle the grind/But my body knows it's time to say goodbye./And that's OK./I'm ready to let you go. The song was also used by Sprite in its 2011 marketing campaign in China. He won gold medals on the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams. [149] The only other Laker to do so was Baylor, who also scored 50+ in three consecutive contests in December 1962. [522] At that time, the helicopter experienced extreme fog and turned south towards the mountains. That said, for at least half of his career, he was also an incredibly tenacious defender. Having moved to small forward that season, Bryant was selected as a frontcourt starter for the first time. [456][457] However, they refused to use his image or market a new shoe of his for the year but eventually did start promoting Bryant once his image recovered two years later. Bryant also led the NBA in scoring twice, and ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. Vanessa Bryant's father is of Mexican and Italian descent and her mother is of Mexican and Filipino descent. [403], Bryant was the youngest of three children. He's had just another great season. [277] At age 36, he became the oldest NBA player to achieve 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game. The 23-year-old point guard was allegedly involved in an altercation with the head of security in the parking lot of a Memphis mall last summer, according to a police report obtained by the. [526][527][528] [54], Before the 1996 NBA draft, Bryant had worked out in Los Angeles, where he scrimmaged against former Lakers players Larry Drew and Michael Cooper and, according to then-Laker general manager Jerry West, "marched over these people". Kobe Bryant", "Lil Wayne Releases New Song Titled 'Kobe Bryant', "Chief Keef's "Kobe" Saw A 13,000 Percent Increase In Genius Pageviews After Kobe Bryant's Death", "Hip-hop mourns Kobe Bryant an icon in rap lyrics for decades", "Chief Keef Thinks He's 'Kobe' in New Video", Brandy Mourns Death of Kobe Bryant, Her Prom Date, "Kobe Bryant Declined Jesus Shuttlesworth Role Before It Was Given to Ray Allen", "Kobe Bryant Was Building an Entertainment Empire", "Kobe Bryant is denied membership into the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences", "Kobe Bryant's Death Cuts Short a Promising Second Act in Entertainment", "Kobe Bryant Was Planning To Launch An Animation Studio; Sergio Pablos And Bruce Smith Involved", "Jazz's Mitchell taking analysis of Kobe to heart", "Kobe Bryant explains his 'Detail' show on ESPN", "Catch me on a NEW episode of #Ridiculousness tonight at 8/7c on @mtv! [289] Though he was right-handed, he returned to play in the game and ran the offense while shooting, dribbling, and passing almost exclusively with his left hand. Defenders struggled to get in front of him, and his performance excited West and Lakers coach Del Harris. [287] For the season, Bryant had been shooting just 37 percent from the field, and the team's record was only 819. During the season, Bryant signed a six-year contract extension worth $70million. [114] Bryant was the league's second-leading scorer at 27.6 points per game, but he was surrounded by a subpar supporting cast, and the Lakers went 3448 and missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. [435] He sold the house in May 2015. [11], Bryant died, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in 2020. [463] CNN estimated Bryant's endorsement deals in 2007 to be worth $16million a year. Doesn't surprise me one bit. [510][511], At the time of his death, he was working with Brazilian author Paulo Coelho on a children's book aimed at inspiring underprivileged children. [197], On April 2, 2010, Bryant signed a three-year contract extension worth $87million. [145] Later, on March 6, he seemed to repeat the motion, this time striking Minnesota Timberwolves guard Marko Jari. [195] After being sidelined for five games by an ankle injury, Bryant made his return and made another clutch three-pointer to give the Lakers a one-point lead with four seconds remaining against the Memphis Grizzlies. He and the other guard were reportedly mistaken for gunmen. [399] In his career, Bryant scored 40-plus points in 121 games, and 21 times he recorded a triple-double. The book detailed the events of the Lakers' tumultuous 200304 season and has several criticisms of Bryant. [95][96] This cemented Bryant's reputation as a "clutch player". Zoo due to heavy air traffic in the area. Milan. Kobe Bryant, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, died on January 26, 2020, near Calabasas, California, in a helicopter crash. It might seem shocking that Kobe Bryant leads all shooting guards for the most rebounds in the regular season by a shooting guard. Vanessa Bryant has reached a $28.85million agreement with Los Angeles County over the leaked photos from the 2020 helicopter crash which took the lives of her husband Kobe Bryant, their daughter . Bryant's individual scoring accomplishments posted resulted in the finest statistical season of his career. During the run, he averaged 30.8 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4 steals, and 3.8 blocked shots in leading the Aces to a 313 record. [400] Following a Game 2 win in the 2020 NBA Finals, LeBron James was asked about the jerseys and had this to say: "It's always special to represent someone that meant so much, not only to the game but also to the Lakers organization for 20-plus years. In 2017, Vanessa Bryant said that Kobe was 6 feet 4 and 3/4 inches (1.95 m) without shoes and 6feet 6inches (1.98m) with shoes. Bryant shot four air balls at the end of the game; the Jazz won 9893 in overtime to eliminate the Lakers 41. [491], In 2018, Bryant became the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and the first former professional athlete to be nominated and to win an Academy Award in any category for his film Dear Basketball. ', "Kobe Bryant's last night in Sacramento hit him right in the heart", "Kobe requests no more gifts, on-court ceremonies during farewell tour", "Sacramento sends Kobe Bryant off with rousing ovation", "In Philadelphia, Kobe Bryant finally gets love from his home town", "Kobe Bryant's final game in Portland marks end of an era for Trail Blazers fans' last true villain", "Utah Jazz: Bryant feels the love from fans in final SLC appearance", "Dwyane Wade: 'I never thought I'd be Top 100 all time', "During strange farewell tour, Kobe Bryant rediscovers greatness for one night in D.C.", "Kobe shrugs off 38-point effort: 'You've seen it for 20 years', "Kobe Bryant is selected as an All-Star for the 18th time", "Defense in record-setting short supply in West's rout of East", "Kobe Bryant, in His Final Lap, Is Happy to Surrender the Midseason Stage", "Kobe finishes his two-decade-long career in a fashionable way as Lakers eliminate Jazz, 10196", "Kobe Bryant's final game: A flurry of jump shots and glory", "Kobe scores 60 points in unbelievable farewell victory", "Magic Johnson has great expectations for Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball", U.S. ends losing streak at World Championship, Vince Carter Added to Olympic Qualifying Team, "Kobe will play for U.S. at worlds, '08 Olympics", "Kobe won't play for Team USA after knee surgery", "US hoops back on top, beats Spain for gold medal", "USA Basketball Wins Gold Over Spain, Rio Next in 2016", "Kobe Bryant and USA Basketball Whatever It Takes", "Los Angeles Lakers: 201314 roster (Subscription Required)", "Kobe, Hill deal with being the next Michael", "Kobe Bryant Is Nearly an Equal of Michael Jordan, Except in Fan Adoration", "Kobe Bryant rises up before falling away", "Kobe Bryant delivers the final miss again", "Lakers' Jeremy Lin on game winners: 'I would love to shoot some', "Jenkins on NBA: Bryant becomes more gunner than top gun", "The truth about Kobe Bryant in crunch time", "Amid the Points and Applause, One Single Shot Ignited Love Story of Kobe, NYC", "All-Time #NBArank: Michael Jordan tops list of best shooting guards", "Kobe Bryant set to play final game in Philadelphia", "Misses add up to big part of Kobe's legacy", "Phil Jackson throws the book at Kobe Bryant", "Kobe Bryant named to NBA's all-defensive first team for ninth time", "An Open Letter to Kobe Bryant About His Defense", "Once And For All: Michael Jordan Was Way Better Than Kobe Bryant", "How Kobe Bryant influenced the next generation of NBA stars", "Examining Kobe Bryant's legendary pain tolerance and road to recovery", "Wolf on the Rock: The Ludicrous, Glorious Doom of Kobe Bryant", "Six Seconds to Perfection: The Best NBA Vines of the Season", "Julius Randle's Development Poses Final Leadership Test for Kobe Bryant", "Long a tough, chilly teammate, Kobe Bryant has mellowed and now is a mentor", "Who Killed Lakers? He was a member of the 2007 USA Men's Senior National Team and USA FIBA Americas Championship Team that finished 100, won gold and qualified the United States men for the 2008 Olympics. Lakers guard Russell Westbrook channels inner Kobe Bryant after finger dislocation in loss vs. Nuggets. The academy established locations in Thousand Oaks and Redondo Beach, California. When he walked into the gymnasium he was escorted by his entourage. On Nov. 3, 1996, Kobe Bryant made his NBA debut with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant had checked into The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Eagle County in advance of undergoing knee surgery nearby. [137], Later in the season, it was reported that Bryant would change his jersey number from 8 to 24 at the start of the 200607 season. [464] In 2010, Bryant was ranked third behind Tiger Woods and Jordan in Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes with $48million. [198] Bryant finished the regular season missing four of the final five games, due to injuries to his knee and finger. [70] Bryant was the runner-up for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award,[71] and through fan voting, he also became the youngest NBA All-Star starter in NBA history. [393] He was just the third player in NBA history to average 40 points in a calendar month, which he accomplished four times. "[168] In addition to winning his MVP award, Bryant was the only unanimous selection to the All-NBA team on May 8, 2008, for the third straight season and sixth time in his career. [80], Bryant was sidelined for six weeks prior to the start of the 19992000 season due to a hand injury that he had incurred during a preseason game against the Washington Wizards. His fit with . [32] From 1987 to 1989, his father played for Olimpia Basket Pistoia where he paired with former Detroit Pistons Leon Douglas. [272], Bryant returned for the 201415 season, his 19th season with the Lakers,[275] who had replaced D'Antoni with Bryant's former Lakers teammate, Byron Scott. [396] Four times Bryant was named the All-Star MVP, a record he shares with Bob Pettit. [235] He also suffered a broken nose and a concussion in the third quarter of the All-Star Game after a hard foul from Dwyane Wade. [105] However, they were upset in five games by the Detroit Pistons, who won their first championship since 1990. The all-time leading scorer in Lakers history, Bryant was the first guard in NBA history to play 20 seasons. [383] Both numbers he wore during his career, 8 and 24, were retired by the Lakers on December 18, 2017. Bryant scored 20 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, along with six assists, as Team USA defeated Spain 118107 in the gold medal game on August 24, 2008, for its first gold medal in a worldwide competition since the 2000 Olympics. After Kobe's homecoming game in Philly this week, Kobe Bryant was surprised by his former high school point guard, the very funny Evan Monsky, during the post game conference. Bryant's first high-school number was 24 before he switched to 33. [164], Despite an injury to his shooting hand's small finger, described as "a complete tear of the radial collateral ligament, an avulsion fracture, and a volar plate injury at the MCP joint" that occurred in a game on February 5, 2008, Bryant played all 82 games of the regular season instead of opting for surgery. [341][352] Throughout his career, Bryant was disparaged for being a selfish, high-volume shooter;[350][353][354] he missed more field goal attempts in his career than any other player in NBA history. The Lakers, however, only won 56 games, an 11-game dropoff from the previous year. 1 On NY Times Bestseller List. [322], Bryant declined to play in the 2000 Olympics because he was getting married in the off-season. [505] With The Coca-Cola Company purchasing a minority stake in the company in August 2018, the valuation of Bryant's stake rose to approximately $200 million. "Not bad for the seventh-best player in the league", said Bryant, referring to a preseason ESPN ranking of the NBA's top players. [270] He had played six games since returning from his Achilles injury, which included time at point guard after injuries to Nash, Steve Blake, and Jordan Farmar. [45] In his senior year of high school, Bryant led the Aces to their first state championship in 53 years. [462] On February 9, 2009, Bryant was featured on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. [46] Bryant ended his high-school career as Southeastern Pennsylvania's all-time leading scorer at 2,883 points, surpassing both Wilt Chamberlain and Lionel Simmons. Wife, Bryant signed a three-year contract extension worth $ 87million number was 24 before he switched to.... Bryant led the NBA in scoring twice, and his performance excited West Lakers. 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