[BR]
Kobe Bryant began and ended his professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers (1996-2016) and led them to five NBA championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010). He was also a two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. national team, in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London.
Kobe Bean Bryant was born on August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was the son of basketball player Joe Bryant, who played eight years in the NBA and another eight years in Italy, where Kobe spent his childhood. When his family returned to Pennsylvania, Kobe, who had learned the secrets of the sport from his father, began playing basketball at his school and stood out with his talent. With a flair for scoring, he was named the nation's top player in his senior year of high school. Naturally, all the major colleges were eager to add him to their roster, but he opted to take the big leap and go straight to the NBA.
In the 1996 draft, he was selected by the Charlotte Hornets, but was traded to the Lakers for Serbian center Vlade Divac. The Los Angeles team had tried him out earlier and believed he would be an ideal replacement for Magic Johnson, who had earlier completed his professional career. That same year, the Lakers also acquired Shaquille O'Neal in an attempt to regain the NBA championship.
Soon Kobe Bryant showed his wealth of talent and in just his second year with the team he was selected for the All-Star Game, becoming the youngest athlete to achieve the feat. He was forced to share the starring role with his popular teammate Shaquille O'Neill. The two had an uneasy relationship, but under the guidance of head coach Phil Jackson, the necessary balance was found and the Lakers won three consecutive championships (2000, 2001, 2002).
Things were not going well within the Lakers, however, as the relationship between the team's two stars continued to be problematic. "Black Mamba," as he liked to be called (after the name of a venomous snake with lightning moves) wanted to be in the spotlight, but Shaquille's presence robbed him of glory.
In the summer of 2003, he found himself in the spotlight, but for the wrong reasons, when he was accused of raping a 19-year-old hotel employee in Colorado. The case never made it to court, but it was a blow to his prestige and pocketbook as major companies cut off advertising contracts with him. It also jeopardized his marriage to Vanessa Lane, with whom he had four children.
In 2004, the Lakers reached the NBA Finals, but were at the mercy of the Detroit Pistons. The time had come that summer for the two stars of the team to part ways. Shaquille O'Neal was traded to Miami and Kobe Bryant became the star of the team as he wished.
Over the next few years, Kobe set record after record in individual statistics, dominated the NBA, but the championship title kept slipping away from his team. In the summer of 2008, he participated with the US national team in the Beijing Olympics and won the gold medal, a feat he repeated four years later in London. He became more team-oriented in his game and led the team and himself to the top. The Lakers won two consecutive titles, beating Orlando in the 2009 Finals and the Celtics in 2010, with "Black Mamba" winning the Finals Most Valuable Player award both years.
Compared to his great idol, Michael Jordan, Kobe fell one title short. He tried for a sixth ring, but fell short. A serious Achilles tendon injury in 2013 effectively ended his career. On April 13, 2016, he said his big goodbye, scoring 60 points in the Lakers' meeting with the Utah Jazz.
Kobe Bryant finished his career as the NBA's third all-time leading scorer with 33,643 points. His 25 points per game average ranks him 12th all-time, while he also ranks 8th in total minutes played, 15th in games played, 3rd in field goal attempts and 7th in field goal attempts, 3rd in free throws made and 5th in field goal attempts, and 17th in steals.
After retiring, he developed a business in sports and entertainment. In 2015, Bryant wrote a text entitled "Dear Basketball", which in 2017 became the basis for an animated film of the same name, narrated by Bryant. The film won the Oscar in its category in 2018 and Kobe became the first athlete to be honored with the gold-plated statuette. In the same year, he released his book "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play", in which he gives his own views on basketball.
Kobe Bryant tragically passed away on January 26, 2020, at the age of 41, when the helicopter he was riding in with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people crashed in Calabasas, California, resulting in all occupants being recovered dead.
Source:sansimera.gr
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
