. [241] He was replaced by Mike D'Antoni, who Bryant knew as a child when Bryant's father was playing in Italy and D'Antoni was also a star player there. [281][283] He was suffering from soreness in his knees, feet, back, and Achilles tendons and Scott planned to reduce his workload going forward. Player Responds to Kobe Bryant", "Bryant to appeal $100K fine for slur, but takes responsibility", "Kobe Bryant, Lakers teammates appear in PSA touting diversity", "Dallas Mavericks sweep Lakers from NBA playoffs", "Yankees say A-Rod had shoulder treatment, too", "Lakers' Kobe Bryant won't give in to age", "Chris Paul-led Clips win L.A. clash despite Kobe Bryant's 42", "NBA Recap Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs Apr 20, 2012", "Kobe Bryant chooses not to go for NBA scoring title", "Bryant Raises Bar, but Thunder Clear It Easily", "Chris Paul, Clippers deal Lakers third straight loss to open season", "The Lakers Change Direction and Hire D'Antoni as Coach", "Mike D'Antoni to be next coach of the Lakers", "Kobe Bryant (30 pts. The Lakers won 58 games that year and finished second in the Pacific Division behind in-state rival Sacramento Kings. The two-time All-Star has never hidden his admiration for the Los Angeles Lakers great, whose life was tragically cut short in January 2020 when he died in a helicopter crash along with his. [113] Without Tomjanovich, stewardship of the remainder of the Lakers' season fell to career assistant coach Frank Hamblen. In addition to the trading cards, there are baseball . [225][226] Bryant and other Lakers appeared in a Lakers public service announcement denouncing his behavior. [117][118], The 200506 season marked a crossroads in Bryant's basketball career. A security guard opens a steel door leading into a vault containing hundreds of collectibles at Collectors Vault, a new company that is making it easier for collectors to store and trade memorabilia, on Oct. 21, 2022, in Delaware. Playing without Bryant, the Lakers were swept in four games by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. The first single, "K.O.B.E'", featured supermodel Tyra Banks singing the hook. His next two seasons were cut short by injuries to his knee and shoulder, respectively. [277] At age 36, he became the oldest NBA player to achieve 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game. [304][305], Bryant requested that opposing teams on the road not hold any on-court ceremonies in his honor or present him any gifts in public. However, the Lakers lost the game to the Clippers and started the season 03 for the first time in 34 years and just the fourth time in franchise history. [414][415] On January 11, 2013, Bryant and his wife both announced via social media that they had called off their divorce. [188] Bryant was the league's leading scorer throughout the 2000s decade, accumulating 21,065 points in regular season play between the 1999-00 and 200809 seasons. The Lakers defeated the Spurs in five games, sending themselves to the NBA Finals, against the Boston Celtics. [536], Also, beginning with the Spurs and the Raptors in their game in San Antonio on the day of the crash, teams paid tribute to Bryant at the start of their games with intentional on-court violations referring to his uniform numbers on their first possessioneither a 24-second shot clock or an 8-second backcourt violation. [548][549], After the Lakers beat the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the 2020 NBA Finals to clinch the franchise's 17th NBA championship, rapper, Lakers fan and Long Beach native Snoop Dogg paid homage to Bryant and the Lakers with a full forearm tattoo. [375][376] In 2008 and again in 2016, ESPN ranked him the second-greatest shooting guard of all time after Jordan. [535] The game was the second-most-watched in ESPN history, averaging 4.41 million viewers. [16][404][405], In November 1999, 21-year-old Bryant met 17-year-old Vanessa Laine while she was working as a background dancer on the Tha Eastsidaz music video "G'd Up". On December 17, Bryant matched his season high of 21 points in a 9692 win over Memphis, but he suffered a lateral tibial plateau fracture in his left knee that was expected to sideline him for six weeks. That could be the case for Oregon Ducks guard Chris Duarte, whose draft stock has soared and is now widely projected to be a first-round pick. [328], Bryant's United States national team career finally began in 2007. Email. [317] West teammates offered to feed him the ball in an attempt to get him another All-Star MVP, but he declined. The academy established locations in Thousand Oaks and Redondo Beach, California. But Bryant only embodied his Black Mamba persona years after he moved out of . Sports", Kobe passes West as Lakers' scoring leader in loss to Grizzlies, Kobe Bryant's game winner in 9998 victory over Memphis Grizzlies shows clutchness can't be duplicated, Lakers snap 3-game skid on Bryant's late jumper, Lakers to Face Thunder in the First Round, Lakers beat Suns to set up rematch with Boston, "Lakers' rings feature leather from Game 7 ball", "Why Kobe Bryant decided it was time to retire", Lakers hold off Timberwolves, improve to 80, "Kobe's triple-double leads Lakers over Kings", "Celtics win Finals rematch despite Kobe Bryant's 41 points", "Kobe Bryant has big second half to help Lakers rally by Celtics", "NBA.com: Kobe is top vote-getter in 2011 All-Star balloting", "Bryant feeds off energy as West beats East in All-Star game, 148143", "Rumorsandrants.com: Kobe Bryant Passes Moses Malone For Sixth On All-Time Scoring List", "Kobe Bryant fined $100,000 for gay slur", "Kobe Bryant needs to say more after slur", "Lakers' Kobe Bryant is fined $100,000 by NBA for anti-gay slur to referee", "Kobe's $100K fine didn't buy Lakers' best effort", "A Gay Former N.B.A. [547], The 2020 Pro Bowl was also played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on the day of the crash, and before kickoff, NFC players who learned of Bryant's death conducted a prayer led by Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, while various on-field and PA tributes were made during the game. [494], On August 22, 2016, Bryant and his business partner Jeff Stibel launched Bryant-Stibel, a venture capital firm focused on different businesses including media, data, gaming, and technology, with $100 million in funding. [174] This set up a Western Conference Finals berth against the San Antonio Spurs. He scored at least 50 points 24 times in his career, which is third in league history behind Jordan (31) and Chamberlain (118);[302] six times Bryant scored at least 60. [526][527][528] By finishing off the Denver Nuggets in the Conference Finals in six games, the Lakers earned their second straight trip to the NBA Finals. A fourth novel, The Wizenard Series: Season One, was released posthumously in March 2020. [27][28] Bryant began to play basketball seriously while living in Reggio Emilia. (Chicago Tribune)", "Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings Box Score, May 13, 2001", "Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, January 14, 2002", "Lou Williams-led 76ers spoil Kobe Bryant's milestone night", "Love him or not, Kobe Bryant a Philly player", "Bryant's heroics, deference pay off for Lakers", "Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs May 12, 2002 Game Summary", "San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, October 29, 2002", "Los Angeles Lakers at Los Angeles Clippers Box Score, November 1, 2002", "NBA Single Game Leaders and Records for 3-Pt Field Goals", "NBA Playoffs 2003 Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs", "Lakers Sign Free Agents Gary Payton and Karl Malone", "Kobe Bryant Arrested For Alleged Sexual Assault", "Bryant's, Lakers' survival go hand in hand", "Minnesota Timberwolves (1) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (2)", "It's Official: Shaq traded to Heat for three players, draft pick", "Coach and Star Savor Success in Collaboration", "Off the Dribble: Bryant Now Deals with Mediocrity", Kobe 'upset' about Malone's comments to wife, "Basketball: Kobe Bryant Profile and Information", "Eighty-One! A security guard opens a steel door leading into a vault containing hundreds of collectibles at Collectors Vault, a new company that is making it easier for collectors to store and trade memorabilia, on Oct. 21, 2022, in Delaware. When he walked into the gymnasium he was escorted by his entourage. [11] Despite winning the Oscar, he was denied membership into the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences due to his past sexual abuse case and their new set of standards of conduct within the recent MeToo movement. [506], In 2013, Bryant launched a production company called Granity Studios, which developed different media, ranging from films to television shows and novels. [192] He continued his dominant clutch plays making yet another game-winning three-pointer against the Sacramento Kings,[193] and what would be the game-winning field goal against the Boston Celtics. [57] Since Bryant was still 17 at the time, his parents had to cosign his contract with the Lakers until he was able to sign his own when he turned 18 before the season began. [286] He underwent season-ending surgery for the injury, finishing the season averaging 22.3 points but shooting a career-low 37.3 percent, well below his 45.4 percent career mark to start the season. [244] On December 18, in a 101100 win over the Charlotte Bobcats, Bryant scored 30+ points in his seventh consecutive game, the longest streak by an NBA player after turning 34 years old; it was the fourth-longest such streak in his career. [391] Bryant led the NBA in scoring during the 200506 and 200607 seasons. "[490], Bryant was the subject of Spike Lee's 2009 documentary film Kobe Doin' Work, which chronicled Bryant during the 200708 NBA season. Despite a feud with teammate Shaquille O'Neal, the pair led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. Growing pains and gains: During his rookie season, Bryant at just 18 years and 72 days old became the . James also delivered a speech to the crowd before the game, and every player in the Lakers starting lineup was announced with Bryant's name. Bryant suffered multiple injuries throughout the season and as a result, missed nine games. [c] Bryant also won his second straight scoring title that season. The accuser stated that Bryant raped her in his hotel room the night before Bryant was to have the procedure. 2022-23 Season Schedule; League Pass Schedule; [290][393][396] On four occasions (2003, 2011, 2013, 2016) he was the leading vote-getter. [383][393] He was the first guard to play 20 seasons in the NBA. He performed at a 1997 concert by Sway & King Tech and recorded a verse for a remix of Brian McKnight's "Hold Me". Trivia He was associated with the rap group 'CHEIZAW' and has even released a song titled 'K.O.B.E.' He spoke fluent Italian. Rose later admitted he placed his foot under Bryant intentionally. [140] After scoring 50 points on 20 of 35 shooting in the Game 6 loss, Bryant was criticized for only taking three shots in the second half of the 12190 Game 7 loss to Phoenix. Games. "[301], At the time of his announcement, he was second on the team in minutes (30.8) behind Jordan Clarkson and leading the team with 16.7 field goal attempts per game, while averaging just 15.7 points and shooting a career-low 31.5 percent. Bryant's individual scoring accomplishments posted resulted in the finest statistical season of his career. [420] Their daughter was born in June 2019. Roundup - Los Angeles; Lakers' Bryant Signs for $71 million", "1999-00 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats", "Bryant, McGrady Highlight All-NBA Selections", "Garnett, Bryant top NBA All-Defensive selections", "Lakers lose bryant at least six weeks to broken hand", "Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, June 4, 2000", "Kobe Bryant sprains left ankle in Lakers loss, out indefinitely", "Jalen Rose on That Time He Intentionally Tried to Injure Kobe Bryant", "Article: No doubt: It's Bryant's team. [307][308] Still, he was honored around the league with video tributes and fan ovations,[306] including arenas that historically jeered him such as TD Garden in Boston, Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Moda Center in Portland, Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, and Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City. Bryant appeared as the cover athlete for the following video games: Bryant was also one of the global ambassadors of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China. [110][111], Bryant was closely scrutinized and criticized during the 200405 season with his reputation badly damaged from all that had happened over the previous year. 8 and 24, making him the only player in NBA history to have multiple numbers retired by the same franchise. [387] In October 2021, Bryant was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[388]. Defenders struggled to get in front of him, and his performance excited West and Lakers coach Del Harris. [29][30] Bryant's grandfather would mail him videos of NBA games for Bryant to study. [138][139] After the Lakers' season ended, Bryant said on TNT that he wanted 24 as a rookie, but it was unavailable as it was worn by George McCloud, as was 33, retired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. [95] At age 23, Bryant became the youngest player to win three championships. [465], On December 13, 2010, Bryant signed a two-year endorsement deal with Turkey's national airline, Turkish Airlines. dummy instructor@azsecuritygroup.com. [63][64] Initially, Bryant played limited minutes, but as the season continued, he began to see some more playing time. The two began dating and became engaged six months later in May 2000,[406] while Laine was still a senior at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California. In Game 2, Bryant finished the game with 13 assists, setting a new playoff career-high; it was the most assists by a Laker in the playoffs since Magic Johnson had 13 in 1996. He was fluent in English, Italian and Spanish. [26] He was especially fond of Reggio Emilia, which he considered a loving place and where some of his best childhood memories were made. [362][363] Throughout his first 17 seasons, his body was resilient,[292] and he exhibited a high pain threshold while often playing through injuries. They came within six seconds of eliminating the second-seeded Suns in Game 6, however, they lost that game 126118 in overtime. [151] Throughout the 200607 season, his jersey became the top selling NBA jersey in the United States and China. [276] On November 30, 2014, in a 129122 overtime victory against the Toronto Raptors, Bryant recorded his 20th career triple-double with 31 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds. [501] The Kobe Bryant China Fund raises money within China earmarked for education and health programs. The all-time leading scorer in Lakers history, Bryant was the first guard in NBA history to play 20 seasons. Learn what it takes to get your Arizona Security Guard Card from start to finish. [464] In 2010, Bryant was ranked third behind Tiger Woods and Jordan in Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes with $48million. 2022-23 Season Schedule; League Pass Schedule; Bryant did not feel he was deserving of the selection, and some likened it to a career achievement award for his past performance. He said his faith and a priest helped him through difficult times, such as the period following his accusation of rape. [234] At the 2012 NBA All-Star Game, Bryant scored 27 points to pass Jordan as the career scoring leader in the All-Star Game. [48][49] Bryant's varsity coach, Greg Downer, commented that he was "a complete player who dominates" and praised his work ethic, even as the team's top player. On January 22, 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points; the second most points scored in a single NBA game, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game. The murals are part of the school's Black History Month celebration, where all month long students can look at the images and learn about who's being shown and why. [455] A notable exception was Nike, Inc., who had signed him to a five-year, $4045million contract just before the incident. [51] Ultimately, the 17-year-old Bryant made the decision to go directly into the NBA, becoming only the sixth player in NBA history to do so. [123], On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points in a 122104 victory against the Toronto Raptors. Three championships were won consecutively in 2000, 2001, and 2002, further cementing this view. Due to an ectopic pregnancy, Vanessa suffered a miscarriage in the spring of 2005. [264], Bryant resumed practicing in November 2013, after the 201314 season had already begun. [237] He returned three games before the end of the regular season. The all-time leading scorer in Lakers history, Bryant was the first guard in NBA history to play 20 seasons. It was also the year when disagreements between Bryant and O'Neal began to surface. [421][422], Bryant was a practicing Catholic. [170], The Lakers concluded the 200708 regular season with a 5725 record, finishing first in the Western Conference and setting up themselves for a first-round contest against the Nuggets. [190] Five days after his finger injury, he made another game-winning shot, after missing on an opportunity in regulation, this time against the Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime game. You don't want to miss it! [253][254][255] In the next three games, Bryant had at least 10 assists in three wins with a three-game total of 39 assists, the most in his career. By the end of the season, he averaged 15.5 minutes a game. He'd get out there and get his shot up. The single debuted in January 2000, and was performed at NBA All-Star Weekend that month; the song was not well received. He was selected to his 11th consecutive All-Star Game as a starter,[180] and was named the Western Conference Player of the Month for December and January in addition to being named Western Conference Player of the week three times. Bryant was awarded his first NBA Finals MVP trophy upon winning his fourth championship,[185] achieving series averages of 32.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks. [86] With a 116111 victory in Game 6, the Lakers won their first championship since 1988.[87]. [488], Bryant made his acting debut in 1996, appearing in an episode of Moesha. [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". [23] When Bryant was six, his father retired from the NBA and moved his family to Rieti in Italy to continue playing professional basketball. Jordan and Bryant didn't really guard . This followed with O'Neal winning the MVP and Bryant being named to the All-NBA Second Team and All-NBA Defensive Team for the first time in his career (the youngest player to receive All-Defensive honors). and Sister, Sister (episode: "Kid-Napped"). Bryant scored the winning shot to put the Lakers ahead 120118. [542] He was not included in the montages at the 2020 VMAs and Emmys, held later in the year. [218], On April 13, 2011, the NBA fined Bryant $100,000 for directing a gay slur at referee Bennie Adams in frustration in the previous day's game. [333] After winning another gold medal, Bryant decided to retire from the team. [408][409] The wedding was not attended by Bryant's parents, his two sisters, his longtime advisor and agent Arn Tellem, or his Laker teammates. [383] Both numbers he wore during his career, 8 and 24, were retired by the Lakers on December 18, 2017. [206], Bryant wanted a sixth championship to match Jordan's total. ", "L.A. Recovery Wouldn't Be Unprecedented", "1. Home; Tickets; Schedule. [89] They swept the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Finals to advance to the Finals, before losing their first game against the Philadelphia 76ers in overtime. "[165], Aided by the trade for All-Star Pau Gasol, Bryant led his team to a West-leading 5725 record. [239], The Lakers in 201213 acquired center Dwight Howard and point guard Steve Nash. 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. [147] The following game, Bryant recorded 50 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves,[148] after which he scored 60 points in a road win against the Memphis Grizzliesbecoming the second Laker to score three straight 50-plus point games, a feat not seen since Jordan last did it in 1987. [394] In the 2008 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. men's basketball team, occasionally referred to as "The Redeem Team". [522] At that time, the helicopter experienced extreme fog and turned south towards the mountains. [483] Similarly, in 2010, American rapper Sho Baraka released a song called "Kobe Bryant On'em", which was featured on his album Lions and Liars. [525], The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and the FBI[518] launched investigations into the crash. [83] He also threw an alley-oop pass to O'Neal to clinch the game and the series. In 1997, he appeared on an episode of Hang Time, this was followed by a guest appearance on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That (1998). [102] This caused Bryant to miss some games due to court appearances or attend court earlier in the day and travel to play games later on the same day. [246] In a move to improve the team's defense, D'Antoni began having Bryant guard the opponent's best perimeter player; Bryant was the primary defender on the Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving, who was held to 15 points. [212] In Boston on February 10, Bryant scored 20 of his 23 points in the second half as the Lakers rallied from an early 15-point deficit for a 9286 win over the Celtics. In Game 2 win against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals, Anthony Davis made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer and yelled Bryant's name, while the team was wearing the 'Black Mamba' jerseys. - https://www.twitch.tv/staxmontanaJOIN THE MONTANA FAM DISCORD! [259] The Lakers finished the season at 4537, good for seventh in the West. [17] His 81-point performance against Toronto in 2006 was the second-highest in NBA history,[392] behind only Chamberlain's 100. Byron Scott missed the game with a sprained wrist, Robert Horry was ejected for fighting with Utah's Jeff Hornacek, and Shaquille O'Neal fouled out with 1:46 remaining in the fourth quarter. These included being named Naismith High School Player of the Year, Gatorade Men's National Basketball Player of the Year, a McDonald's All-American, a first-team Parade All-American and a USA Today All-USA First Team player. 5", "Ranking The Top 10 Pure Scorers In NBA History", "Kobe Bryant and the Sexual Assault Case That Was Dropped but Not Forgotten", "Where does a rape allegation fit in the legacy of Kobe Bryant? ", Celtics general manager Jan Volk on Kobe Bryant during a pre-draft workout in 1996. [58][74][75] The playoff results, however, were no better, as the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals. [16][17] His middle name, Bean, was derived from his father's nickname "Jellybean". The song was also used by Sprite in its 2011 marketing campaign in China. [302], During the 2020 NBA playoffs, the Lakers' players wore 'Black Mamba' jerseys in honor of Bryant. "[158] Three hours after making that statement, Bryant stated in another interview that after having a conversation with head coach Jackson, he had reconsidered his decision and backed off his trade request. [104] The game eventually went to a second overtime, in which Bryant made another three-pointer as time expired to lift the Lakers past the Blazers, 105104. [91][92] While making the All-NBA Defensive Team again, Bryant was also named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career. [84][85] Bryant did not return to the game, and he also missed Game 3 due to the injury. On March 28, Bryant scored a season-high 53 points to go with 10 rebounds in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. [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. [323] He also decided not to play in the 2002 FIBA World Championship. [166] He said, "It's been a long ride. [411], The Bryants' first daughter, Natalia, was born in January 2003. [316] Playing in his first All-Star game since 2013, Bryant had 10 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. His 18 All-Star designations are the second most all time, and he has the most consecutive appearances as a starter. [33], Bryant also learned to play soccer, and his favorite soccer team was A.C. [21], Bryant and his wife Vanessa were founding donors of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, with Bryant also donating his uniform he that he wore in the 2008 NBA Finals, the year he was named the league MVP. [76], Bryant's fortunes would improve when Phil Jackson took over as coach of the Lakers in 1999. He did not say how many pages had been written or whether the book had a title. [331] He averaged 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting .462 from the field in eight Olympic contests. ", "Kobe Bryant rests again, Lakers fall to Trail Blazers, 10694", "Kobe Bryant notches triple-double as Lakers hold off Nuggets", "Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has torn rotator cuff in right shoulder", "Lakers' Kobe Bryant has torn rotator cuff; severity to be determined", "Kobe Bryant to undergo season-ending surgery for torn rotator cuff", "Lakers star Kobe Bryant out for season after shoulder surgery", "Lakers, Knicks close out worst seasons in franchise history", "Byron Scott says Kobe Bryant likely OK for next game", "Kobe Bryant on his play so far: "I freaking suck", "Two decades in: Kobe Bryant clears another milestone with start of 20th Lakers season", "Kobe Bryant's possible farewell tour hits new low", "Kobe's shooting struggles not putting 'pretty defined' role in jeopardy", "Kobe Bryant to retire after this season", "Los Angeles Lakers (2-13) Vs. Indiana Pacers (105)", "Kobe Bryant's struggles cause some in NBA circles to say it's time he retires", "With Flair for the Dramatic, Kobe Spins Frustrating End into Emotional Final Act", "Kobe Bryant: 'Do I want to play again or don't I the reality is no, I don't.