Kobe Bryant is one of the most recognizable names not only in basketball, but in all of professional sports as well. Bryant has played his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers and is visible through endorsements for a wide range of products, including Nike sports products and the soft drink Sprite. Bryant is all but assured of admission to the Basketball Hall of Fame after his career is completed.
Growing Up
Kobe Bryant had an international upbringing that was immersed in basketball. The son of professional basketball player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, Kobe Bryant spent some of his childhood in Italy, where his father played. Bryant became fluent in Italian before moving back to the United States, attending high school in Pennsylvania. By the time he graduated, he was projected as such a dynamic basketball talent that NBA teams were interested in drafting the young player straight out of high school. This occurred during a time where high school basketball players were rarely skilled enough to bypass collegiate play.
On-Court Success
Bryant was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round and immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Within a few years of entering the league, Bryant had blossomed into a star and, playing alongside another future Hall of Famer in Shaquille O'Neal and under legendary coach Phil Jackson, Bryant won three straight NBA championships from 2001 to 2003. In 2004, O'Neal was traded away from the Lakers, who endured a few years of struggles. But after a reshaping of the roster that added All-Star forward Pau Gasol to the lineup, the Lakers won two consecutive titles in 2009 and 2010. Over the course of his career, Bryant has won a truckload of accolades. Through the 2009-10 season, he won two league scoring titles and was named NBA Most Valuable Player in 2008, NBA Finals MVP in 2009 and 2010, NBA All-Star 12 times, All-NBA first team eight times and All-Defensive first team eight times.
Rape Scandal
In the offseason after the 2002-03 season, Bryant was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at an Eagle, Colorado, resort hotel where the star was staying to rehabilitate his knee. Bryant, who was married, admitted to having an affair with the woman but denied that rape was involved. Although the allegations turned out to be false, Bryant's public image was tarnished for many years and led to the loss of several endorsements.
Legacy
Kobe Bryant's numerous championships and MVP-caliber seasons have put him in the discussion among the best players in the history of the NBA. As a young player, he was considered the heir to Michael Jordan's throne as the premier basketball player in the world. Although the arrival of LeBron James in the NBA gave Bryant some competition, the Laker continued to win throughout the later years of his career while James struggled to make the NBA Finals as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Some former players and basketball analysts rank Bryant among the top 10 players to ever compete in the NBA.
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