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Kobe
Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania) is a National Basketball Association
player for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is also the
son of NBA player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant.
Bryant
spent much of his childhood in Italy, where his
father played professional basketball, and speaks
fluent Italian. Bryant entered the NBA at the age of
eighteen after a spectacular high school career in
the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion. He was
originally selected by the Charlotte Hornets, but
never played for the team. Within weeks of being
drafted, the Hornets traded him on July 11, 1996 to
the Los Angeles Lakers for center Vlade Divac.
Though young and somewhat introverted, Bryant's
immense talent made an immediate impression with his
teammates on the practice court. He married Vanessa
Laine on April 18, 2001 in Dana Point, California
and their daughter Natalia was born on January 19,
2003. His parents initially disapproved of the
marriage, but have since reconciled with Bryant.
Bryant's career trajectory as an NBA player out of
high school has been exceptional. By the age of 24,
Bryant had won many individual awards, and had been
named to the All-NBA team multiple times. He is
regarded as one of the best players in the NBA.
Bryant helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to three
consecutive NBA championships in 2000, 2001, and
2002. The Lakers also ventured to the 2004 Finals
against the Detroit Pistons, but lost four games to
one. Following the loss to the Pistons, Bryant opted
out of his contract to tested the free agent market.
After flirting with the idea of joining several
teams, he signed a new seven-year deal with the
Lakers worth over $136 million on July 15, 2004.
Bryant's youth, style, good looks, and
accomplishments on the basketball court made him one
of the most popular and marketable players in the
history of the NBA. Much of his marketability was
lost, however, as the result of rape allegations
stemming from his June 2003 encounter with a woman
in a Colorado hotel room.
Honors
-
Three time NBA champion: 2000,
2001, 2002
-
NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2002
-
NBA All-Star: 1998, 2000, 2001,
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
-
All-NBA First Team: 2002, 2003,
2004
-
All-NBA Second Team: 2000, 2001
-
All-NBA Third Team: 2005
-
All-NBA Defensive First Team:
2000, 2003, 2004
-
All-NBA Defensive Second Team:
2001, 2002
-
Slam Dunk Champion: 1997
-
Ties NBA record for most made
3-point field goals in one game with 12 versus
the Seattle SuperSonics on January 7, 2003.
-
One of only three players in NBA
history to score 40-plus points in 9 consecutive
games.
-
One of only two players to ever
score at least 35 points in 13 straight games.
-
The only one of the two and
three players, however, to contribute to more
team losses in his 40-plus point games
-
Holds the Lakers team record for
most consecutive free throws made at 43.
-
Named the 1996 Naismith High
School Player of the Year.
-
Led Lower Merion H.S. to a 31-3
record, including 27 straight wins, and the
Class AAAA state title as a senior (1996).
-
USA Today and Parade Magazine's
1996 National High School Player of the Year
with a seasonal average of 30.8 points, 12.0
rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4.0 steals and 3.8 blocks
per game.
*
* * *
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URL of Original Article:
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Date Article Copied:
July 11, 2005
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