The duo of O'Neal and Bryant backed with a powerful bench led to the Lakers profitable 67 video games, tied for fifth-most in NBA historical past. This followed with O'Neal successful the MVP and Bryant being named to the All-NBA Team Second Team and All-NBA Defensive Team for the primary time in his career . While playing second fiddle to O'Neal within the playoffs, Bryant had some clutch performances together with a 25-point, 11 rebound, 7 assist, 4 block sport in recreation 7 of the Western Conference finals in opposition to the Portland Trail Blazers. He additionally threw an alley-oop pass to O'Neal to clinch the game and the collection. In the 2000 NBA Finals in opposition to the Indiana Pacers, Bryant injured his ankle within the second quarter of Game 2 after touchdown on the Pacers' Jalen Rose's foot.

A week later, Bryant suffered an avulsion fracture in his right index finger in a recreation against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite the damage, Bryant elected to proceed enjoying, somewhat than take any day off to rest the damage. Five days after his finger damage, he made one other game-winning shot, after lacking on a possibility in regulation, this time against the Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime recreation.

In 2003, Bryant was charged with sexual assault following an accusation by a young feminine resort clerk. The felony expenses were dropped after the accuser refused to testify, and a civil suit was settled out of court. Bryant issued a public apology and admitted to a sexual encounter but denied the assault allegation and mentioned it was consensual.

Bryant's parents had been against the marriage for a quantity of reasons. Following his dying, on February 15, 2020, commissioner Adam Silver announced that the NBA All-Star Game MVP Award would be renamed to the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player in honor of Bryant. The Lakers completed the season at 45-37, good for seventh in the West. Playing with out Bryant, the Lakers have been swept in four video games by the San Antonio Spurs. Kobe, while human and due to this fact flawed, was an anomaly of types, breaking stereotypes and crossing borders.

Historically Bryant invested in entrepreneurial firms, corresponding to BODYARMOR and Red Ventures, that shared in his vision. Kobe was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 23, 1978. His dad, Jellybean Joe Bryant, was a professional basketball player, too. Kobe attended Lower Merion High School in a suburb of Philadelphia. He was a standout basketball player and earned several awards including the Naismith High School Player of the Year. The latest version of the NBA 2K video game collection was introduced recently and this yr, it will be graced by the late, nice Kobe Bryant on the quilt.

Bryant was the first guard drafted immediately out of high school. After the draft, the commerce was put in jeopardy when Divac threatened to retire rather than be traded from Los Angeles. However, on June 30, Divac relented on his risk and the commerce was made final on July 9, 1996, when the league's low season moratorium ended. Since Bryant was still 17 on the time, his parents needed to cosign his contract with the Lakers until he was able to sign his personal when he turned 18 before the season started. Bryant signed a three-year rookie contract totaling $3.5 million. “Me sitting here, doing this interview—I don’t have to do that,” he says.

The Lakers began the 2010–11 season by winning their first eight video games. In his ninth recreation of the season, playing in opposition to the Denver Nuggets, Bryant became the youngest participant in NBA history to achieve 26,000 career factors. Bryant additionally recorded his first triple double since January 21, 2009. On January 30 against the Celtics, he turned the youngest player to attain 27,000 points. On February 1, 2011, Bryant grew to become one of seven gamers with at least 25,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists. In Boston on February 10, Bryant scored 20 of his 23 factors in the second half because the Lakers rallied from an early 15-point deficit for a 92–86 win over the Celtics.

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