Legends are immortal. Their work and their careers are something that remains forever, in the memories of fans and all the people to whom these persons meant something or influenced life in some way. Their name will never be forgotten and will forever remain deeply etched in history. Their work inspires generations to come to achieve even greater glory and greater success. If someone took the title of legend, then that means that person was remarkable, in every way.
The news that shook literally the whole world and all the people who love basketball and have immense respect for the legends of this game, is that Kobe Bryant was tragically killed in helicopter crash! His oldest daughter, Gianna Bryant, was also with him in the helicopter when the accident occurred. We know, it’s very sad when a legend like Black Mamba goes this way, but as we said in the beginning, legends never die! In these very sad moments, when everyone is paying tribute and mourning the death of the NBA and the Los Angeles Lakers’ legend, it’s time for us to remember his life. Who was Kobe, where he was born, where he spent his childhood, his career highlights? Black Mamba has inspired many people throughout their lives, so now we have decided to dedicate today’s text to him. R.I.P. Kobe!
Early Life
Kobe Bean Bryant, or just Kobe Bryant, is one of the greatest basketball players to ever appear. He was born on August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, United States. Interestingly, his father Joseph Washington “Jellybean” Bryant is also a former basketball player who played for the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers (now LA Clippers) and Houston Rockets. His mother’s name is Pamela Cox Bryant.
Kobe is not the only child in the family, but has two older sisters, Sharia and Shaya Bryant. When it comes to his family, Bryant has been married to Vanessa Laine Bryant since 2001 until his death. The couple has four children, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant (passed away in yesterday accident), Bianka Bella Bryant, Natalia Diamante Bryant and Capri Kobe Bryant. When it came to Kobe’s education, Bryant attended Lower Merion High School.
Career
Unlike many basketball players currently playing in the NBA, Kobe has not played for any college or university teams. During his studies at Lower Merion High School, Black Mamba played for the local high school team and was, to say the least, impressive. He averaged 31.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists during his junior career.
After graduation, Kobe appeared in the 1996 NBA Draft. Although he was only 17 at the time, Bryant was selected as the 13th pick overall by the Charlotte Hornets. However, as everyone knows, Black Mamba never played for the Hornets, but for the LA Lakers. He arrived in Los Angeles thanks to a trade that included then Lakers’ center, Vlade Divac.
Still, it’s interesting that the Hornets didn’t know whom to pick as the 13th pick even though they agreed with the Lakers that the pick would be included in the trade. Just minutes before the time of selection, people of the Hornets found out that the person they needed to choose was 17-year-old Kobe Bryant. After that, he signed a three-year rookie deal that his parents had to co-sign as Bryant was still not 18 years old. That moment marked the beginning of a great career of the one of the best basketball players in history.
Interestingly, in 1996 the famous Shaquille O’Neal also arrived in the Lakers, so he and Black Mamba played together until 2004. Over the course of a 20-year career, Kobe has become the best Los Angeles Lakers player in history, winning even 5 NBA Championship titles with a team, and finishing third on the best NBA scorers of all-time list with 33,643 points (recently overtaken by LeBron James).
Throughout his career, the legendary Kobe Bryant has averaged 25.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 0.5 blocks and 1.4 steals per game. These figures refer to the regular season. When it comes to play-offs, Bryant averaged 25.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 0.6 blocks as well as 1.4 steals per game.
Achievements
There is almost no title that Kobe Bryant did not win. As we said earlier, he was 5 times NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers (2000 to 2002, as well as 2009 and 2010). In addition, Kobe was an NBA Finals MVP twice (2009, 2010), NBA Most Valuable Player in 2008, 9 times NBA All-Defensive First Team (2000, 2003, 2004, from 2006 to 2011), 2 times NBA scoring champion in 2006 and 2007, as well as 18 times NBA All-Star (1998, and from 2000 to 2016).
Read Also: Kobe Bryant’s Car Collection – The Black Mamba Rides
When it comes to national team achievements, Bryant has twice won a gold medal at the Olympics in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London. Kobe has never played in the FIBA World Cup.
Kobe Bryant Net Worth
While this is less important now than highlighting how great Kobe Bryant was, we will also mention his net worth in 2020. According to recent estimates, Kobe has a net worth of between $550 million and $700 million. He is considered one of the highest-paid athletes ever. For the end, we must say it again, legend and Gianna, rest in peace!
