Kobe Bryant

Club

_Deceased Basketball

Position

Shooting Guard

Nationality

United States

Date of birth

1978-08-23

Birthplace

Philadelphia, PA

Height

6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)

Weight

212 lb (96 kg)

Shirt number

24

Kobe Bean Bryant (/ˈkoʊbi/ KOH-bee; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bryant won five NBA championships and was an 18-time All-Star, four-time All-Star MVP, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), two-time NBA Finals MVP, and two-time scoring champion. He ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. Bryant was posthumously named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021 and was a two-time inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, for his playing career in 2020 and as a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team in 2025.

The son of NBA player Joe Bryant, Bryant was born in Philadelphia and lived in Italy during part of his childhood. He was recognized as the top American high school basketball player during his senior season at Lower Merion High School outside of Philadelphia. He declared for the 1996 NBA draft and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick; he was then traded to the Lakers. Following his rookie season, Bryant earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors and won the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest. He was named an All-Star in his second season. He had a feud with teammate Shaquille O'Neal that was well-documented. Nevertheless, the pair led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. In 2003, Bryant was charged with sexual assault; the criminal charges were ultimately dismissed. In a related lawsuit, he settled and issued an apology while maintaining that the encounter was consensual.

After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal was traded and Bryant became the franchise's cornerstone. He led the NBA in scoring in the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points, the third most in an NBA game. He led the Lakers to championships in 2009 and 2010, and was named NBA Finals MVP both times. He continued among the league's premier players through the 2012–13 season until he suffered a torn achilles tendon. His remaining playing career was hampered by injuries and reduced playing time. He retired after the 2015–16 season. In 2017, the Lakers retired both his jersey numbers: 8 and 24, making him the only NBA player to have multiple numbers retired by one franchise.

The Lakers' all