Introduction
Kobe Bryant has truly made a name for himself in American basketball. To begin with, he was named after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan which his parents saw on a restaurant menu.
Kobe was born August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the youngest child and only son of Joe “Jellybean” (of 76ers, Clippers and Rockets fame) and Pam Bryant who also has two daughters, Shaya and Sharia.
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Speaking of success, it is usually mentioned that a star athlete needs a championship to figure as an accomplished player. Kobe has three and that more than fills the bill.
Why else does he exact so much adulation? He is one of NBA’s biggest talents. He is an all-star shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers and played a huge role in the team’s 2000, 2001 and 2002 NBA championships. the L.A. Lakers may have won the finals because of team effort, but it’s obvious that Bryant stands in the shadow of the star player, Shaquille O’Neal, the former leader in almost every statistical category of his team.
Reminiscent of Muhammad Ali’s boast of “I’m the Greatest” in the field of boxing, Kobe holds his own when he states, “It doesn’t matter who we play against, we’re goin’ in there to wreck the shop,” but it’s obvious he shares his confidence with the rest of his team.
When Kobe was six, his father left the NBA, moved to Italy and started playing professional basketball there. Kobe became accustomed to the lifestyle and learned to speak Italian like a native. He learned to play soccer and has said that if he stayed in the country, he would have tried to become a professional soccer player.
“In 1991, the Bryants moved back to the United States.
Kobe earned national recognition during a spectacular high school career. His SAT score of 1080 would have ensured his basketball scholarship to various top-tier colleges. He has stated that had he decided to go to college after high school, he would have attended Duke University.” (Wikipedia)
All through high school, he became star player on the courts and merited sufficient honors and triumphs to compensate for his lack of college basketball experience. In fact, he is the only Los Angeles player to have skipped college.
Kobe Bryant was voted U.S. Today and Parade Magazine’s “National High School Player of the year. He led his team to Class AAAA state title, breaking records set by NBA greats, Welt Chamberlain and Carlin Warley, thus becoming the leading scorer in Southeastern Pennsylvania history. Bryant was picked 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 1996 NBA draft as he went directly from high school to professional basketball.
The Hornets traded Bryant to the Lakers in exchange for center Vlade Divec. At 18, Bryant was the youngest NBA player to debut in the league. He set a new record in the 1997 Rookie game with 31 points and 8 rebounds.
He also won the Slam-Dunk Championship in the 1997 NBA All-Star Weekend. As the youngest All-Star Player in the NBA, he averaged almost 20 points per game, thus earning for him the reputation of being the league’s most electrifying all-around player. He was the only player on his team to start all 50 games of the 1995-1999 season.
Summary
What an outstanding record for one so young! The only “fly in the ointment” is that he has been accused of raping a 19-year-old hotel employee in Eagle, Colorado in 2003.
As a result, one of Bryant’s biggest sponsors, Coca-cola decided to terminate its contract with Kobe. With his image tarnished, the public’s perception of him also plummeted. However, in September 2004, the judge dismissed Kobe of all charges and Kobe agreed to an apology including a public “mea culpa”.
Indeed, Kobe Bryant has made it as an icon in American Basketball history.