One of the greatest basketball players of our time was born in Philadelphia , PA on August 23, 1978. Kobe Bryant, whose height at this point is 198.12 cm with a weight of 100 kg, is indeed one of the greatest players. It is noteworthy that his father, Joe Bryant, was also one of the NBA players and reached considerable heights in sports. Throughout his professional basketball career, Jelly Bean (as Joe was called) has played 606 games in the Association League, where he averaged 8.7 points in one game.
Kobe's childhood and adolescence
The future NBA star was in elementary school in Italy, and there he became acquainted with basketball. After Kobe returns home, this sport becomes his main occupation. Daily training, father's advice, watching and evaluating videos ... Thanks to everyday games, Kobe Bryant begins to grow quite quickly as a player - not only physically, but also mentally. After Bryant enters the Higher School of Lower Merion, thanks to her work ethic and, of course, talent, the young basketball star almost immediately attracts the attention of scouts who are looking for good players. Needless to say, regular training has led to the fact that in 4 years his team, which was frankly called “bad,” turns into a state champion. And basically it's merit Bryant. In the end, Kobe Bryant becomes the most productive player in the state in its history. In total, he managed to score 2,883 points. As a result, in 1996 he won the title of best player among schoolchildren. Naturally, after that the door to the NBA world was open to him.
The beginning of a professional career
The first team in the professional basketball association that selected him was Charlotte Hornets, in draft he was at number 13. But soon they exchanged him for the Los Angeles Lakers on Vlad Divac, playing in the center position, which the Hornets needed. Kobe Bryant, by the way, was an attacking defender. Meanwhile, in the Lakers, a young star began to actively show himself and declare himself more often. I especially want to note him during the Weekend of all the stars, where he became the most productive player in the match when the newcomers played.
After that, he even won the Dunk Contest competition (ring throws on top). At the end of the first season, Kobe was included in the 2nd national team rookie team of the National Basketball Association, where an athlete scored an average of 7 points per game. And already at the age of 19 in the All-Star Game, which took place in 1998 in New York, he was elected to the starting lineup of 5 people in East All Stars. Thanks to this, the young star was now officially recognized as an NBA superstar, thereby becoming the youngest player in the history of the association. He achieved simply breathtaking success. Spending only 26 minutes on the basketball court, he managed to score an average of 15.4 points per game.
Meeting with spouse
Kobe's wife - Vanessa Bryant (before Lane's marriage) - met a star
basketball floor at the age of 16, at a time when Bryant was already 20. At that time, Vanessa tried to make money in a dance for different music videos. The novel started spinning quite quickly, and already in April 18, 2001, a solemn marriage took place . It is noteworthy that Kobe's parents were initially against marriage with Vanessa, all their arguments were based on the fact that the couple were too young for such a serious step. As a result, Kobe Bryant completely stopped communicating with his parents, and this continued for several years in a row.
Championship in the Lakers
Then Kobe goes directly to the 3rd NBA team, where he shows excellent
results and on average gaining 20 points in one game. And despite the fact that he had to miss the first 15 matches due to a right hand injury, Kobe Bryant, when he returns, will soon show phenomenal results. Between 1999 and 2000 a new coach named Phil Jackson comes to the team, and under his command the Lakers become NBA champions. Needless to say, one of the main stars of the team were, of course, Kobe and Shaquille O'Neill. In those years, they were recognized as the best gaming pair. But soon, some disagreements begin, as a result of which Shack leaves, and soon the coach leaves for him. But Kobe’s career continues and grows only upward, he progresses further, and at the age of 22 in his match against the Golden State he will have his first personal record - 51 points. Plus, its performance now reaches 30 points in one match.
Children
Almost two years after the wedding, the Bryant family had a significant event. On January 19, 2003, the first child was born. This is a girl who was called quite loudly - Natalia Diamant (in abbreviated form - just Natalia). In the same year, a small scandal erupted. Kobe was charged under the laws of the United States for raping a minor girl who was 19 years old. But soon all the charges were dropped. By the time the first child appeared, the basketball player was able to establish communication with his parents. After another 3 years, the family has a second child, also a girl named Gianna Maria Honore. She was born on May 1, 2006.
Our days
Kobe Bryant, whose biography is truly magnificent, continues to set records. The brilliant career of the great basketball player continues, and Kobe with his 8th number on the Los Angeles Lakers T-shirt will bring even more pleasure to all his fans and fans of the beautiful game. Some consider him the heir to the basketball throne of Michael Jordan, and the audience will say the wow “Wow!” Many more times. with every skid that has become his signature card.
At the moment, it is worth noting the fact that LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, according to the official version of Forbes magazine, are the highest paid basketball players, occupying the first two lines in this rating. A basketball player constantly sets new records and participates in almost all star matches exclusively in the starting fives. This confirms his status as a true basketball star of all time.