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Birth
Kobe Bryant was born on August 23, 1978 -
Where the name came from
Bryant was named after a type of beef that his parents saw on a restaurant menu. -
Like father like son
He was the son of former NBA player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant. -
The start
Kobe Bryant started playing basketball at the age of three -
Lakers
Kobe started playing for the lakers -
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Bryant was drafted into the NBA directly out of Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania in 1996. -
13th pick
He was the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft. -
first guard out of school
Kobe was the first guard to be drafted by the NBA out of high school. -
Marriage
Kobe married Vanessa Laine -
81 point game
Bryant scored 81 points in a single game against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006, which is the second-highest single-game scoring total in NBA history. -
MVP
Bryant was the NBA's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2008. -
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Gold medal
He was a two-time Olympic gold medalist, winning the medals with the United States men's basketball team in 2008 and 2012 -
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Retirement
He retired from basketball after the 2015-2016 season, finishing his career with 33,643 points, which is the fourth-highest total in NBA history. -
5 time champion
Bryant was a five-time NBA champion, winning titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2010. -
20 years for the Lakers
Kobe Bryant played his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. -
18 time all star
He was an 18-time NBA All-Star, which tied him for the most selections in NBA history. -
Best animated short film
Bryant was an Academy Award winner, earning the award for Best Animated Short Film for his production "Dear Basketball" in 2018. -
A sad story
Gianna Bryant, Kobe's second-oldest daughter, was a promising basketball player who also died in the helicopter crash that killed Kobe in 2020. -
The tragedy
He tragically died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California on January 26, 2020, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others.