Biography: Kobe Bryant ~ Paradise

Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school basketball player in the country. He decided to declare his eligibility for the NBA Draft upon graduation, and was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest.

Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. A heated feud between the duo and a loss in the 2004 NBA Finals led to O'Neal's departure following the 2003–04 season. In 2003, Bryant was accused of sexual assault after having sex with a hotel employee in Edwards, Colorado. In September 2004, prosecutors dropped the case after his accuser refused to testify,and Bryant had to rebuild his image while becoming the cornerstone of the Lakers. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, setting numerous scoring records in the process. In 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second most points scored in a single game in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point performance. In the 2007–08 season, he was awarded the regular season's Most Valuable Player Award (MVP). After losing in the 2008 NBA Finals, Bryant led the Lakers to two consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010 and was named NBA Finals MVP on both occasions.

As of March 2011, Bryant ranks fourth and sixth on the league's all-time post-season scoring and all-time regular season scoring lists, respectively. He is also the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history. Since his second year in the league, Bryant has started in every NBA All-Star Game that has been held with thirteen All-Star appearances, winning the All-Star MVP Award four times (2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011). He is a twelve-time member of the All-NBA team and ten-time All-Defensive team, and is the youngest player ever to receive defensive honors. At the 2008 Olympics, he won a gold medal as a member of the USA national team. In 2009, Sporting News and TNT named Bryant the NBA player of the 2000s decade.

Kobe Bryant was born with basketball already in his blood. His dad was former NBA star Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, who played for the 76ers, Clippers and Rockets. When Kobe was six years old, Joe started playing basketball in Europe, so the Bryant family moved to Italy. The family stayed there for seven years. While living in Italy, Kobe learned to speak fluent Italian and started playing basketball.

The Bryant family moved back to the United States when Kobe was 13 and he started playing high school basketball in Philadelphia. Kobe was now 6'6" and a star on the court. Kobe could even school his dad in one-on-one games. In Kobe's senior year of high school, he led his school to the Pennsylvania State Championship and was named the Naismith Player of the Year.

NBA Superstar

Kobe figured he was already good enough to play in the NBA, so he skipped college and was drafted right after high school by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft. In a trade the Hornets are still crying about, they sent Kobe to the LA Lakers for center Vlade Divac. Despite not going to college, Kobe was a quick learner on the courts of the NBA. He played in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in 1998 and by 2000, Kobe had developed into one of basketball's best players. Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal teamed up to lead the LA Lakers to three straight NBA Championship Titles from 2000 to 2002.

Court Case

In 2003, Kobe was arrested and charged with sexual assault after an encounter with a woman at a Colorado ski resort. In August, 2004, the charges and the court case against Kobe were dropped, but Kobe has still had to live with a damaged reputation and a mighty PO'd wife - Kobe admitted to an affair with his accuser but said it was consensual.

Kobe Without Shaq

In 2004, Kobe had to prove that he could lead the Lakers without Shaquille O'Neal. After Kobe told the Lakers he wouldn't be wearing the purple and gold if Shaq was in town, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat before the 2004-2005 season. The trade was good news for the Heat, who won the NBA championship with O'Neal. In the next few years, Kobe grew frustrated as his team repeatedly suffered first round exits in the playoffs. The 2007-'08 season is when the Lakers finally got over the hump. They acquired Pao Gasol via trade and went on to have the best record in the Western Conference. Kobe also won his first MVP award that year.

Did U Know?

Kobe Bryant is 6'6" tall and weighs 220 pounds.
Kobe Bryant is nicknamed the Black Mamba after the deadly snake.
Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa are proud parents of two daughters, Natalia and Giana Marie-Onure.
Kobe Bryant took R&B singer Brandy to his high school prom.
Kobe Bryant made a rap album in 2000.
Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a game on January 22, 2005 - the 2nd most points scored in a game in NBA history!
Kobe Bryant is a 10-time NBA All Star.
Kobe Bryant won the 1997 Slam Dunk Championship.

Kobe Says ...

"What I'm doing right now, I'm chasing perfection."

Paradise