Kobe Bryant in his Los Angeles Lakers uniform — five-time NBA champion and 18-time All-Star
Photo: Sgt. Joseph A. Lee · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons
NBA · Hall of Fame

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant

5× NBA champion, 2× Finals MVP, 2008 NBA MVP. 81-point game (Jan 22, 2006).

Position
Shooting Guard
Size
6'6" · 212 lb
Born
Aug 23, 1978 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died
Jan 26, 2020
Drafted
1996 · pick 13
1,346
Games
25.0
Points Per Game
33,643 (4th all-time when retired)
Career Points
81 points (Jan 22, 2006)
Single Game High
5.2
Rebounds Per Game
4.7
Assists Per Game

Kobe Bryant spent all 20 of his NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships and the 2008 MVP. His 81-point game on January 22, 2006 trails only Wilt Chamberlain's 100 in NBA history. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 in a posthumous ceremony after he died in a helicopter crash with his daughter Gianna and seven others on January 26, 2020. Selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

Draft Night

Kobe Bryant drafted #13 overall by the Charlotte Hornets (1996 NBA Draft).

Career

1996-2016Los Angeles LakersDrafted 13th overall by Charlotte and traded to Los Angeles for Vlade Divac in a pre-arranged Jerry West deal. Spent 20 seasons — every one with the Lakers. Three-peat 2000-2002 alongside Shaquille O'Neal; back-to-back 2009-2010 alongside Pau Gasol. 81-point game vs Toronto on Jan 22, 2006 (2nd-most ever). 60 points in his final NBA game vs Utah on April 13, 2016.

Honors & Awards

5× NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010) 2× NBA Finals MVP (2009, 2010) 1× NBA MVP (2008) 18× NBA All-Star · 4× All-Star Game MVP 11× All-NBA First Team 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team 2× scoring champion Naismith Hall of Fame (2020) NBA 75th Anniversary Team

In-depth stories

Kobe Bryant High School: Lower Merion in Ardmore, PA
Kobe Bryant's high school was Lower Merion in Ardmore, PA. He led the Aces to the 1996 PIAA state title before jumping to the NBA.
Why Kobe Bryant Changed From #8 to #24
Kobe Bryant changed from #8 to #24 in 2006 to mark a chapter break — and the Lakers retired both numbers in 2017, a first in NBA history.

See also all Hall of Fame stories · all players · player stock market.

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