Discover the career path of Kobe Bryant, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Kobe Bryant, a celebrated American professional basketball player, dedicated his 20-year NBA career to the Los Angeles Lakers. Renowned as one of basketball's greatest and most influential figures, he secured five NBA championships, earned 18 All-Star selections, and consistently featured in the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams. Bryant was honored as the 2008 NBA MVP and twice received the NBA Finals MVP award. His scoring prowess places him fourth in both regular season and postseason league history. Posthumously, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, solidifying his legacy.
In January 2006, Kobe Bryant became the first player since 1964 to score 45 points or more in four consecutive games.
Kobe Bryant was joined by teammates O'Neal, Van Exel, and Jones, making it the first time since 1983 that four players on the same team were selected to play in the same All-Star Game.
On July 9, 1996, Kobe Bryant was officially traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In 1996, Kobe Bryant debuted in the Summer Pro League and played his rookie season with the Lakers.
In 1996, prior to the start of the 1996–97 season, Kobe Bryant signed a six-year contract with Adidas worth approximately $48 million.
In 1997, Kobe Bryant appeared on an episode of Hang Time, marking another guest appearance in his early acting career.
In 1997, Kobe Bryant performed at a concert by Sway & King Tech and recorded a verse for a remix of Brian McKnight's "Hold Me."
In 1997, Kobe Bryant won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest and was its youngest winner.
In 1998, Kobe Bryant made a guest appearance on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That, showcasing his versatility beyond basketball.
The 1998-99 season marked Kobe Bryant's emergence as a premier guard in the league.
From 1999-00 to 2008-09, Kobe Bryant started accumulating 21,065 points in regular season play.
In 1999, Kobe Bryant appeared on a remix of "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child on the Maxi single version of the song.
In 1999, Phil Jackson became the coach of the Lakers, improving Bryant's fortunes.
Kobe Bryant was voted to start in the NBA All-Star Game for the third year in a row in the 2000-01 season. There was no All-Star game in 1999.
In January 2000, Kobe Bryant's first single, "K.O.B.E'," featuring Tyra Banks, debuted and was performed at NBA All-Star Weekend.
In 2000, Bryant and O'Neal led the Lakers to win 67 games, O'Neal won MVP, and Bryant was named to the All-NBA Second Team and All-NBA Defensive Team. They also won the 2000 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, marking their first championship since 1988.
In the 2000-01 season, Bryant led the Lakers in assists with five per game, although the team won 56 games, which was an 11-game drop from the previous year.
In 2001, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal won the second of three consecutive NBA championships with the Lakers.
In the 2001-02 season, Bryant played 80 games for the first time in his career and averaged 25.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game, while shooting a career-high 46.9%.
On January 14, 2002, Kobe Bryant scored a career-high 56 points against the Memphis Grizzlies.
In 2002, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal won the third of three consecutive NBA championships with the Lakers.
In the 2002 NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets, Kobe Bryant averaged 26.8 points and became the youngest player to win three championships at age 23, cementing his reputation as a "clutch player."
In the first game of the 2002-03 season, Bryant recorded 27 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and four steals in an 87–82 loss to the visiting Spurs.
On January 7, 2003, Kobe Bryant set an NBA record for three-pointers in a game, making 12 against the Seattle SuperSonics.
In 2003, Kobe Bryant averaged less than 20 shots a game, his fewest since the 2003–04 season.
In 2003, Kobe Bryant was the leading vote-getter at the All-Star game.
In 2003-04 Kobe Bryant's contract extension ended.
In 2004, the Lakers, despite having a strong lineup, were upset by the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant averaged 22.6 points in the series. Following this, Bryant declined an offer from the Clippers and re-signed with the Lakers for a seven-year contract.
On December 20, 2005, Kobe Bryant scored 62 points in three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks, outscoring the entire Mavericks team 62–61.
By the end of the 2005–06 season, Bryant set Lakers single-season franchise records for most 40-point games (27) and most points scored (2,832). He won the league's scoring title for the first time by averaging 35.4 points per game.
On January 22, 2006, Kobe Bryant scored a career-high 81 points in a single NBA game.
In 2006, Kobe Bryant had an 81-point performance against Toronto, which was the second-highest in NBA history.
In 2006, Kobe Bryant's jersey became the top-selling NBA jersey in the United States and China, attributed to his new number and performance.
On December 23, 2007, Kobe Bryant became the youngest player at 29 years and 122 days old to reach 20,000 career points in a game against the New York Knicks.
During the 2007-08 NBA season, Kobe Bryant was filmed for Spike Lee's documentary Kobe Doin' Work, released in 2009.
In 2007, the Lakers finished the regular season with a 57–25 record, finishing first in the Western Conference and setting up themselves for a first-round contest against the Nuggets.
In the 2007 NBA playoffs, the Lakers were eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns, 4–1.
On May 6, 2008, Kobe Bryant was officially announced as the NBA's league MVP, marking a significant milestone in his career.
On May 8, 2008, Kobe Bryant was unanimously selected to the All-NBA First Team for the third straight season and sixth time in his career. He also headlined the NBA All-Defensive First Team.
On June 23, 2008, Kobe Bryant was named to the USA Men's Senior National Team for the 2008 Summer Olympics, marking his first time participating in the Olympics.
On August 24, 2008, Kobe Bryant scored 20 points in the gold medal game, helping Team USA defeat Spain 118–107 to secure their first gold medal in a worldwide competition since the 2000 Olympics.
In 2008, ESPN ranked Kobe Bryant the second-greatest shooting guard of all time after Michael Jordan.
In 2008, Kobe Bryant donated the uniform he wore in the NBA Finals to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, marking his MVP year.
In 2008, Kobe Bryant lead the Lakers to a rematch against the 2008 Champion Boston Celtics.
In 2008, Kobe Bryant was voted the league MVP and led his team to the NBA Finals. He also won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics.
In 2008, the Lakers earned their second straight trip to the NBA Finals.
On January 21, 2009, Kobe Bryant recorded his first triple-double.
On February 2, 2009, Kobe Bryant scored 61 points in a game against the Knicks, setting a record for the most points scored at Madison Square Garden.
On December 4, 2009, Kobe Bryant made a buzzer-beating, one-legged three-pointer over Dwyane Wade, leading to the Lakers' victory over the Miami Heat.
In 2009, Kobe Bryant was the subject of Spike Lee's documentary film Kobe Doin' Work, which chronicled Bryant during the 2007–08 NBA season.
On April 2, 2010, Kobe Bryant signed a three-year contract extension worth $87 million with the Lakers.
On November 4, 2010, Kobe Bryant, alongside Zach Braff, presented a $1 million check to the Call of Duty Endowment at the Call of Duty: Black Ops launch event, supporting veterans transitioning to civilian careers.
In 2010, Kobe Bryant became the youngest player (31 years, 151 days) to reach 25,000 career points, surpassing Chamberlain.
In 2010, Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to another championship, winning the Finals MVP award again.
In 2010, the Lakers started the 2010–11 season by winning their first eight games.
On January 30, 2011, Kobe Bryant became the youngest player to score 27,000 points.
In 2011, Kobe Bryant was the leading vote-getter at the All-Star game.
On January 10, 2012, Kobe Bryant scored 48 points against the Phoenix Suns, which he noted was "Not bad for the seventh-best player in the league," referencing a preseason ESPN ranking.
On November 2, 2012, Kobe Bryant scored 40 points with two steals, surpassing Magic Johnson as the Lakers' career leader in steals with 1,724. However, the Lakers lost the game to the Clippers, starting the season 0-3 for the first time in 34 years.
During the 2012–13 season, Kobe Bryant began referring to himself as "vino" to describe how his play had been aging like a fine wine.
In 2012, Kobe Bryant rejoined the national team for the Summer Olympics, and after winning another gold medal, he decided to retire from the team, finishing his national team career with an undefeated record.
In 2012, Kobe Bryant was selected for the 10th consecutive season as the player NBA general managers would want to take a clutch shot with the game on the line, highlighting his reputation as a premier closer.
On March 30, 2013, Kobe Bryant surpassed Wilt Chamberlain to become the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history during a victory over the Sacramento Kings.
On April 10, 2013, Kobe Bryant became the first player in NBA history to record at least 47 points, eight rebounds, five assists, four blocks, and three steals in a single game.
In 2013, Kobe Bryant launched Granity Studios, a production company that developed various media projects, including films, television shows, and novels.
In 2013, Kobe Bryant was the leading vote-getter at the All-Star game.
In March 2014, Kobe Bryant made an initial investment in the Bodyarmor SuperDrink company for $6 million, acquiring a 10% stake.
On November 30, 2014, Kobe Bryant recorded his 20th career triple-double with 31 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds in an overtime victory against the Toronto Raptors. At 36, he became the oldest NBA player to achieve 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game.
On August 22, 2016, Kobe Bryant and Jeff Stibel launched Bryant-Stibel, a venture capital firm with $100 million in funding, focusing on media, data, gaming, and technology businesses.
In 2016, ESPN ranked Kobe Bryant the second-greatest shooting guard of all time after Michael Jordan.
In 2016, Kobe Bryant was the leading vote-getter at the All-Star game.
On December 18, 2017, the Los Angeles Lakers retired both numbers Kobe Bryant wore during his career, 8 and 24, marking a unique honor in NBA history.
In August 2018, The Coca-Cola Company purchased a minority stake in Bodyarmor, causing the valuation of Kobe Bryant's stake to rise to approximately $200 million.
On October 23, 2018, Kobe Bryant's book "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play" was published, featuring photos and reflections on his career.
Beginning in 2018, Kobe Bryant wrote, produced, and hosted the television series Detail, which aired on ESPN and ESPN+.
In 2018, Kobe Bryant and Sports Academy launched Mamba Sports Academy, a joint athletic-training business venture with locations in Thousand Oaks and Redondo Beach, California.
In 2019, Kobe Bryant appeared on MTV's Ridiculousness, expanding his presence in television.
In April 2020, Kobe Bryant was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
In October 2021, Kobe Bryant was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
In 2022, The Athletic ranked Kobe Bryant as the 10th-greatest player in NBA history and the second-highest shooting guard on the list, behind only Jordan.
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