Early Life and Education of Kobe Bryant: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Kobe Bryant. A timeline of key moments.

Kobe Bryant, a celebrated American professional basketball player, dedicated his entire 20-year career to the Los Angeles Lakers. A shooting guard renowned as one of basketball's greatest, he secured five NBA championships. Bryant's accolades include 18 All-Star selections, a 2008 NBA MVP award, and two NBA Finals MVP titles. He earned spots on 15 All-NBA Teams and 12 All-Defensive Teams, and he was a two-time scoring champion. Bryant holds the fourth position in all-time regular season and postseason scoring. In 2020, he was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Legacy & Impact

August 23, 1978: Kobe Bryant's Birth

On August 23, 1978, Kobe Bean Bryant was born. He would later become an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Others born on this day/year

1987: Father Played for Olimpia Basket Pistoia

In 1987, Kobe Bryant's father played for Olimpia Basket Pistoia, and Kobe worked at the games as a ball and mop boy and practiced shooting at halftime.

1989: Father Played for Olimpia Basket Pistoia

In 1989, Kobe Bryant's father played for Olimpia Basket Pistoia, and Kobe worked at the games as a ball and mop boy and practiced shooting at halftime.

1995: College Recruiters Attention

In 1995, During his junior year in High School, Kobe Bryant attracted attention from college recruiters.

May 1996: Brandy's Prom Date

In May 1996, Kobe Bryant attended Brandy's Hollywood High School senior prom as her date.

November 1999: Met Vanessa Laine

In November 1999, 21-year-old Bryant met 17-year-old Vanessa Laine while she was working as a background dancer on the Tha Eastsidaz music video "G'd Up."

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May 2000: Engaged to Vanessa Laine

In May 2000, Bryant became engaged to Vanessa Laine, six months after they met, while she was still a senior at Marina High School.

April 18, 2001: Married Vanessa Laine

On April 18, 2001, Bryant and Vanessa Laine were married at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, California, in a ceremony not attended by his parents or Laker teammates.

January 2002: Bought a house in Newport Coast

In January 2002, Bryant bought a Mediterranean-style house for $4 million, located on a cul-de-sac in Newport Coast, Newport Beach.

January 2003: Birth of first daughter Natalia

In January 2003, the Bryants' first daughter, Natalia, was born.

2003: Second-Most Watched Game in ESPN History

In 2003, The first ever head-to-head meeting between Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming was the only one with more viewers than Lakers game after the crash against the Trail Blazers

2005: Vanessa suffered a miscarriage

In the spring of 2005, Vanessa suffered a miscarriage due to an ectopic pregnancy.

May 2006: Birth of second daughter Gianna

In May 2006, the Bryants' second daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore (also referred to as "Gigi"), was born.

May 27, 2007: Trade Request and Reconsideration

On May 27, 2007, Kobe Bryant expressed a desire to be traded if Jerry West didn't return with full authority, then denied making the statement, and later publicly demanded a trade before reconsidering after a conversation with coach Jackson.

September 2008: Decision to Delay Finger Surgery

In September 2008, Kobe Bryant opted against undergoing surgery to repair his injured right pinkie finger.

2009: Revealed he grew up a New York Mets fan

During the 2009 National League Championship Series, Bryant revealed he grew up a fan of the New York Mets, wanting to be like Darryl Strawberry, and boasted that he still had a Ron Darling baseball card.

December 16, 2011: Vanessa filed for divorce

On December 16, 2011, Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, and the couple requested joint custody of their daughters.

2012: Started referring to himself as "vino"

During the 2012–13 season, Bryant began referring to himself as "vino" to describe how his play had been aging like a fine wine.

January 11, 2013: Called off their divorce

On January 11, 2013, Bryant and his wife announced via social media that they had called off their divorce.

2013: Legal disagreement with auction house

In 2013, Bryant had a legal disagreement with an auction house over memorabilia from his early years that his parents had put up for auction, eventually reaching a settlement to allow the sale of less than 10% of the items.

2013: Postponement of Lakers Game Due to Boston Marathon Bombing

In 2013, The NBA postponed the Lakers' game against the Clippers just two days after the accident on January 28, which was the first time an NBA game was postponed for any reason since the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing led to the postponement of a Celtics game.