During the All-Star weekend, Bryant participated within the Rookie Challenge and won the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, turning into the youngest dunk champion at the age of 18. Bryant's performance throughout the year earned him a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team with fellow bench teammate Travis Knight. Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, the youngest of three youngsters and the only son of Pamela Cox Bryant and former NBA player Joe Bryant. He was also the maternal nephew of NBA player John "Chubby" Cox.

Thank you all in your love and help, it is a lot appreciated, even if the villain in me refuses to acknowledge it all the time. By the time Kobe got to the league and we had been in the NBA Finals that first time in L.A., I had reporters coming up to me asking, with a straight face, “Did Kobe really take it to you in a sport of one-on-one back in Italy? Teague then detailed his first encounter with McGrady, who confirmed up to follow with a sense of entitlement. That’s T-Mac within the Maybach with some big ass Gucci garments on,” Teague shared. Later in the apply, Teague felt disrespected by how McGrady scoffed at finding out Jeff was the Hawks’ start line guard. As a result, Teague claims he spent the the rest of the yr “talking shit” to his elder by reminding T-Mac that he wasn’t on the identical level as generational friends such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

Bryant stated he was guilty of adultery however harmless of the rape charge. The case against Bryant was dismissed in 2004, and he settled the civil lawsuit filed by the resort employee towards him out of court. Investing has turn into a real passion for me and building businesses is what I love. I are out there in each day and it’s dynamic, it’s different, and I’m learning. He spent a lot of his childhood in Italy the place his father performed professional basketball.

With Bryant back and playing over 38 minutes a recreation, he noticed a rise in all statistical categories in the 1999–2000 season. This included main the group in assists per recreation and steals per recreation. The duo of O'Neal and Bryant backed with a strong bench led to the Lakers winning sixty seven video games, tied for fifth-most in NBA history. This followed with O'Neal winning the MVP and Bryant being named to the All-NBA Team Second Team and All-NBA Defensive Team for the primary time in his profession . While playing second fiddle to O'Neal in the playoffs, Bryant had some clutch performances together with a 25-point, eleven rebound, 7 assist, four block recreation in game 7 of the Western Conference finals against the Portland Trail Blazers.

"He will try to learn a little bit about every participant he performs." Raised in Italy, Kobe Bryant was fluent in Italian, and likewise Spanish, and he'd make the most of the languages throughout press conferences and in conversing with different players, similar to Spain-born teammate Pau Gasol. Bryant also exercised his language skills to trash-talk opponents. He told France's NBA Extra that he labored on his French particularly to get within the head of Belgium-born Spurs star Tony Parker. As he put it, "I used to like enjoying the San Antonio Spurs and saying something in French, that I won't repeat right here, to Tony Parker." It's each athlete's dream to represent their country within the Olympics ...

All five folks on board, including Bryant himself and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, perished within the fiery crash. If it ever seemed like Kobe was talking perfectly fluent Italian, don't fret, you weren't having a stroke. In truth, Bryant discovered Italian throughout his childhood, as a outcome of he truly grew up in Italy. When he was simply 6-years-old, his dad signed on with an Italian basketball team and moved the family to Europe. While his contemporaries had been watching Care Bears on Saturday morning, Bryant spent his developmental years exploring the ancient fortress metropolis of Reiti.

The Lakers started the 2010–11 season by profitable their first eight video games. In his ninth sport of the season, playing towards the Denver Nuggets, Bryant grew to become the youngest participant in NBA history to succeed in 26,000 profession factors. Bryant additionally recorded his first triple double since January 21, 2009. On January 30 against the Celtics, he turned the youngest participant to attain 27,000 factors. On February 1, 2011, Bryant became certainly one of seven gamers with at least 25,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists. In Boston on February 10, Bryant scored 20 of his 23 factors within the second half as the Lakers rallied from an early 15-point deficit for a 92–86 win over the Celtics.

Despite Bryant's 27.9 points per recreation in the sequence, the Lakers broke down, and finally fell to the Suns in seven games. Bryant obtained criticism for less than taking three shots within the second half of the 121–90 Game 7 loss to Phoenix. In the 2006 off-season, Bryant had knee surgical procedure, preventing him from taking part within the 2006 FIBA World Championship tournament. Bryant's fortunes would quickly change when Phil Jackson became coach for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999. After years of steady enchancment, Bryant turned one of many premier capturing guards within the league, earning appearances in the league's All-NBA, All-Star, and All-Defensive groups. The Los Angeles Lakers became true championship contenders beneath Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, who formed a legendary center-guard mixture.