Kobe Bryant | Biography, Stats, & Facts - Encyclopedia Britannica

Later accomplishments and injuries

Bryant led the league in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. In one notable performance, on January 22, 2006, he scored 81 points in a single game, the second highest individual total after Chamberlain’s famous 100-point game in 1962. (Bryant’s mark was later passed by Bam Adebayo, who scored 83 points in a game in 2026.) In 2008 Bryant was named the league’s MVP for the first time in his career. Bryant won his fourth NBA title in 2009, and he was named the finals MVP after averaging a stellar 32.4 points per game in the series. He led the Lakers to their third straight Western Conference championship in 2009–10, and he was once more named NBA finals MVP after the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in a seven-game series.

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The Lakers won division titles in each of the following seasons but were eliminated in the second round of each postseason. Entering the 2012–13 season, the Lakers added superstars Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to their lineup and were considered one of the preseason title favorites, but the disappointing team was barely on pace to qualify for the final Western Conference playoff spot when Bryant ruptured his Achilles tendon in April 2013, causing him to miss the rest of the season. (The Lakers were ultimately the eighth and final playoff seed that season and were swept in their first series.)

He returned to the court in December 2013 but played in just six games before fracturing his kneecap and missing the remainder of that season as well. Bryant returned for the beginning of the 2014–15 season before he was again injured, tearing his rotator cuff in January 2015. He played almost all of the following season but again struggled, with a career-low .358 shooting percentage while averaging 17.6 points per game, and he retired following the last regular-season game of the 2015–16 season.

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In addition to his professional accomplishments, Bryant was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. men’s basketball teams at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Quick Facts In full: Kobe Bean Bryant (Show more) Born: August 23, 1978, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. (Show more) Died: January 26, 2020, Calabasas, California (aged 41) (Show more) Awards And Honors: Olympic Games Basketball Hall of Fame (2020) Most Valuable Player (2008) 18x NBA All-Star selections 2x NBA scoring champion 5x NBA champion 15x All-NBA selections 12x All-Defensive selections 4x NBA All-Star Game MVP 2x NBA Finals MVP NBA Most Valuable Player (2007–08) selected for NBA All-Rookie team, 1996–97 (Show more) Notable Family Members: son of Joe Bryant son of Pamela Bryant married to Vanessa Laine Bryant (m. 2001) father of Natalia Diamante Bryant (b. 2003) father of Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant (b. 2006) father of Bianka Bella Bryant (b. 2016) father of Capri Kobe Bryant (b. 2019) brother of Sharia Bryant brother of Shaya Bryant (Show more) Education: Lower Merion High School (Ardmore, Pennsylvania) (Show more) Height: 6 ft 6 inches (198 cm) (Show more) Weight: 212 lb (96 kg) (Show more) Team: Los Angeles Lakers (Show more) Draft: Drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round (13th pick, 13th overall) of the 1996 NBA draft. (Show more) Trades: Traded by the Charlotte Hornets to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac on July 11, 1996. (Show more) Debut In Nba: November 3, 1996 (Show more) Position: small forward, shooting guard (Show more) Shoots: right-handed (Show more) Jersey Number: 24 (Los Angeles Lakers, 2007–2016) 8 (Los Angeles Lakers, 1997–2006) (Show more) Olympic Games Attended: Beijing 2008 London 2012 (Show more) Olympic Medals: gold in men's basketball (Beijing 2008) gold in men's basketball (London 2012) (Show more) Games Played: 1346 (Show more) Points Per Game: 25.0 (Show more) Rebounds Per Game: 5.2 (Show more) Assists Per Game: 4.7 (Show more) Field Goal Percentage: 44.7 (Show more) 3-Point Field Goal Percentage: 32.9 (Show more) Free Throw Percentage: 83.7 (Show more) Twitter Handle: @kobebryant (Show more) Instagram Username: kobebryant (Show more) Movies/Tv Shows (Acted In): "The 19th Annual Animation Show of Shows" (2017) "Daddy's Home" (2015) "Bette" (2000) "Moesha" (1996) (Show more) Movies/Tv Shows (Writing/Creator): "Dear Basketball" (short; 2017) "Detail" (2018–2019) (Show more) Published Works: "The Mamba Mentality: How I Play" (2018) (Show more) Albums: "K.O.B.E." (2000) (Show more) See all related content Show More