Kobe Bryant's Net Worth (1978-2020) | Wealthy Gorilla

Net Worth:	$600 Million
Born:	August 23, 1978
Died:	January 26, 2020
Country of Origin:	United States of America
Source of Wealth:	Professional NBA Player
Last Updated:	Feb 6, 2026

Kobe Bryant was a former American professional NBA player and entrepreneur with an estimated net worth of $600 Million.

Bryant spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers and was considered one of the best NBA players of all time. He won multiple awards and trophies during his career and was one of the wealthiest athletes of all time.

It came as an enormous shock to the world when Kobe was pronounced dead after a tragic helicopter crash on the way to his daughter’s basketball game. His daughter and several others were also killed.

Quick Facts

• Earned $323.3 million during his NBA career
• Peak annual salary of $30.5 million in 2013
• Most valuable contract was a 7-year, $136.4 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers

Table of Contents

Toggle

• Early Life
• Basketball Career
• NBA Salary
• Estimated Net Worth
• Highlights

Early Life

Kobe was born on the 23rd of August, 1978, in Philadelphia.

Bryant has two older siblings, and his father, Joe, is also a former NBA player. He started playing basketball when he was just three years old, and his favorite team growing up was, you guessed it, the Lakers.

Bryant’s grandfather used to send him videos of NBA games in the NBA. Kobe would study these games religiously. After Bryant’s father retired from basketball, their family returned to the United States.

Kobe played for the varsity basketball team of Lower Merion High School in his freshman year and received recognition across the US for an incredible season. Bryant ended his high school career as Southeastern Pennsylvania’s all-time leading scorer at 2,883 points. He received several awards for his performance, including being named Naismith High School Player of the Year.

Basketball Career

In 1996, Bryant was selected as a draft pick by the Charlotte Hornets. However, a trade was negotiated, which resulted in Bryant signing a contract with the LA Lakers. Since he was only 17 then, his parents had to co-sign the contract.

Bryant retired an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and a 12-time All-Defensive team member. He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons and was the third-best all-time regular-season scoring player and fourth on the all-time postseason scoring list. He even holds the record for the highest number of seasons played with one team for an entire career.

NBA Salary

Year	Team	Salary
1996/97	Los Angeles Lakers	$1,015,000
1997/98	Los Angeles Lakers	$1,167,240
1998/99	Los Angeles Lakers	$1,319,000
1999/00	Los Angeles Lakers	$9,000,000
2000/01	Los Angeles Lakers	$10,125,000
2001/02	Los Angeles Lakers	$11,250,000
2002/03	Los Angeles Lakers	$12,375,000
2003/04	Los Angeles Lakers	$13,500,000
2004/05	Los Angeles Lakers	$14,625,000
2005/06	Los Angeles Lakers	$15,946,875
2006/07	Los Angeles Lakers	$17,718,750
2007/08	Los Angeles Lakers	$19,490,625
2008/09	Los Angeles Lakers	$21,262,500
2009/10	Los Angeles Lakers	$23,034,375
2010/11	Los Angeles Lakers	$24,806,250
2011/12	Los Angeles Lakers	$25,244,493
2012/13	Los Angeles Lakers	$30,453,805
2013/14	Los Angeles Lakers	$30,453,805
2014/15	Los Angeles Lakers	$23,500,000
2015/16	Los Angeles Lakers	$25,000,000
Total Career Earnings:		$331,287,718

Kobe Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his NBA career. In 1996, his first season in the league earned him $1 million.

In 1999, he signed a 6-year rookie extension contract, initially worth $70.9 million. This increased his salary from $1.3 million the year before to $9 million. An early termination option was later exercised for the final year of the contract, effectively reducing the deal to a 5-year contract worth $56.2 million.

In 2004, Kobe signed a new deal with the Lakers, a 7-year contract worth an eye-watering $136.4 million. The contract lasted from his 26th birthday until his 32nd, earning him an average annual salary of $19.5 million.

Bryant signed two more contracts during his career, totaling five years and more than $130 million.

Estimated Net Worth

At his time of death, Kobe Bryant’s net worth was $600 Million.

Highlights

Here are some of the best highlights from Kobe Bryant’s career:

• NBA All-Rookie Team (1997)
• Sportsman of the Year, BET Awards (2002, 2003, 2008)
• NBA Most Valuable Player (2008)
• NBA All-Star (18 Time Winner)
• 5 Time NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010)
• ESPY Icon Award (2016)