Kobe Bryant was the top basketball player in America in high school. He became the youngest player in NBA history when he was drafted into the league. He soon led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships. He won two more titles in 2009 and 2010, earning the Finals MVP Award both times.
Over his career, Bryant was named to the All-Star team eighteen times. His four All-Star MVP Awards are tied with Bob Pettit for the most in league history. He also won gold medals in 2008 and 2012 as a member of the US Olympic basketball team.
Bryant was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2008 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
On January 26, he died alongside his thirteen-year-old daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash. They were on their way to a basketball game. Three other passengers were on board, including another player and parent. All were killed.
Kobe Bryant was forty-one years old.
Basketball and an Academy Award
LeBron James, the player considered by many to be the greatest in the NBA today, passed Bryant on Saturday for third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. James inscribed his sneakers with references to Bryant before the game and told reporters, “I’m happy just to be in any conversation with Kobe Bean Bryant. One of the all-time greatest basketball players to ever play.”
While Bryant was a superstar on the court, he experienced controversy off it. He was accused of sexual assault in 2003; the criminal case was dropped the next year, but Bryant still issued an apology. He stated that he considered the encounter to be consensual but admitted that the woman “did not and does not view this incident the same way I did.”
After retirement, Bryant won an Academy Award in 2018 for the animated short film, “Dear Basketball.” He also created a children’s book series inspired by his love for Harry Potter; it became a New York Times…
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