Bryant later married Laine, and they had four children.

No player in any major professional sport spent more time playing for a team in Los Angeles than Bryant. Bryant is tied for second in career All-Defensive selections, with 12, and tied for first with nine first team All-Defensive nods. Bryant’s 11 first team All-NBA selections rank him behind only LeBron, and tie him with Karl Malone.
"He's been a great inspiration for all of us.". Bryant is tied for first in career All-NBA selections, with 15—the same number as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, and LeBron James. Bryant played 20 seasons for the Lakers—the second-longest tenure in NBA history for a one-team player, trailing only Dirk Nowitzki’s 21 seasons in Dallas. Combining his regular and postseason totals, Bryant played 57,278 minutes and scored 39,283 points, both ranking fourth in history. The Lakers won 99-86 for their 15th title and first since 2002. "Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did,". By Jill Martin, Steve Almasy and John Sinnott CNN, Updated 1044 GMT (1844 HKT) January 27, 2020. 18,997: People in attendance at sold-out STAPLES Center for the final game of Bryant's career. In other words, if Bryant had retired after winning his fifth title in 2010, he would still be tied for the longest run in franchise history.

Then with 4.1 seconds remaining, Bryant left the game. NBA Privacy Center | Only LeBron has scored more career points in All-Star games. ", Bryant, whom Magic Johnson referred to in a pregame ceremony as the greatest Laker, finished his speech with "Mamba out" -- a reference to his nickname, "The Black Mamba". Bryant's youth basketball team poses for a picture in the early 1990s in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Bryant and filmmaker Glen Keane accept the 2018 Oscar for best animated short film. Though he missed plenty of shots due to his massive shooting volume, Bryant still took care of the ball. On the last night, he said, his teammates were telling him: "Don't pass it! With his team down by 10 and only 2:36 left, Bryant went on a one-man rampage that culminated with a 19-foot, lead-stealing jumper and two free throws to ice the victory in the final minute. Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, attend a news conference at the Staples Center in 2003. Bryant ranked third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list (33,643 points) when he retired. He recalled how it was his dream to play for the Lakers, his favorite team growing up.

Bryant had 30 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists as the Lakers completed a four-games-to-one victory in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. No other Laker has spent more than 14 seasons with the franchise. Bryant kisses his daughter Natalia during a 2008 photo session at his home in Newport Beach, California. 50: Shots taken by Bryant, the most in at least 33 years.
He didn’t rely on his patented post-ups, instead blowing by defenders and navigating the interior defense for layups.

But all eyes were locked on Bryant, playing his role to the very end, two decades after his career began, in front of the same fans he’d always entertained. The 20-year veteran admitted having nerves in the beginning, as he missed his first five shots, including one that failed to hit the rim. 18: Contested shots made by Bryant. WarnerMedia Privacy Center | But there are plenty more digits worthy of remembrance from the finale of No. "This season is all I have left to give," he wrote in, "And that's OK. Plus, Apple TV+ Is Making Moves. Do Not Sell My Personal Information | President Bush holds up a Lakers jersey that Bryant gave him at a ceremony for the 2001 NBA World Champions in the East Room of the White House in January 2002. Bryant scored 40-plus points in a game 122 times, third most in league history behind Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan. Bryant rides the Matterhorn Bobsleds with Jonathan Guerrero, 4, and his father, David Guerrero of Pomona, California, at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in 2009. Get complete game-by-game stats for small forward Kobe Bryant on ESPN. To mark the 20th anniversary of ‘Stankonia,’ we’re counting down the top songs in André 3000 and Big Boi’s shared catalog. 5.2 million: Estimated nationwide viewers who witnessed Bryant’s historic night …