Fast Break NBA News: PLAYER OF THE DAY "Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American shooting guard who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career and made instant headlines when he decided to go directly into the NBA upon graduation. He was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant and then-teammate Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. After O'Neal's departure following the 2003–04 season, Bryant became the cornerstone of the Lakers franchise. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. In 2006, Bryant scored a career high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second highest number of points scored in a single game in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point performance.
Bryant was awarded the regular season's Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in the 2007–08 season and led his team to the 2008 NBA Finals as the first seed in the Western Conference. He won his fourth NBA championship in 2009, leading the Lakers to their fifteenth title. He also won his first Finals MVP award. In 2008, he won a gold medal as a member of the 2008 Summer Olympics U.S. Men's Basketball Team, occasionally referred to as "The Redeem Team," a play on the name of the first Olympic team that featured NBA players, the Dream Team. Since his second year in the league, Bryant has started in every NBA All-Star Game that has been hosted, winning the All-Star MVP award in 2002, 2007, and 2009. In 2009 Bryant had the top-selling jersey in the United States, Europe, and China. Although known by several names throughout his career, Bryant's current nickname is Black Mamba. After having been represented by Arn Tellem, Bryant is now represented by Rob Pelinka. In 2010, Bryant became the all-time leading scorer in Lakers history.
In 2003, Bryant made headlines when he was accused of sexual assault at a hotel in Edwards, Colorado by a hotel employee. Bryant admitted an adulterous sexual encounter with the accuser, but denied the sexual assault allegation. In September 2004, prosecutors dropped the case after his accuser informed them that she was unwilling to testify. Bryant's accuser brought a separate civil suit against him that was ultimately settled out of court.

Childhood and youth

Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the youngest of three children and the only son of former Philadelphia 76ers player and former Los Angeles Sparks head coach Joe "Jellybean" Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. He is also the maternal nephew of John "Chubby" Cox. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu. When Bryant was six, his father left the NBA and moved his family to Italy to begin playing professional basketball. Bryant became accustomed to his new lifestyle and learned to speak Italian and Spanish fluently. During summers, Bryant would come back to the United States to play in a basketball summer league. He started playing basketball when he was 3 years old, and at an early age he learned to play soccer; his favorite team was AC Milan. He has said that if he had stayed in Italy, he would have tried to become a professional soccer player; Bryant is a big fan of former FC Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard and their former player Ronaldinho. Upon Joe Bryant's retirement from playing basketball in 1991, the Bryant family moved back to the United States.

High school

Bryant earned national recognition during a spectacular high school career at Lower Merion High School located in the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion. His father coached him his sophomore (second) year of high school. At Adidas ABCD camp, Bryant earned the 1995 senior MVP award, while playing alongside future NBA teammate Lamar Odom. While in high school, then 76ers coach John Lucas invited Bryant to work out and scrimmage with the team, where he played one-on-one with Jerry Stackhouse. In his senior year of high school, Bryant led the Aces to their first state championship in 53 years. During the run, he averaged 30.8 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4.0 steals, and 3.8 blocked shots in leading the Aces to a 31–3 record. He ended his career as Southeastern Pennsylvania's all-time leading scorer at 2,883 points, surpassing both Wilt Chamberlain and Lionel Simmons. Bryant received several awards for his performance his senior year including being named Naismith High School Player of the Year, Gatorade Men's National Basketball Player of the Year, a McDonald's All-American, and a USA Today All-USA First Team player. Bryant's varsity coach, Greg Downer, commented that Bryant was "a complete player who dominates". In 1996, Bryant took R&B singer Brandy Norwood to his senior prom, though the two were/are just friends. His SAT score of 101 would have ensured his basketball scholarship to various top-tier colleges. Ultimately, however, the 17-year-old Bryant made the decision to go directly into the NBA. Bryant's news was met with a lot of publicity at a time when prep-to-pro NBA players was not very common (Kevin Garnett being the only exception in 20 years). Bryant has stated that had he decided to go to college after high school, he would have attended Duke University.

Player profile

Bryant is a shooting guard who is capable of playing the small forward position. He is considered one of the most complete players in the NBA has been selected to every All-NBA Team since 1999, and has been featured in the last twelve NBA All-Star games. Sports writers and sports casters have frequently compared Bryant to Michael Jordan, a comparison he does not like being made. In 2007, an ESPN poll of sportswriters voted him as the second best shooting guard in NBA history behind Jordan. He is a prolific scorer, averaging 25.3 points per game for his career, along with 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.5 steals (as of the end of the 2009–2010 regular season). He is known for his ability to create shots for himself. He shares the single-game NBA record for three pointers made with twelve. Bryant is often cited as one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA, though his 45.5% career field goal average is considered moderate. He utilizes his speed and athletic ability to elude defenders to finish at the basket. Aside from this, he is also a standout defender, having made the All-Defensive first or second team nine of the last ten seasons. Both TNT and Sporting News named Bryant the NBA Player of the Decade for 2000-09.

Kobe Bryant
Personal information

No. 24 Los Angeles Lakers
Shooting guard
Date of birth: August 23, 1978 (1978-08-23) (age 31)
Place of birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nationality: American
High school: Lower Merion HS, Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Listed height: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight: 205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft: 1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 13
Selected by the Charlotte Hornets
Pro career: 1996–present
League: NBA
Career history
Los Angeles Lakers (1996–present)
Career highlights and awards
4× NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009) NBA Finals MVP (2009) NBA Most Valuable Player (2008) 12× NBA All-Star (1998, 2000–2010) 2× NBA scoring champion (2006–2007) 7× All-NBA First Team (2002–2004, 2006–2009) 2× All-NBA Second Team (2000–2001) 2× All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2005) 7× All-Defensive First Team (2000, 2003–2004, 2006–2009) 2× All-Defensive Second Team (2001–2002) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1997) 3× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009) NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner (1997) Naismith Prep Player of the Year (1996)