Kobe Bryant

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Kobe Bryant, Vanessa Bryant, Gianna Bryant and Natalia Bryant 'A Wrinkle in Time' film premiere, Arrivals, Los Angeles, USA - 26 Feb 2018
Gianna Bryant sits on the shoulders of her father, Kobe Bryant, as they attend the women's soccer match between the United States and China, in San DiegoChina USA Women soccer, San Diego, USA
The retirement of the Los Angeles Lakers player, Kobe Bryant's #8 and #24 jerseys was held Monday December 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California during half time of the game between with the Golden State Warriors. Kobe Bryant with his family (L-R) Gianna Maria-Onore, wife, Vanessa Laine Bryant, Kobe Bryant holding Bianka Bella and Natalia Diamante. 18 Dec 2017 Pictured: The retirement of the Los Angeles Lakers player, Kobe Bryant's #8 and #24 jerseys was held Monday December 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California during half time of the game between with the Golden State Warriors. Kobe Bryant with his family (L-R) Gianna Maria-Onore, wife, Vanessa Laine Bryant, Kobe Bryant holding Bianka Bella and Natalia Diamante. Photo credit: ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA135063_001.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]
Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna who tragically died in a helicopter crash seen for the last time on Saturday at the Kobe's Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks. 25 Jan 2020 Pictured: Kobe Bryant and Gianna. Photo credit: RMG News/MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA594919_001.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency] View Gallery View Gallery 22 Photos.

Details

Also Known As:
Black Mamba, Vino, #24
Height:
6' 6"
Hometown:
Philadelphia

Bio:

Kobe Bryant (born Kobe Bean Bryant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 23, 1978) was an American professional basketball player. He began playing professionally right after high school and was picked up by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996. One week later, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he played for the rest of his career. He has won five NBA championships and is considered one of the most coveted players of this generation. At the age of 34, Kobe became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 30,000 career points. Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016. In 2018, he won an Oscar for Best Animated Short for his film Dear Basketball, based on the poem he wrote in 2015 before his retirement. That same year he also published a book The Mamba Mentality: How I Play, which took a look back on his decades-long career through photos and personal reflections. On January 26, 2020 Bryant and his 13-year-old Gianna passed away in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

Best Known For:

Kobe Bryant is best known for being one of the best basketball players of all time, and for being the cornerstone of the Lakers. Bryant was the official ambassador for After-School All-Stars (ASAS), an American non-profit organization that provides comprehensive after-school programs to children in thirteen US cities. He also started the Kobe Bryant China Fund which raised money within China earmarked for education and health programs.

Personal Life:

Kobe married Vanessa Bryant in 2001. They met when she was 17, and he was 21. They had four daughters, Natalia and Gianna, 13, Bianka, and Capri. Vanessa filed for divorce in 2011, which they called off in 2013. In 2003, Kobe was arrested for sexual harassment, but the charges were later dropped.