Since his second year within the league, Bryant has been selected to begin each NBA All-Star Game that has been held in the last fourteen years. He has received the All-Star MVP Award four instances , tying him for essentially the most All Star MVP Awards in NBA history. He is a 14-time member of the All-NBA staff and an 12-time member of the All-Defensive team; he is additionally the youngest player ever to obtain defensive honors. At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals as a member of the USA national team. In 2009, Sporting News and TNT named Bryant the highest NBA player of the 2000s . Tragedy struck the world of basketball and sport normally on 26 January 2020 when Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash in California on the age of 41.

He remained the league's highest-paid participant, although he accepted a reduced deal; he had been eligible to receive an extension starting at $32 million per year. Bryant resumed enjoying on December 8 after lacking the season's first 19 video games. On December 17, Bryant matched his season excessive of 21 points in a 96–92 win over Memphis, but he suffered a lateral tibial plateau fracture in his left knee that was anticipated to sideline him for six weeks. He had played six video games since returning from his Achilles harm, which included time at level guard after accidents to Nash, Steve Blake, and Jordan Farmar. Bryant was averaging 13.eight points, 6.3 assists, and four.3 rebounds.

Two days from right now, he’ll go 2 of 12 towards the Clippers as the Lakers fall 18 1/2; games out of first place in the Western Conference; two weeks after that, he’ll suffer a rotator-cuff harm that can finish his season utterly. This would be the most disheartening campaign of his 19-year career—he simply doesn’t comprehend it but. I mentally prepare myself for a justifiably surly, probably uncommunicative sociopath. Bryant scored thousands of points in the NBA, however some folks might be surprised by simply what quantity of factors he had and the place he stands in the ranking of top-scoring players.

Despite winning three championships together, Shaq and Kobe had been constantly at one another's throats, ripping one another both within the media and behind closed doorways. Following Kobe's rape accusations in the summertime of 2004, the Lakers went in the tank, sending their feud into overdrive and eventually main O'Neal to go away the team. Shaq adopted up with his infamous rap verse, "Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes." Kobe... Kobe Bryant was a well-recognized determine on campus to many UCI college students during his enjoying days.

Bryant led the group to tie the franchise document for most wins to start the season going 17–2, and by the middle of December they compiled a 21–3 report. He was chosen to his eleventh consecutive All-Star Game as a starter, and was named the Western Conference Player of the Month for December and January along with being named Western Conference Player of the week 3 times. In a recreation towards the Knicks on February 2, 2009, Bryant scored 61 factors, setting a record for essentially the most points scored at Madison Square Garden. During the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, Bryant tallied 27 factors, four assists, four rebounds, and 4 steals and was awarded All-Star Game co-MVP with former teammate O'Neal.

He put $6 million into sports activities drink firm Body Armor in trade for a 10% fairness stake within the company, in accordance toESPN. He also became a spokesperson for the brand and participated in recruiting different brand ambassadors. Bryant’s internet value on the time of his dying on Jan. 26, 2020 was about $600 million, in accordance with Forbes. Bryant is survived by his wife Vanessa, who is the executor of the Bryant property according toFox and ESPN, and his daughters Natalia, Bianka and Capri. “There’s no such thing as having a stability,” Prescott stated about his takeaway from the reading.

The Brooklyn rapper sat down with The Starting Five podcast on Saturday , where he fondly remembered the NBA great because the host talked about basketball trend in Hip Hop . HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content material. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com staff.

Jackson utilized the triangle offense he used to win six championships with the Chicago Bulls, which would assist both Bryant and O'Neal rise to the elite class of the NBA. The three ensuing championships won consecutively in 2000, 2001, and 2002 additional proved such a fact. Bryant is the all-time leading scorer in Lakers franchise history.