His Lakers Legacy, Mamba Mentality, Family Life & Everything in Between: Kobe Bryant's Ups and Downs

People

January 27, 2020 at 12:50 PM

NBA Renames All-Star Game MVP Award After Kobe Bryant Following His Death

A standout athlete as a teen at Lower Merion High School, Bryant decided to enter the NBA straight out of 12th grade. He was the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, by the Charlotte Hornets, who traded his draft rights to the Los Angeles Lakers in a prior agreement.

Bryant and longtime teammate Shaquille O'Neal pose for a shot during the national anthem before a game back in the '90s.

The five-time NBA champion is seen celebrating his 2002 NBA finals win against the New Jersey Nets.

In 2003, Bryant pled not guilty to felony sexual assault <a href="https://people.com/celebrity/kobe-bryant-judge-upholds-rape-shield-law/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:after a 19-year-old employee of a Vail-area resort accused him of rape;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">after a 19-year-old employee of a Vail-area resort accused him of rape</a>, PEOPLE reported at the time. The woman claimed the then-Los Angeles Lakers player also blocked her from leaving his room and allegedly choked her. Criminal charges against the athlete were eventually dropped, and a civil case brought against Bryant was settled out of court. Bryant claimed the encounter was consensual and <span>apologized to the woman in a statement read in court</span>, saying in part, “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,” the<em> New York Times </em>reported.

Following a string of injury-plagued seasons, Bryant <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/dear-basketball" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:announced via a poem;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">announced via a poem</a> on The Players' Tribune on Nov. 29, 2015, that he was leaving the NBA after 20 seasons. "Dear Basketball," he wrote. "From the moment I started rolling my dad’s tube socks and shooting imaginary game-winning shots in the Great Western Forum I knew one thing was real: I fell in love with you." It continued: "But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer. This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye. And that’s OK. I’m ready to let you go."

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On Dec. 18, 2017, the Lakers retired Bryant's two numbers, 8 and 24 (he switched to 24, his high school number, in 2006). It was an emotional night for the star, who was honored by fellow players and his family. In his speech, he addressed his girls and their futures. “You guys know that if you do the work, you work hard enough, dreams come true. You know that, we all know that. But hopefully what you get from tonight is that those times when you get up early and you work hard; those times when you stay up late and you work hard; those times when don’t feel like working — you’re too tired, you don’t want to push yourself — but you do it anyway. That is actually the dream. That’s the dream. It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. And if you guys can understand that, what you’ll see happen is that you won’t accomplish your dreams, your dreams won’t come true, something greater will. And if you guys can understand that, then I’m doing my job as a father.”

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He held on to Gianna in 2018 during the Phillips 66 National Swimming Championships at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine, California.

Uses Retirement to Promote Girl's Basketball and Pass on Legacy

Kobe Bryant Dead: His Ups and Downs

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His Lakers Legacy, Mamba Mentality, Family Life & Everything in Between: Kobe Bryant's Ups and Downs

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