After ending 50–32 within the common season, the Lakers floundered in the playoffs and lost in the Western Conference semi-finals in six video games to the eventual NBA champions San Antonio Spurs. The son of former NBA participant Joe Bryant, he was born in Philadelphia and partly raised in Italy. As a rookie, Bryant earned a reputation as a high-flyer by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, and was named an All-Star by his second season. In the 1996 Western Conference Semifinals with the sport on the road, Bryant shot four airballs to the chagrin of his teammates and Laker fans.

Bryant completed the year with a total of ten 50-plus point games, surpassed only by Chamberlain. In the 2007 NBA playoffs, the Lakers have been once once more eradicated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns, 4–1. The 2005–06 season marked a crossroads in Bryant's basketball profession. Despite previous variations with Bryant, Jackson returned to coach the Lakers.

"We are right here to rejoice greatness for 20 years," Johnson stated. "Excellence for 20 years. Kobe Bryant has never cheated the sport, never cheated us because the fans. He has played by way of damage, he has played hurt. And we've 5 championship banners to point out for it." I really began thinking critically about investments toward the end of my basketball profession.

Among his philanthropic endeavors, the basketball great partnered with the non-profit After-School All-Stars as part of the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation. He additionally ran an annual summer season camp called the Kobe Basketball Academy. In July 2003, Bryant was charged with one count of sexual assault on a 19-year-old female lodge employee in Colorado. Bryant said he was guilty of adultery however harmless of the rape cost. The case in opposition to Bryant was dismissed in 2004, and he settled the civil lawsuit filed by the hotel worker towards him out of courtroom. Investing has turn into a real ardour for me and building companies is what I love.

It is difficult to reconcile the occasions of Colorado in 2003 with the version of Kobe Bryant who 15 years later turned an ambassador for women’s basketball and someone often recognized as a #GirlDad. His legacy is layered and sophisticated, and the origins of the Mamba Mentality got here from a really dark place. Within that mindset, nonetheless, was an strategy to recovering from harm that has had an enduring impact on many athletes. But somewhat than succumb to the fears that the injury can be an excessive quantity of to return from at age 34, Bryant returned for three extra seasons.

Bryant also became the youngest participant to succeed in 25,000 points in his profession through the season, surpassing Chamberlain. He continued his dominant clutch performs making yet one more game-winning three-pointer against the Sacramento Kings, and what could be the game-winning area goal against the Boston Celtics. The following day, he surpassed West to turn into the all-time main scorer in Lakers franchise history. After being sidelined for 5 games by an ankle harm, Bryant made his return and made one other clutch three-pointer to give the Lakers a one-point lead with 4 seconds remaining in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies. Two weeks later, he made his sixth game-winning shot of the season, towards the Toronto Raptors. On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored a career-high eighty one points in a 122–104 victory in opposition to the Toronto Raptors.

Although later seasons have been marred by injuries, he surpassed Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA all-time scoring record in December 2014 and retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points in his ultimate sport. In 2018, Bryant earned an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Dear Basketball. On January 26, 2020, he was in a helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gigi and 7 others. As of June 2012, Bryant ranks third and fifth on the league's all-time post-season scoring and all-time regular season scoring lists, respectively. He is also the all-time main scorer in Lakers franchise history. Since his second 12 months within the league, Bryant has been selected to start out each NBA All-Star Game that has been held within the final fourteen years.

But Douglas-Roberts made an impression on Lakers assistant coach Steve Clifford, who went on to be the top coach in Charlotte. He also caught the eye of his temporary teammate Bryant, who appreciated Douglas-Roberts' tenacity and willpower to improve—and openly provided secrets to success. Bryant has won the post-Shaq title he needed in '09, and now it is a yr later and Bryant hopes to redeem the Lakers' '08 loss to Boston within the Finals and beat the Celtics in the '10 championship sequence. And with that gesture, the photo of Bryant and Leslie turns into a true portrait of him, not just one other snapshot of him in a profitable second.