Kobe Bryant was born on August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was raised. He graduated with the class of '96 at Lower Merion High School. He was drafted straight out of high school by the Charlotte Hornets and they traded him to the L.A. Lakers where he still plays today. Kobe met his wife, Vanessa, during the filming of one of his videos. They were married on April 18, 2001 and gave birth to a daughter on January 19, 2003. Kobe is regarded as one of the premier NBA players of this generation. He's won 3 NBA Titles, he's an 8-time NBA All-Star, the 2002 NBA All-Star Game MVP and has been selected to 6 All-Defensive Teams.Bryant's career trajectory as an NBA player out of high school has been nothing short of exceptional. Even before he was chosen as the 13th pick overall by the Hornets in 1996, Bryant had made a lasting impression on then-Lakers general manager Jerry West, who immediately foresaw the potential in Bryant's basketball talent during pre-draft workouts. After overseeing the arrival of Shaquille O'Neal to Los Angeles, West continued his quest to return the Lakers to championship status by trading center Vlade Divac to the Hornets for the 18-year old Bryant.Bryant was primarily labeled a work-in-progress by then-Laker coach Del Harris during his first two seasons with the Lakers, in which he played mostly off the bench under guards Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. However, Bryant's fortunes would soon change when Phil Jackson became coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. After years of steady improvement, Bryant had become one of the premier shooting guards in the league, a notion that was indicated by his annual presence in the league's All-NBA, All-Star, and All-Defensive teams. The Los Angeles Lakers became perennial championship contenders under Bryant and former teammate Shaquille O'Neal, who teamed up to form one of the deadliest center-guard combinations in NBA history. Their success gave the Lakers three consecutive NBA championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002.The 2003 season saw the end of the Lakers's run as a mini-dynasty, but also became the definitive season for Kobe Bryant. A superstar at only 24 years of age, Bryant averaged over 30 points per game and embarked on a historic scoring run, posting 40 or more points per game for nine consecutive games. In the following season, the Lakers ventured to the 2004 NBA Finals where they heavy favorites against the Eastern Conference Champion Detroit Pistons, but lost the series four games to one (The one game the Lakers did win, Game 2, was sent to Overtime on a last-second three-pointer by Bryant). Following the loss to the Pistons, Bryant opted out of his contract to test the free agent market. After flirting with the idea of joining several teams, including the Lakers' cross-town rivals the Los Angeles Clippers, he signed a new seven-year deal with the Lakers worth over US$136 million on July 15, 2004.Current season: 2005-2006
Currently, Bryant is the leading scorer of the 2005-2006 NBA season, averaging 36 points per game, the most since Michael Jordan averaged 37.1 points per game in 1987. He has done all this while helping the Lakers maintain their playoff berth in the Western Conference. Consequently, he is among those mentioned as possible candidates of the Most Valuable Player award.In late January 2006, Bryant offcially agreed to a three-year commitment to the USA Basketball team that, once qualified, will play in the 2008 Summer Olympics.On January 22, 2006, Bryant scored a career high and Los Angeles Lakers team record 81 points as the Lakers defeated the Toronto Raptors 122-104 at Los Angeles. The 81 points rank second all-time in points scored in a single game, behind the late Wilt Chamberlain's 100 on March 2, 1962, and broke Elgin Baylor's previous franchise record of 71. Bryant shot 28 of 46 from the field, including 7 of 13 from 3-point range, and made 18 of 20 free throws. He also recorded 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. The accomplishment made Bryant only the fifth player in NBA history to score 70 points in a game (the others being Chamberlain, who accomplished the feat six different times, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson), and only the second player to score 80.
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