Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American All-Star shooting guard in the National Basketball Association who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is the only son of former Philadelphia 76ers player and current Los Angeles Sparks head coach Joe "Jellybean" Bryant.
He rose to national prominence when he became the first guard in league history to be drafted out of high school. Drawing comparisons to NBA legend Michael Jordan, he would go on to help the Lakers win three consecutive NBA championships, from 2000 to 2002.
