About Me
found this sports layout at HOT FreeLayouts.comEarly lifeKobe Bryant was born the only son of Joe and Pam Bryant. At the age of six, he, his two sisters and his parents moved to Italy, where his father began playing professional basketball. While living there, he gradually became accustomed to the lifestyle and subsequently learned to speak Italian fluently. In 1991, the Bryants moved back to the United States. After a spectacular high school career in the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion, at Lower Merion High School, Bryant achieved national recognition as a prodigious basketball talent. While his SAT score of 1080 would have ensured his basketball scholarship to various top-tier colleges, Bryant eventually scrapped his original plans of continuing on to college by making the leap from high school directly to the NBA, a bold but controversial decision made by the then 17-year-old, the first guard ever to bypass college basketball.MarriageIt was during this time that the 20-year-old Bryant first met 16-year-old Vanessa Laine on the set of a music video where Laine was working as a background dancer. The two began dating and were engaged six months later. They married on April 18, 2001 in Dana Point, California, while Laine was still a senior at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California. Bryant's parents initially were staunchly opposed to the marriage for a number of reasons, citing the couple's young age as their primary concern. This disagreement resulted in an estrangement period of over two years, during which Kobe Bryant did not have any contact with his parents. The Bryants' first child, daughter Natalia Diamante Bryant, was born on January 19, 2003. Soon after Natalia's birth, Kobe Bryant reconciled his differences with his parents, and the family was once again on good terms. Vanessa Bryant suffered a miscarriage due to an ectopic pregnancy in the spring of 2005. Their second daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, was born on May 1, 2006, and happened to be born within 6 minutes of Shaquille O'Neal's daughter, Me'arah Sanaa.Early NBA career
1996 DraftBryant'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. West stated that Bryant's workout was one of the best he had ever witnessed. After overseeing the arrival of Shaquille O'Neal to Los Angeles, West continued his quest to return the Lakers to championship status by trading then-starting center Vlade Divac to the Hornets for the 18-year old Bryant.Growing painsBryant 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. In his first season, he played limited minutes initially but this changed as Bryant received more playing time as the season continued. While Bryant was a promising young talent, his inexperience was soon exposed. With the Lakers facing elimination in a playoff game against the Utah Jazz, late in the game Bryant missed three crucial shots, all air balls. The Lakers lost the game and were eliminated. The failure was a humbling one for Bryant, but veteran Antoine Carr of the Jazz took time immediately after the game to seek out the young Bryant and offer words of encouragement. In Bryant's second season, he received more playing time and began showing more of his abilities as a talented young guard. However, he still came off the bench behind a more experienced guard in Eddie Jones. In a somewhat controversial trade, the Lakers traded Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell for veteran All-Star forward Glen Rice. The move was unpopular with Laker fans, who were particularly fond of Jones, and it also hurt the Lakers prospects for winning a title in the lockout season. However, it would put the pieces in place for the team's eventual championship run in the following season. This move had added significance in that it thrust Bryant into regular starting role in the NBA for the first time. While his statistics were impressive, he was still a young guard who lacked the experience to complement Shaquille O'Neal and significantly help the team win a championship.Championship yearsHowever, 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 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.End of the dynastyIn the 2002-03 NBA season, Bryant had by far his best season, statistically. He averaged 30 points per game and embarked on a historic scoring run, posting 40 or more points per game in nine consecutive games while averaging 40.6 in the entire month of February. In addition, he averaged 6.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, all career highs. For the first time in his career Bryant was voted on to both--All-NBA and All-Defensive 1st teams. After finishing 50-32 in the regular season, however, the Lakers floundered in the playoffs and lost in the Western Conference Semifinals to the eventual NBA champion San Antonio Spurs in six games.Madison Avenue appealBryant's image and accomplishments on and off the basketball court made him one of basketball's most popular and marketable players. He became a spokesperson for major corporations such as McDonald's and Coca-Cola. For several years, he had an exclusive apparel and shoe deal with Adidas but is currently under a four-year, $45 million advertising contract with Nike.Work EthicMuch of Kobe Bryant's meteoric rise to NBA superstardom is attributed to his consummate work ethic. In each of his years in the league, Bryant showed improvement in all areas of his game, from offense to strength to defense. On the court he showed himself to be a very composed and competitive player with impressive concentration, able to deliver the toughest and in clutch shots at the times most needed. These attributes allowed him to perform greatly when rising to the level of a premier player in the NBA.
