Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a National Basketball Association player for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is also the son of NBA player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant. Bryant spent much of his childhood in Italy, where his father played professional basketball, and speaks fluent Italian. Bryant entered the NBA at the age of eighteen after a spectacular high school career in the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion. He was originally selected by the Charlotte Hornets, but never played for the team. Within weeks of being drafted, the Hornets traded him on July 11, 1996 to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Vlade Divac. Though young and somewhat introverted, Bryant's immense talent made an immediate impression with his teammates on the practice court. He married Vanessa Laine on April 18, 2001 in Dana Point, California and their daughter Natalia was born on January 19, 2003. His parents initially disapproved of the marriage, but have since reconciled with Bryant. Bryant's career trajectory as an NBA player out of high school has been exceptional. By the age of 24, Bryant had won many individual awards, and had been named to the All-NBA team multiple times. He is regarded as one of the best players in the NBA. Bryant helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The Lakers also ventured to the 2004 Finals against the Detroit Pistons, but lost four games to one. Following the loss to the Pistons, Bryant opted out of his contract to tested the free agent market. After flirting with the idea of joining several teams, he signed a new seven-year deal with the Lakers worth over $136 million on July 15, 2004. Bryant's youth, style, good looks, and accomplishments on the basketball court made him one of the most popular and marketable players in the history of the NBA. Much of his marketability was lost, however, as the result of rape allegations stemming from his June 2003 encounter with a woman in a Colorado hotel room.
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