O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant. The following day, Bryant declined a proposal to signal with the Los Angeles Clippers and re-signed with the Lakers on a seven-year contract. The announcement drew a strong response, notably from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. "With 17 NBA All-Star alternatives, an NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals and a relentless work ethic, Kobe Bryant is likely one of the biggest gamers in the historical past of our game," Silver mentioned in a press release. "Whether competing within the finals or hoisting jump pictures after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an unconditional love for the sport." Former pro basketball player Kobe Bryant gained 5 NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers while establishing himself as one of many sport's all-time greats.

Kobe had been my basketball idol more than half of my life. So seeing him within the flesh was a fairly cool second for me. So I’m shooting round and there’s still about 45 minutes till tip.

Brown is in Summer League with the Los Angeles Clippers. Bufkin is getting into his rookie year with the Atlanta Hawks. Both have been named for Bryant, who — for now — is the only participant named Kobe to make it to the NBA.

The newest version of the basketball online game could have a Kobe Bryant Edition and a Black Mamba Edition, each of which will be available for preorder on Friday ahead of a Sept. eight release. On November 29, 2015, Bryant announced viaThe Players' Tribunethat he can be retiring at the end of the season. On April 13, 2011, the NBA fined Bryant $100,000 for guiding a homosexual slur at referee Bennie Adams in frustration in the day past's recreation. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation praised the NBA's choice to fantastic Bryant, and the Human Rights Campaign mentioned that Bryant's language was a "shame" and "distasteful". Bryant stated that he was open to discussing the matter with gay rights groups and wanted to attraction his fantastic. Bryant and different Lakers appeared in a Lakers public service announcement denouncing his behavior.

In addition, he was additionally voted to start in the NBA All-Star Game for the third year in a row . Bryant earned national recognition during a spectacular highschool profession at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, located in the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion. However, after excessive schooler Kevin Garnett went within the first round of the 1995 NBA draft, Bryant also began considering going on to the professionals. Kobe Bryant was a basketball prodigy whose physical gifts were off the chart, but it was his mental mind-set that elevated his sport to otherworldly heights.

Kobe Bryant is congratulated by teammates after passing Michael Jordan on the NBA’s all-time scoring listing throughout a sport against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 14, 2014. Kobe Bryant walks off the court docket with his wife, Vanessa, and daughter Natalia after scoring a career-high 81 points in a Lakers win over the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center on Jan. 22, 2006. Despite Jason Kidd’s hand in his face, Kobe Bryant places up the successful shot in the Lakers’ victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals at Staples Arena. Kobe Bryant drives previous Chris Webber in Game four of the first round of the 2000 Western Conference playoffs at Arco Arena in Sacramento.

In 2003, Bryant was charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old girl in Colorado. While Bryant didn't point out the case directly, he did spend a great deal of time in the documentary talking about how close his family came to breaking apart. In his 2015 auto-documentary "Muse," Bryant revealed that he created The Black Mamba to cope with the struggles he was going via off the courtroom in 2003 and 2004. After the courtroom case, Bryant says he wanted to arrange his life and for "Kobe" to deal with his "private challenges." Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox.

The Lakers finished the season at 45-37, good for seventh in the West. Playing with out Bryant, the Lakers had been swept in four video games by the San Antonio Spurs. Kobe, whereas human and subsequently flawed, was an anomaly of types, breaking stereotypes and crossing borders.