Kobe Bryant Mamba Mentality

Lore & Background

Bryant was born in Philadelphia, the son of NBA player Joe Bryant and his wife Pam. He spent part of his childhood in Italy. He played high school basketball at Lower Merion High School outside of Philadelphia, then declared for the 1996 NBA draft. He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick and traded to the Lakers. He led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002 with Shaquille O'Neal, and later to consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, winning NBA Finals MVP both times. He scored a career-high 81 points on January 22, 2006. He retired after the 2015–16 season. In 2017, the Lakers retired both his jersey numbers, 8 and 24. He won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Dear Basketball in 2018. He and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in January 2020.

Reader's Guide

Bryant's individual accolades include 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, and two-time scoring champion. He ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. He is the Lakers' all-time leading scorer and the NBA's first guard to play 20 seasons. His 18 All-Star designations are the third most ever, and his four NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards tied Bob Pettit's record. He was posthumously named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021 and was a two-time inductee to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, once in 2020 for his individual career, and in 2025 as part of the 2008 United States men's Olympic basketball team.

Did You Know?

• Bryant was named after the Kobe beef from Japan, which his father saw on a restaurant menu.
• He was fluent in English, Italian, and Spanish.
• He scored 81 points in a single game, the third most in NBA history.
• He is the only NBA player to have multiple jersey numbers retired by one franchise.