6-6 , 205lb (198cm, 92kg) Born: May 28 , 2002 (Age: 21-053d) in Birmingham, Alabama us. Bryant, his daughter, and the other seven occupants were all killed on impact. To avoid media scrutiny, she finished high school through independent study. [316], Bryant declined to play in the 2000 Olympics because he was getting married in the off-season. [182] Bryant was the league's leading scorer throughout the 2000s decade, accumulating 21,065 points in regular season play between the 1999-00 and 200809 seasons. WebView the profile of %{teamName} forward Colby Kyle on ESPN. [30] When Bryant was 13, he and his family moved back to Philadelphia, where he enrolled in eighth grade at Bala Cynwyd Middle School. [89] At age 23, Bryant became the youngest player to win three championships. Kofi Cockburn Statistically, the 200001 season saw Bryant perform similarly to the previous year, but he averaged six more points per game (28.5). [448] A notable exception was Nike, Inc., who had signed him to a five-year, $4045million contract just before the incident. Born: ( 1999-03-29) March 29, 1999 (age 24) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. [328] He finished his national team career with a record of 260 across three tournaments, winning a gold medal each time. [266], Bryant returned for the 201415 season, his 19th season with the Lakers,[269] who had replaced D'Antoni with Bryant's former Lakers teammate, Byron Scott. ), Lakers need comeback to top woeful Bobcats", "Dwight Howard powers surging Lakers past Blazers", "Kobe Bryant recognizes he's better defending on the ball", "Mike D'Antoni minces words when describing Kobe Bryant's defense", "Lakers found formula, can they repeat it? Sports", "Lakers equal best 19-game start in franchise history", Kobe's steady pace lands him top spot in rankings, "Lakers' Bryant, Magic's Howard named Players of the Week", "Shaq, Kobe lead freestyling West All-Stars past East", James outdistances Bryant in winning Kia MVP award, Daily Dime: Kobe named MVP as Lakers win NBA title, "Man on a mission: Bryant revels in victory, Finals MVP", "Kobe Bryant, making the best of bad situations", Lakers win 11th straight, Bryant injures finger, Kobe's jumper at OT buzzer lifts Lakers over Bucks, Bryant joins 14 others with 25,000 points, "Kobe's 3-pointer at buzzer gives Lakers win NBA Yahoo! [242][243] His defense disrupted opponents and freed Nash from unfavorable matchups.[244]. [146] A number of journalists have attributed the improved sales to Bryant's new number, as well as his continuing All-Star performance on the court. [186] He continued his dominant clutch plays making yet another game-winning three-pointer against the Sacramento Kings,[187] and what would be the game-winning field goal against the Boston Celtics. After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal was traded and Bryant became the cornerstone of the franchise. [393] Bryant was also a 12-time All-Defensive Team selection, trailing only Duncan's 15, and nine times he was named to the All-Defensive First Team, tied with Jordan, Garnett, and Gary Payton for the most all time. He said his faith and a priest helped him through difficult times, such as the period following his accusation of rape. WebView the profile of Chicago Bulls point guard Coby White on ESPN. These included being named Naismith High School Player of the Year, Gatorade Men's National Basketball Player of the Year, a McDonald's All-American, a first-team Parade All-American and a USA Today All-USA First Team player. [426][427], In January 2002, Bryant bought a Mediterranean-style house for $4million, located on a cul-de-sac in Newport Coast, Newport Beach. [67] This kept him with the Lakers until the end of the 200304 season. He claimed his first All-Star MVP trophy after a 31-point performance in Philadelphia when he was loudly booed by fans as they had throughout the game, stemming from his earlier comment to a 76ers heckler during the Finals that the Lakers were "going to cut your hearts out". [320] Along with LeBron James, he was one of the first two players to be publicly named to the 20062008 U.S. preliminary roster in 2006 by Jerry Colangelo. [456] CNN estimated Bryant's endorsement deals in 2007 to be worth $16million a year. The next day, the Lakers played their first game after the crash against the Trail Blazers. [435][436], According to Forbes, Bryant's $680 million in career earnings was the most ever by a team athlete during their playing career. In Game 1, Bryant, who said he made himself a decoy through most of the game, scored 18 of his 32 points in the final eight minutes to keep Los Angeles safely ahead. [526] A public memorial service was held on February 24 (2/24, marking both Kobe's and Gianna's jersey numbers) at Staples Center with Jimmy Kimmel hosting. [25] Another source of inspiration was animated European films about sports, from which he learned more about basketball. [15], Bryant and his wife Vanessa were founding donors of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, with Bryant also donating his uniform he that he wore in the 2008 NBA Finals, the year he was named the league MVP. This one day showcase will be covered by various nationally recognized womens basketball media outlets. [232] The Lakers were knocked out of the playoffs by Durant and Oklahoma City in the second round of the playoffs, losing in five games in what would be Bryant's final playoff appearance. [199] Bryant said that this was the most satisfying of all of his five championships. No. [75] When Bryant was back and playing over 38 minutes a game, he had an increase in all statistical categories during the 19992000 season. Position: Cornerback. [455] On February 9, 2009, Bryant was featured on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. Chamberlain did it 15 times, and Baylor once. Bryant's parents apologized to him for the misunderstanding in a written statement, and appreciated the financial support he had given them over the years. Kobe Bean Bryant (/kobi/ KOH-bee; August 23, 1978 January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. [c] Bryant also won his second straight scoring title that season. [13][14][15], Bryant started playing basketball when he was three,[16] and the Lakers were his favorite team when he was growing up. He was exceptional in everything that he did. [40][44] In 1996, Bryant took R&B singer Brandy to her Hollywood High senior prom. [356][357] Throughout his first 17 seasons, his body was resilient,[286] and he exhibited a high pain threshold while often playing through injuries. [301][302] Still, he was honored around the league with video tributes and fan ovations,[300] including arenas that historically jeered him such as TD Garden in Boston, Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Moda Center in Portland, Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, and Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. [286][287] The Lakers finished the season with a record of 2161, surpassing the franchise record for most losses in a season that they had set the previous year. This followed with O'Neal winning the MVP and Bryant being named to the All-NBA Second Team and All-NBA Defensive Team for the first time in his career (the youngest player to receive All-Defensive honors). High school career Jones played basketball for Pinson Valley High School in Pinson, Alabama. Wikipedia Colby [120][121] Chamberlain, playing in an era when the games were paced faster and scoring opportunities were more plentiful,[121][122] accounted for 59 percent of his team's points in Philadelphia's 169147 win, compared to Bryant scoring 66 percent of the Lakers' 122 points. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). With the Lakers fighting to secure the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference, coupled with injuries on the team, Bryant began playing almost all 48 minutes each game. [503][504], At the time of his death, he was working with Brazilian author Paulo Coelho on a children's book aimed at inspiring underprivileged children. Coby Basketball [534] In May 2020, the Mamba Sports Academy was renamed to Sports Academy out of respect for Bryant. WebKofi Cockburn (/ k o b r n / KOH-burn; born 1 September 1999) is a Jamaican free agent professional basketball player. [73] The Lakers became championship contenders behind the center-guard combination of Bryant and O'Neal. It featured his insights into the game of basketball and in-depth analyses of games and individual players. [196] The Lakers went on to win the series in six games capturing the Western Conference Championship and advancing to the NBA Finals for a third straight season. ", "Better scoring night: Kobe's 81 or Wilt's 100? WebCoby Bryant. Wikipedia Colby [250][251] In two crucial wins in March, he scored at least 40 points and had at least 10 assists in back-to-back games, becoming the first Laker to accomplish the feat since West in 1970. [144] Bryant finished the year with a total of ten 50-plus point games, surpassed only by Chamberlain. He was fluent in English, Italian and Spanish. WebThis camp provides the ultimate platform for exposure and an opportunity to compete against some of New Englands elite basketball prospects. [140] In his first game back on March 9, he elbowed Kyle Korver in the face which was retroactively re-classified as a Type 1 flagrant foul. [115][116] A month later, at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, the two were seen laughing together. [502], On October 23, 2018, Bryant's book The Mamba Mentality: How I Play, with photographs and afterword by Andrew D. Bernstein, an introduction by Phil Jackson, and a foreword by Pau Gasol, was published by MCD / Farrar, Straus and Giroux. During the run, he averaged 30.8 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4 steals, and 3.8 blocked shots in leading the Aces to a 313 record. [143] In the following day, in a game against the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, Bryant scored 50 points, making him the second player in NBA history to have four straight 50-point games behind Chamberlain, who achieved it twice with streaks of five and seven. [507], At 9:06a.m. Pacific Standard Time on January 26, 2020, a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter departed from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, with nine people aboard: Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna,[508] six family friends, and the pilot, Ara Zobayan. [32][33] The following three years, the Aces compiled a 7713 record, with Bryant playing all five positions. [80] With a 116111 victory in Game 6, the Lakers won their first championship since 1988.[81]. WebColby Genoway (born 1983), Canadian ice hockey player; Colby Gossett (born 1995), American football player; H. Colby Howard (born 2001), American stock car racing driver; J. Colby Jones (born 2002), American basketball player; K. Colby Keller (born 1980), American visual artist; L. Colby Lewis (born 1979), American baseball player; M Reportedly Bryant's parents had problems with him marrying so young, especially to a woman who was not African-American. College: Xavier. 1 On NY Times Bestseller List. Coaches. [331][332] Bryant has drawn frequent comparisons to Michael Jordan, after whom he modeled his playing style. The others were Chamberlain (2 in 197273) and Kidd (2 each in 200910 and 201011). [474] The music video of the single also features Bryant. [74], Bryant was sidelined for six weeks prior to the start of the 19992000 season due to a hand injury that he had incurred during a preseason game against the Washington Wizards. [102] O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant. Bryant's 15.4 points per game was the highest of any non-starter in the season. [488], Beginning in 2018, Bryant wrote, produced and hosted the television series Detail, which aired for multiple seasons on ESPN and ESPN+. [204] On January 30 against the Celtics, he became the youngest player to score 27,000 points. In Game 2, Bryant finished the game with 13 assists, setting a new playoff career-high; it was the most assists by a Laker in the playoffs since Magic Johnson had 13 in 1996. Colby WebThe official Men's Basketball page for the. [352] However, some critics have suggested that Bryant's defensive accolades in his later years were based more on his reputation than his actual play. He played college basketball for Xavier . [494] On November 4, 2010, Bryant appeared alongside Zach Braff at the Call of Duty: Black Ops launch event at the Santa Monica Airport, where they presented a $1million check to the Call of Duty Endowment, an Activision-founded nonprofit organization that helps veterans transition to civilian careers after their military service has ended. "[62], In Bryant's second season, he received more playing time and began to show more of his abilities as a talented young guard. [11] His 81-point performance against Toronto in 2006 was the second-highest in NBA history,[387] behind only Chamberlain's 100. [171] In the 200809 season, the Lakers opened the campaign by winning their first seven games. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Come out and test your skills against the regions top players. He led the Lakers to two more championships in 2009 and 2010, winning the Finals MVP award on both occasions. 8 Seattle Seahawks. Roster. [451] Bryant was also the cover athlete for NBA '07: Featuring the Life Vol. "Even though I play like shit, I've worked really, really hard not to play like crap and I do everything I possibly can. "[424][425] During the 201213 season, he began referring to himself as "vino" to describe how his play had been aging like a fine wine. [230] In April, Bryant missed seven games with a bruised left shin. [406] The birth resulted in a reconciliation between Bryant and his parents. [499], In 2013, Bryant launched a production company called Granity Studios, which developed different media, ranging from films to television shows and novels. Bryant's individual scoring accomplishments posted resulted in the finest statistical season of his career. [236][237] On December 5 against New Orleans, Bryant became the youngest player (34 years and 104 days) in league history to score 30,000 points, joining Hall of Famers Chamberlain, Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Karl Malone as the fifth player to reach that milestone. Colby (given name [256] He ended the season with customary averages of 27.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6 assists per game on 46.3% shooting. In Game 4, Bryant scored 22 points in the second half and led the team to an OT victory as O'Neal fouled out of the game. Bryant said he wanted more out of life than just a successful basketball career. [394] In his career, Bryant scored 40-plus points in 121 games, and 21 times he recorded a triple-double. [51] Since Bryant was still 17 at the time, his parents had to cosign his contract with the Lakers until he was able to sign his own when he turned 18 before the season began. [437], In the summer of 2003, the sheriff's office of Eagle, Colorado, arrested Bryant in connection with an investigation of a sexual assault complaint filed by a 19-year-old hotel employee. Before Princeton. [530] On January 30, the first game after the crash was played at Staples Center between the Clippers and the Kings; the Clippers honored Bryant before the game, with Southern California native Paul George narrating a video tribute to Bryant. [346][371] In 2022, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Bryant as the 10th greatest player in NBA history, the second highest shooting guard on the list, behind only Jordan. [391] Four times Bryant was named the All-Star MVP, a record he shares with Bob Pettit. [458], On December 13, 2010, Bryant signed a two-year endorsement deal with Turkey's national airline, Turkish Airlines. After finishing 5032 in the regular season, the Lakers floundered in the playoffs and lost in the Western Conference semi-finals in six games to the eventual NBA champions San Antonio Spurs. Lakers Just Trying To Keep It Simple", "Lakers rise as D'Antoni's offense ditched", "Lakers hold on despite late surge from Hornets", "Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash help Lakers hold on for 2nd straight win", "Kobe Bryant's heroics help Lakers rally, edge Raptors in OT", "201213 Lakers Report Card: Starting five", "Lakers weren't strong enough to protect Kobe Bryant from himself", "Kobe Bryant tears Achilles, sidelined for months", "Lakers sign Kobe Bryant to two-year, $48.5 million contract extension", "Lakers sign Kobe Bryant to a two-year contract extension", "Kobe Bryant does not want to hear that he is overpaid", "Kobe Bryant on the difference between Tim Duncan's contract and his: 'It's a different market, man', "As Kobe faces Duncan for 78th time, comparison unavoidable", "Lakers' Kobe Bryant breaks bone in knee, out 6 weeks", "Anthony Davis selected to fill Kobe Bryant's All-Star slot in West", "Rockets rout Lakers 10890 in Kobe's return", "Byron Scott assured Kobe Bryant he had his best interests at heart", "Bryant leads Lakers over Toronto 129122 in OT", "ELIAS: TOP 5 QUESTIONS FROM SUNDAY, NOV. 30", "Kobe Bryant becomes NBA's No. Position: Cornerback. [96] This caused Bryant to miss some games due to court appearances or attend court earlier in the day and travel to play games later on the same day. [189] After being sidelined for five games by an ankle injury, Bryant made his return and made another clutch three-pointer to give the Lakers a one-point lead with four seconds remaining against the Memphis Grizzlies. During the playoffs, Bryant played heavy minutes which brought his stats up to 29.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. [168] This set up a Western Conference Finals berth against the San Antonio Spurs. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak had spoken to Bryant about his extensive playing time 10 days earlier, but Bryant insisted the minutes needed to continue given the Lakers' playoff push. "[152] Three hours after making that statement, Bryant stated in another interview that after having a conversation with head coach Jackson, he had reconsidered his decision and backed off his trade request. Kobe would work at the games as a ball and mop boy and would practice shooting at halftime, with Douglas sharing, "At every one of our games at halftime, it was the Kobe show. [100] In that series, Bryant averaged 22.6 points per game and 4.4 assists while shooting 35.1% from the field. Colby 2 and appeared in commercials for the video games Guitar Hero World Tour (with Tony Hawk, Michael Phelps, and Alex Rodriguez) in 2008 and Call of Duty: Black Ops (alongside Jimmy Kimmel) in 2010. As a rookie, Bryant earned a reputation as a high-flyer by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, and was named an All-Star by his second season. [487] In addition to future animation projects, he had been in talks with animator veteran Bruce Smith for the last six months before his death about starting his own animation studio. [5], Bryant died, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in 2020. [84] He continued his all-round play by averaging 25.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. [372] Players including Kevin Durant,[373] Dirk Nowitzki,[374] Dwyane Wade,[307] and Derrick Rose called Bryant their generation's version of Jordan. [258], Bryant resumed practicing in November 2013, after the 201314 season had already begun. High Schools: Pinson Valley in Pinson Valley, Alabama, Mountain Brook in Mountain Brook, Alabama. In the first game of the 200203 season, Bryant recorded 27 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in an 8782 loss to the visiting Spurs. [495][496] During his lifetime, Bryant granted over two hundred requests for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. "[365] After the departure of Shaquille O'Neal, he led the Lakers to two NBA championships; during this period, he became more of a mentor to his teammates than he had been earlier in his career. [101] Jackson's contract as coach was not renewed, and Rudy Tomjanovich took over. Former players raised $2.1 million to endow the position in his name. 1,000 Point Scorers. Kofi Cockburn [335][346] Throughout his career, Bryant was disparaged for being a selfish, high-volume shooter;[344][347][348] he missed more field goal attempts in his career than any other player in NBA history. [472], In 2011, Bryant was featured in Taiwanese singer Jay Chou's single "The Heaven and Earth Challenge" (, pronounced "Tian Di Yi Dou"). [b] Bryant finished in fourth place in the voting for the 2006 NBA Most Valuable Player Award but received 22 first place votessecond only to winner Steve Nash. [99] However, they were upset in five games by the Detroit Pistons, who won their first championship since 1990. [143] The only other Laker to do so was Baylor, who also scored 50+ in three consecutive contests in December 1962. In 2014, Bryant passed Havlicek's previous mark of 13,417 missed shots. Personal information. He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini. [449][450] However, they refused to use his image or market a new shoe of his for the year but eventually did start promoting Bryant once his image recovered two years later. 8 Seattle Seahawks. He gave himself the nickname "Black Mamba" in the mid-2000s, and the epithet became widely adopted by the general public. Colbey Ross WebCoby Joseph Karl (born June 8, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player who is the head coach of the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League. [311] West teammates offered to feed him the ball in an attempt to get him another All-Star MVP, but he declined. [292][293] On December 1, 2015, Bryant played his last game against his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers, where the Lakers lost 10391. [107] Without Tomjanovich, stewardship of the remainder of the Lakers' season fell to career assistant coach Frank Hamblen. [337], Bryant established a reputation for taking shots in the closing moments of tight games,[338][339][340] even when he was double or triple-teamed,[341] and was noted as one of the premier closers in the NBA. Colby Jones [513] The group was traveling to Camarillo Airport in Ventura County for a basketball game at Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks.