Black Mamba Kobe Bryant

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29 Jan 2024

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant (/ˈkoʊbi/ KOH-bee; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. As a shooting guard, he dedicated his entire 20-year career to the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely recognized as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, Bryant secured five NBA championships and earned numerous accolades, including being an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. Additionally, he topped the NBA in scoring twice and holds the fourth position in all-time regular season and postseason scoring. Following his passing in 2020, Bryant was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

The son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, Kobe was born in Philadelphia and spent part of his childhood in Italy. Acknowledged as the top American high-school basketball player while attending Lower Merion in the Philadelphia suburb, Bryant declared for the 1996 NBA draft and was chosen by the Charlotte Hornets as the 13th overall pick, later traded to the Lakers. In his rookie season, he quickly gained a reputation as a high-flyer by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest and achieved All-Star status by his second season. Despite a well-publicized feud with teammate Shaquille O'Neal, the duo played a pivotal role in leading the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002.

In 2003, Bryant faced charges of sexual assault, with the alleged victim being a 19-year-old hotel employee. Criminal charges were dropped when the accuser declined to testify, and a lawsuit was settled out of court. During this time, Bryant publicly apologized and acknowledged engaging in a consensual sexual encounter. This accusation temporarily tarnished his reputation, leading to the loss of several endorsement contracts.

The all-time leading scorer in Lakers history, Bryant holds the distinction of being the first guard in NBA history to play 20 seasons. His 18 All-Star selections rank second all time, and he boasts the second-most consecutive appearances as a starter. Bryant's four NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards are tied with Bob Pettit for the most in NBA history. In the mid-2000s, he gave himself the nickname Black Mamba, a moniker widely adopted by the general public. Bryant earned gold medals as a member of the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams. Furthermore, in 2018, he won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for his work on the film Dear Basketball (2017).

In 2020, Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, tragically lost their lives in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The incident prompted an outpouring of tributes and memorials, and in recognition of his impact on the game, the All-Star MVP Award was renamed in Bryant's honor.

Before the 1996 NBA draft, Bryant had participated in a workout in Los Angeles, engaging in scrimmages against former Lakers players Larry Drew and Michael Cooper. According to then-Laker general manager Jerry West, Bryant notably outperformed his opponents, showcasing his skills by, in West's words, "marching over these people."

The Lakers reached the Western Conference semifinals in the playoffs against the Utah Jazz, during which Bryant found himself thrust into a lead role towards the end of Game 5. Byron Scott was absent due to a sprained wrist, Robert Horry was ejected for a scuffle with Utah's Jeff Hornacek, and Shaquille O'Neal fouled out with 1:46 remaining in the fourth quarter. In a challenging situation, Bryant attempted a game-winning two-point jump shot in the fourth quarter, but it missed. Subsequently, he shot four air balls, including three three-point attempts in overtime. Unfortunately, the Jazz emerged victorious with a 98–93 score in overtime, eliminating the Lakers 4–1. Despite the outcome, O'Neal acknowledged that "[Bryant] was the only guy who had the guts at the time to take shots like that."

In Bryant's second season, he received increased playing time, allowing him to showcase his talents as a burgeoning young guard. Consequently, Bryant's point averages more than doubled, rising from 7.6 to 15.4 points per game. Bryant's minutes saw a boost when the Lakers adopted a "small ball" strategy, featuring him as a small forward alongside the guards he typically backed up. This versatility contributed to his success. Bryant was a runner-up for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award, and through fan voting, he became the youngest NBA All-Star starter in league history. Joining him in the All-Star lineup were teammates O'Neal, Van Exel, and Jones, marking the first time since 1983 that four players from the same team were selected to play in the same All-Star Game. Bryant's average of 15.4 points per game was the highest among all non-starters that season.

The 1998–99 season marked Bryant's ascent to becoming a premier guard in the league. Following the trades of starting guards Van Exel and Jones, Bryant assumed a starting role in every game of the lockout-shortened 50-game season. During this period, Bryant signed a notable six-year contract extension valued at $70 million, securing his tenure with the Lakers until the conclusion of the 2003–04 season. Even in the early stages of his career, sportswriters were drawing comparisons between his skills and those of basketball legends Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Despite Bryant's individual achievements, the playoff results were disappointing, with the Lakers being swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals.

After recovering to participate in the 2015–16 preseason, Bryant faced a setback with a calf injury, causing him to miss the final two weeks of exhibition games. Despite this, he returned to play in the season opener, marking the beginning of his 20th season with the Lakers and surpassing John Stockton's league record of 19 seasons with the same team. However, the Lakers struggled, and on November 24, 2015, they fell to a 2–12 record after a 111–77 loss to the Warriors. Bryant had a challenging performance, scoring just four points in 25 minutes on 1-for-14 shooting, matching the worst-shooting game of his career when attempting at least five shots. On December 1, 2015, Bryant played his last game against his hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers, where the Lakers lost 103–91.

In the summer of 2003, the sheriff's office in Eagle, Colorado, arrested Bryant in connection with an investigation into a sexual assault complaint filed by a 19-year-old hotel employee. Bryant had checked into The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Eagle County before undergoing knee surgery nearby. The accuser stated that Bryant raped her in his hotel room the night before his scheduled procedure. Bryant admitted to engaging in an adulterous sexual encounter with his accuser but denied her allegation of sexual assault. He was formally charged on June 18, 2003.

On January 26, 2020, at 9:06 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter took off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, carrying nine individuals. The passengers included Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, six family friends, among them John Altobelli, and the pilot, Ara Zobayan. The helicopter, registered to the Fillmore-based Island Express Holding Corp. as per the California Secretary of State business database,[538] was en route to Camarillo Airport in Ventura County for a basketball game at the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks.

Due to light rain and fog on that morning, both the Los Angeles Police Department helicopters and most other air traffic were grounded.According to the flight tracker, the helicopter circled above the L.A. Zoo due to heavy air traffic in the area. At 9:30 a.m., Zobayan contacted the Burbank Airport's control tower,informing them of the situation and was advised that he was "flying too low" to be tracked by radar.At that moment, the helicopter encountered dense fog and changed its course southward towards the mountains. By 9:40 a.m., the helicopter ascended rapidly from 1,200 to 2,000 feet (370 to 610 m), maintaining a speed of 161 knots (298 km/h; 185 mph).

At 9:45 a.m., the helicopter collided with the side of a mountain in Calabasas, approximately 30 miles (48 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles, and subsequently caught fire. Bryant, his daughter, and the other seven occupants tragically lost their lives upon impact. Initial reports suggested that the helicopter crashed in the hills above Calabasas in dense fog. Witnesses recounted hearing the helicopter struggling before the crash occurred.