He has played through injury, he has played hurt. Kobe Bryant has never cheated the game, never cheated us as the fans. In an article published by A&E Networks, he said, “We are here to celebrate greatness for 20 years. He refused to give up basketball and continued playing until he tore his rotator cuff.Īmong the stellar lineup of Lakers icons who paid tribute to Kobe Bryant when he retired was Magic Johnson. He returned eight months later, which left his kneecap fractured. In a game against the Golden State Warriors, Bryant injured his Achilles tendon, forcing him to sit out games for the most part of the year. It was the second-highest total score in NBA history. In January 2006, he scored a total of 81 points against the Toronto Rappers. When O’Neal left the Lakers in 2004, Bryant was forced to show independence. They had a rough working relationship, but through the leadership of Phil Jackson, they became a deadly duo with Bryant working as a shooting guard, and O’Neal as a center. He teamed up with Shaquille O’Neal, taking Championship titles for three straight years. He was later traded to the Lakers, which kick-started his professional career. But I knew if he progressed so quickly and continued to make good decisions, he would someday get there,” Downer shared in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.īryant was the Charlotte Hornets’ 13th pick during the NBA 1996 draft. “That it would happen so quickly, I may have doubted that. “When I first met, at age thirteen, and I saw him play, after five minutes I said, ‘This kid is going to be a pro.’ Never was there one moment I doubted that.” Bryant skipped college and was among the 28 carefully handpicked players since the league started in 1946. Gregg Downer, his coach, played an important role in setting his goal towards entering the NBA. He was awarded Player of the Year multiple times, beating Wilt Chamberlain’s record set of 2,883 points. He carried the team towards state championships for four straight years. He joined Lower Merion High School’s basketball team in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, and became popular for his skills. Kids would come up to me and say whatever, and I’d just nod.” In an article published by Los Angeles Times, Bryant said, “It was kind of strange because, being away, I didn’t know a lot of the slang that kids used. It wasn’t easy for Kobe as he was clueless about the teenage culture and trends. In 1991, the Bryant family returned to Philadelphia. We had to stick together,” he mentioned in an interview with Press-Enterprise. “We didn’t have anybody to depend on but our family. It was a challenge to speak Italian, so they relied on themselves and each other, and learned the language together. Their family’s struggle living in a foreign country proved to be a blessing. Those kids say I lead a Beaver Cleaver life. I don’t have anything in common with them. In an interview with The New York Times, Bryant said, “Other kids don’t have a father. Kobe, the youngest of the three, came to love basketball and showed promising signs of potential, though his sisters, Shaya and Sharia, proved to be athletic as well.īryant is known to adore his father, who loves spending time with his family when he’s not busy traveling with his team. Joe was known to be fond of teaching his children sports. From Philadelphia, they moved to San Diego, travelled to Houston, before settling in Italy for seven years. Joe Bryant’s long-standing career on the basketball court led his family to jump from country to country. After all, his father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, was a former NBA superstar who played for the Rockets, 76ers, and Clippers during the course of his professional career. He literally had the home-court advantage. At the tender age of 18, he was recognized as the youngest player in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
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