Childhood
Kobe Beane Bryant was born on August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is a former NBA player and former owner of the Los Angeles Sparks Childhood Kobe
Coach Joe " Jellybean" Bryant (Joe " Jellybean" Bryant) and Pamela Cox Bryant, the youngest and only son of three children. His parents named him Kobe before he was born-the name of a Japanese steak[1 that was seen on a restaurant menu. Kobe has two sisters, Celia and Shaya. When Kobe was six years old, Joe left the NBA and moved the family to Italy to continue his professional basketball career]. Kobe adapted to the new lifestyle and learned to speak Italian and Spanish fluently. He started playing when he was 3 years old and his favorite team growing up was the Lakers. Kobe's grandfather would send him videos of NBA games and Kobe would study them. When Kobe was younger he also learned to play soccer and his favorite team was AC Milan Football Club. He has said that if he had stayed in Italy, he would have tried to become a professional soccer player; Kobe is a big fan of former FC Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard20] and former Barcelona player Ronaldinho, and he also admires Barcelona's Lionel Messi.When Joe retired from the game in 1991, he moved his family back to the United States.
High school years
At Raul Merion High School in the Philadelphia suburb of Raul Merion, Kobe earned national recognition for his amazing high school career. As a rookie, Kobe was able to start on the school's (third and fourth year) basketball teams. Kobe was coached by his father during his sophomore year of high school. Despite a mediocre team in his first year, Kobe played all five positions over the next three years and led the team to a record of 77 wins and 13 losses. At adidas ABCD camp, Kobe won the 1995 High School MVP award and played alongside later teammate Lamar Odom. In high school, then-76ers head coach John Lucas invited Kobe to try out and practice with the team, where Kobe played one-on-one with Jerry Stackhouse. During his senior year of high school, Kobe led his team to its first state championship in 50 years. In his senior year of high school, Kobe averaged 30.8 points, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4.0 steals, and 3.8 caps per game as he led Raul Merion High School to a 31-3 record. Kirby finished his high school career by surpassing Wilt Chamberlain and Leon Simmons to break the Southeastern Pennsylvania high school scoring record with 2,883 points. For his senior year in high school, Kobe received several awards, including the Naismith High School Player of the Year, Gatorade All-American High School Player of the Year, McDonald's All-American Team, and USA Today All-American First-Team Player. Kobe's high school basketball coach, Greg Donner, described him as a "dominant all-around player", and in 1996 Kobe invited R&B singer Brandy Norwood to his senior prom, but they were just friends. Kobe graduated with a 1080 on the Scholastic Aptitude Assessment Test (SAT), which was enough to secure him a basketball scholarship to a decent college. However, in the end, at the age of 17, Kobe decided to go straight to the NBA, becoming the 6th player in NBA history to go straight from high school to the NBA Draft. Because going straight from high school to the NBA is not common (Kevin Garnett is the only exception in 20 years), Kobe's decision got a lot of attention. Kobe has said if he went to college after high school, he would choose Duke.
1996 NBA DRAFT
The first guard player to enter the NBA draft straight out of high school, Kobe was selected in the first round, 13th overall, by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996. However, according to Kobe's agent at the time, Arne Tellem, it was "a no-brainer" that Kobe would play for the Charlotte Hornets]. However, Bill Branch, then chief scout for the Hornets, said that the Hornets had agreed to trade the pick with the Lakers the day before the draft. The Lakers did not tell the Hornets about the rookie they selected until five minutes before the draft. Before the draft, Kobe had a tryout in Los Angeles, playing against former Lakers Larry Drew and Michael Cooper. Then-Lakers manager Jerry West said "Bryant has surpassed those players." On July 11, 1996, West traded his starting center Vlade Divac to the Hornets for Kobe's draft rights. Since Kobe was only 17 at the time of the draft, his parents had to sign with the Lakers along with him. It wasn't until the start of the new season that Kobe, who turned 18, signed his contract independently.
Initial Season (1996-1999)
In Kobe's rookie season, he spent most of his time on the court as a backup to Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. At the time, he became the youngest player in NBA history to start a game (a record later broken by teammate Andrew Bynum), and he was also the youngest player in NBA history to start a game. Initially, Kobe's playing time was limited, but as the season continued, Kobe gradually received more playing time. At the end of the season, he was averaging 15.5 minutes per game. During the NBA All-Star Weekend, Kobe won the Kobe 1997 All-Star Game Slam Dunk Contest
The 1997 All-Star Game Slam Dunk Contest was won by the 18-year-old Kobe, who also became the youngest Slam Dunk Contest winner in the history of the NBA. With his performance throughout the season Kobe was named to the second-team of the NBA's best rookie lineup along with teammate Travis Knight, who was also on the bench, and became the youngest player to be named to the best rookie lineup. In the final game of that season, Kobe threw three three-and-outs in the final critical moments. First he missed the game winning shot in the fourth quarter, and then he dropped two game tying three pointers in the final minute of overtime. That's how the Utah Jazz beat the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. Shaquille O'Neal commented a couple years later, "[Kobe] was the only guy who dared to take a shot like that in that moment." In Kobe's second season, he received more playing time and began to show what a talented young guard could do. Kobe's scoring average skyrocketed, from 7.6 to 15.4 points per game. Kobe's increased playing time was due to the team's "small lineup" tactic, in which Kobe would switch to the small forward position and play alongside the starting guards. Kobe placed second in the race for the 1998 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award and became the youngest NBA All-Star Game starter in the history of the NBA through fan voting. He was joined by fellow teammates Shaquille O'Neal, Eddie Jones, and Nick Van Exel, a result that made them the first time since 1983 that four players from the same team were selected to the same NBA All-Star Game. Kobe's 15.4 points per game became the highest scoring of any non-starter that season. The 1998-99 season marked the beginning of Kobe's demonstration of his ability to be one of the top guards in the league. With starting guards Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel bit traded, Kobe started every game in a season that was reduced to only 50 games throughout the season due to labor disputes. [4] During the season, Kobe signed a six-year contract with the Lakers worth approximately $70 million. The contract allowed Kobe to play for the Lakers through the 2003-04 season. Despite only being in the early stages of his career, some sportswriters were already comparing Kobe's skills to those of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. And the playoffs didn't get much better that year, getting swept out of the Western Conference semifinals by the San Antonio Spurs.
Three-peat period (1999-2002)
Kobe's fortunes changed with the arrival of Phil Jackson to coach the Lakers in 1999. After several years of steady improvement, Kobe had become one of the best point guards in the league, appearing on several NBA Best XI, All-Star and NBA Best Defense XI. Led by the standout center-guard duo of Kobe and O'Neal, the Lakers became a strong contender for the championship. Phil Jackson helped the Lakers become an NBA championship caliber team by utilizing the triangle offense he used to win six championships with the Chicago Bulls, as evidenced by three straight titles in 2000, 2001, and 2002. At the beginning of the 1999-2000 season, Kobe had to spend six weeks in the stands after injuring his right hand in a preseason game against the Washington Wizards. After returning to the court, Kobe averaged more than 38 minutes of play, in the 1999-2000 season, all technical statistics have improved, including the average number of assists and steals for the team's first. The return of O'Neal and Kobe, along with a strong bench, gave the Lakers the 5th highest number of regular season wins in NBA history - 67. O'Neal won the regular season MVP that year, while Kobe was named to the NBA's second-team Best XI and was named to the NBA's first-team Best Defensive XI for the first time (becoming the youngest player to win that honor). In the playoffs Kobe played only the number two role, but had a well-rounded performance of 25 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 caps in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. The final aerial combination with O'Neal won the Western Conference Finals series. In the Finals series against the Indiana Pacers, Kobe sprained his ankle in the second quarter of Game 2 and missed the remainder of that game and Game 3. In Game 4, Kobe scored 22 points in the second half to lead his team to a win in overtime when O'Neal left the game with a full foul. Kobe hit the game-winning shot to help his team take a 120-118 lead. With the Game 6 win, the Lakers had their first NBA championship since 1988. In the 2000-01 season, in terms of statistics Kobe's numbers were very similar to the previous season, except that his scoring average was 6 points higher (28.5) But that was also the year that the conflict between Kobe and O'Neal began to emerge. Averaging 5 assists per game again led the team. Even though the Lakers only had 56 wins this season, 11 fewer than the previous season, they put together a stellar 15-1 record in the playoffs. They easily swept the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and San Antonio Spurs until losing an overtime game against the Philadelphia 76ers in the finals. They won the next four games to bring the championship trophy back to Los Angeles for the second time. In the playoffs Kobe had long minutes and improved his averages to 29.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. In the playoffs O'Neal declared Kobe the best player in the league. Kobe ended up being named to the 2nd XI of the Best XI and was named to the Best Defensive XI for the 2nd year in a row. On top of that, he was named to the All-Star starting lineup 3 years in a row (there was no All-Star game in 1999). In the 2001-02 season, Kobe reached 80 games for the first time in his career. He continued his all-around play, contributing 25.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. Kobe also shot a career-high 46.9 percent from the field and once again led the team in assists. In addition to being named to the All-Star team and the Best Defensive Team again, Kobe was also named to the NBA Best XI for the first time in his career This year the Lakers got 58 wins in the regular season, ranking second in the Pacific Division behind the Kings. The road to the Finals was also much tougher than in previous years. Despite sweeping the Blazers in the playoffs and beating the Spurs 4-1, the Lakers lost home court advantage against the Kings. The series went seven games, the first time that had happened since the Western Conference Finals of the 2000 playoffs. The Lakers eventually defeated their division rivals to advance to their third consecutive Finals. In the 2002 Finals, Kobe averaged 26.8 points on 51.4% shooting from the field, along with 5.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists, including scoring a quarter of the team's points.At the age of 23, Kobe became the youngest player to win three championships. Kobe's performance in the 4th quarter was notable and praised, especially in the last two rounds of the playoffs.
Brief Slump (2002-2004)
During the 2002-03 season, Kobe averaged 30 points per game and finished with nine consecutive games of 40+, averaging 40.6 points per game throughout the month of February. In addition, he was able to contribute 6.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.2 steals per game, all career highs. Once again, Kobe was named to both the first-team of the NBA's Best XI and Best Defensive XI, and finished third in MVP voting. After a 50-32 regular season, the Lakers lost to the San Antonio Spurs, the year's eventual champions, after six games in the Western Conference semifinals of the playoffs. The following season, 2003-04, the Lakers acquired All-Stars Karl Malone and Gary Payton for another championship run. Before the start of the season, Kobe was arrested on sexual assault charges. This caused Kobe to miss some games due to court appearances; either appearing in court earlier in the day and making it to the game later in the same day. In the final game of the regular season, the Lakers played the Trail Blazers. Kobe led the Lakers to victory with two shutouts and won the Pacific Division. In the final moments of the fourth quarter, Kobe hit a three-pointer to tie the game and send the game into overtime. The game ended up going into a second overtime, and Kobe hit another clutch three-pointer to help the Lakers win 105-104. Featuring four future Basketball Hall of Famers, O'Neal, Malone, Payton and Bryant, the Lakers ended up in the NBA Finals. In the Finals, the Lakers were defeated in five games by the Detroit Pistons, who won their first championship since 1990. In the Finals series, Kobe contributed 22.6 points per game, along with 4.4 assists, on a poor 35.1% shooting percentage. Phil Jackson did not renew his contract with the Lakers and was replaced as coach by Rudy Tomjanovich. O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant. The next day, Kobe turned down a contract offered by the Los Angeles Clippers and signed a seven-year extension with the Lakers worth $136.4 million. Disappointing Playoffs (2004-2007)
The 2004-05 season was marked by controversy and criticism as a result of the events of the previous season, which greatly damaged Kobe's reputation. Phil Jackson published a new book, The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, in which he detailed the turmoil of the 2003-04 Lakers season and also criticized Kobe, saying he was "uncoachable ". In the middle of the season, Rudy Tomjanovich abruptly resigned as head coach, citing health concerns. Following Tomjanovich's departure, Lakers assistant coach Frank Hamblen took charge of the team for the remainder of the season. Despite a season in which Kobe ranked second in the league in scoring with 27.6 points per game, the Lakers struggled and the team failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the 1993-94 season. In the post-season awards, Kobe didn't make the best defensive lineup due to the decline in the Lakers' overall strength, and the best lineup was only the third-team selection. During the season, Kobe also publicized his conflicts with Ray Allen and Karl Malone. The 2005-06 season was a turning point in Kobe's basketball career. Despite previous disagreements with Kobe, Phil Jackson chose to return to coach the Lakers. Kobe approved of this move, and a variety of performances proved that the second collaboration between these two was not bad, leading the Lakers back to the playoffs. Kobe's individual scoring numbers were also the best of his career season.
In the December 20, 2005 Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks game, Kobe scored 62 points in the first three quarters of the game (the fourth quarter did not play), and when he came off the bench, his personal score of 62 points was higher than the Mavericks team's score of 61 points, and Kobe was the first player to do so since the introduction of the 24-second timer.
January 16, 2006, the Lakers faced the Heat. Kobe and O'Neal's pre-game handshake and hug made headlines that day, signaling a gradual change in the tension between the two players. A month later at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, the two were seen joking together.
January 22, 2006
Kobe scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. In addition to breaking the previous record of 71 points set by Elgin Baylor, Kobe's 81 points in a single game was the second-highest single-game total in NBA history, behind Wilt Chamberlain's record of 100 points in a single game set in 1962. In the same month, Kobe also became the first player since 1964 to score 45 points or more in four consecutive games, becoming the third player to do so after Chamberlain and Baylor. Throughout the month of January, Kobe averaged 43.4 points per game, ranking 8th in NBA history for single-month scoring average, and first in single-month scoring average for an individual other than Chamberlain.At the end of the 2005-06 season, Kobe set the Lakers' record for the most 40-plus points per game (27) and most points scored (2,832) in a single season in Lakers history. Kobe won the title of league scoring champion for the first time with his 35.4 scoring average. Finished fourth in the 2006 NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting, but he received 22 first-place votes - second only to eventual winner Steve Nash. The Lakers put together a 45-37 regular-season record, winning 11 more games than the previous season.
No. 8 → No. 24
Later that season, it was reported that Kobe would change his jersey number from No. 8 to No. 24 beginning with the 2006-07 season. His first jersey in high school was No. 24 before he switched to No. 33. Kobe said in a TNT radio interview that he had intended to go with No. 24 for his rookie season, but was unable to do so, and the No. 33 jersey has been retired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kobe had worn No. 143 at the Adidas ABCD training camp, so he ended up choosing the sum of three numbers, 8, as his number. In the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers did enough to take a 3-1 series lead over the Phoenix Suns, which they beat in Game 4 on a pair of clutch shots put in by Kobe. In Game 6, they came within six seconds of knocking the second-seeded Suns out of the tournament, but ended up losing 118-126 in overtime. Despite Kobe averaging 27.9 points per game in the series, the Lakers ended up losing to the Suns in a 7-game battle. In the 90-121 loss to the Suns in Game 7, Kobe was blamed for taking only three shots in the second half. During the 2006 offseason, Kobe underwent knee surgery, preventing him from playing in the 2006 World Men's Basketball Championship. He himself once said, "The significance of the number 24 is 24 hours, I want to put all my energy into basketball, that's why I chose the number 24. If I can't put my whole heart and soul seriously into it, I'm not Kobe. 24 is the best interpretation of me." In the 2006-07 season, Kobe was named to the All-Star Game starting lineup for the ninth time, and on February 18, Kobe scored 31 points, had six assists, six steals, and won the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award for the second time in his career. Throughout the season, Kobe was involved in a series of on-court mishaps.On January 28, Kobe elbowed Spurs guard Manu Ginobili in the face after shooting a potential game-winning jump shot. After a re-examination by the league, Kobe was banned from the ensuing game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The ban was based on the fact that Kobe waving his arm backward was "an aberrant maneuver." Later, on March 6, he appeared to repeat the action, this time hitting Minnesota Timberwolves guard Marko Jaric, and on March 7, the NBA issued Kobe a second one-game suspension.On March 9, in his first game back, he elbowed Kyle Korver in the face, which was added as a first-degree foul after the game. On March 16, Kobe scored a season-high 65 points at home against the Trail Blazers, helping the Lakers end a seven-game losing streak. It was the second best scoring performance of his 11-year career. The next game, against the Timberwolves, Kobe scored 50 points, and the game after that, Kobe scored 60 points in a win over the Memphis Grizzlies-becoming only the second Laker to score 50+ points in three consecutive games, and only the second time he's had a performance like that since Michael Jordan in 1987. The other Laker to do so was Elgin Baylor, who in December 1962 scored 50+ in three consecutive games. The next day, in a game against the New Orleans Hornets, Kobe scored 50 points, becoming only the second player in NBA history after Chamberlain to achieve four consecutive 50+ scoring games, with the record for most consecutive 50+ games being the seven set by Chamberlain. At the end of the season, Kobe total **** got 10 times 50+, becoming the only player who can do this in a single season after Chamberlain in 1961-62 and 1962-63 seasons. He also won the scoring title for the second year in a row. In the 2007 playoffs, the Lakers again lost to the Suns, 1-4, in the first round of the playoffs.
MVP season 2007-2008
On May 27, 2007, ESPN reported that Kobe said he wanted himself traded if Jerry West could not return to the Lakers and be fully entitled. Kobe later confirmed that he wanted West to return to the team, but denied that he wanted himself traded if that didn't happen. Three days later, however, Kobe expressed his displeasure when an "insider" on the team claimed that he was responsible for O'Neal's departure in a telephone interview with Stephen A. Smith; he publicly stated, "I want to be traded. Three hours after making this statement, Kobe said in another interview that he had reconsidered his decision and withdrew his trade request after speaking with head coach Phil Jackson. Later, Kobe said in a non-professional videotape that he should trade center Bynum for All-Star Jason Kidd On December 23, 2007, Kobe became the youngest player ever to reach 20,000 points (at 29 years and 122 days old) in a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Despite tearing ligaments in his right pinky in a February 5, 2008 game, Kobe did not opt for surgery and played all 82 games of the regular season. Speaking about his injury, Kobe said, "I prefer to have surgery after the Lakers season or after the Beijing Olympics this summer. Right now the team doctors and I have to continue to watch my injury on a daily basis".In early September 2008, Kobe decided not to have surgery on his pinky finger. Kobe led his team to a Western Conference-best 57-25 record, sweeping the Denver Nuggets in the first round.On May 6, 2008, it was officially announced that Kobe had won the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award for the first time in his career. He said, "It's been a long journey. I'm proud to represent this team and this city." [Jerry West, who brought Kobe to the Lakers, was also present at the press conference where Kobe accepted the MVP trophy. He said, "Kobe deserves this trophy. He just played another great season. I'm not surprised at all." In addition to winning the MVP award, on May 8, Kobe was the only player to be named unanimously to the NBA's Best XI, his third consecutive first-team selection and sixth of his career. He then went on to lead the NBA's first-team Best Defensive Lineup with Kevin Garnett, with Kobe receiving 52 total **** including 24 first-place votes, his eighth selection. The Lakers entered the playoffs in first place in the West with a first-round opponent in the Nuggets. Kobe, who spent most of Game 1 as a decoy, scored 18 of his 32 points in the final eight minutes of the game to make sure the Lakers maintained their lead. The Lakers beat the Nuggets 4-0 in the first round, making the Nuggets the first team with 50 wins since the Grizzlies were swept in the first round by the Spurs in 2004 to be swept in the second round. In Game 1 against the Jazz, Kobe scored 38 points to help the Lakers beat the Jazz. The Lakers won Game 2 as well, but lost Games 3 and 4, even though Kobe was averaging 33.5 points per game. The Lakers won the next two games and won the Western Conference semifinals in six games. The Lakers' opponent in the Western Conference Finals was the Spurs. The Lakers beat the Spurs in 5 games to advance to the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. This was the 5th time in Kobe's career and the 1st time he made it to the finals without O'Neal. The Lakers ended up losing to the Boston Celtics after 6 games.
Reigning champions (2008-2010)
The Lakers started the 2008-09 season with a 7-game winning streak. Kobe led his team to a team-record tying best start in franchise history of 17-2, and by mid-December, the Lakers were 21-3.Kobe was named to the All-Star Game starting lineup for the 11th consecutive time,
Madison Square Garden single-game highs-61 points in game photos (13) and was consistently the strongest contender for the Most Valuable Player award. Kobe was named Western Conference Player of the Month in both December and January, and was named Western Conference Player of the Week three times.On February 2, 2009, Kobe scored 61 points in a game against the New York Knicks, setting a record for the most points scored at Madison Square Garden Arena. In the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, Kobe had 27 points, four assists, four rebounds and four steals, sharing the All-Star Game MVP trophy with former teammate O'Neal. The Lakers finished the regular season with a Western Conference-best 65-17 record. Kobe finished second behind LeBron in MVP voting and was named to the first-team NBA Best XI and the first-team NBA Best Defensive XI for the seventh time in his career. In the playoffs, the Lakers beat the Jazz in five games and the Rockets in seven games in the first two rounds. It took six games to beat the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, and the Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year, where they defeated the Orlando Magic 4-1. Kobe won his fourth NBA championship while winning the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award for the first time, becoming the first player since Jerry West in the 1969 NBA Finals series to average 32.4 points and 7.4 assists per game, and the second player since Michael Jordan to average 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in a Finals series and eventually win a championship. Kobe contributed six game-winning baskets during the 2009-10 season.
Kobe's game-winning shots during the 2009-2010 season included the game-winning 3-pointer against the Miami Heat on Dec. 4, 2009, when Kobe hit a three-pointer from one foot before the buzzer. Kobe considers this goal to be one of his luckiest goals. A week later, Kobe suffered a torn fracture of his right index finger in a game against the Timberwolves. Despite the injury, Kobe chose to continue playing rather than resting and recuperating. Five days after the finger injury, Kobe again put in the game-winning shot, this time beating the Milwaukee Bucks in overtime after missing the shutout in regulation time. During this season Kobe also became the youngest player to reach 25,000 points (31 years and 151 days), surpassing Wilt Chamberlain. He continued his play in the clutch, once again shutting out the Kings with a crushing three-pointer and putting in the game-winning shot late against the Celtics. The next day, Kobe surpassed Jerry West as the Lakers' all-time scoring leader. After missing five games due to an ankle injury, Kobe returned against the Memphis Grizzlies and hit another game-tying three-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to help the Lakers take a one-point lead. Two weeks later, against the Raptors, Kobe hit his sixth game-winning shot of that season. On April 2, 2010, Kobe signed a three-year contract extension worth $87 million (later confirmed at $83.5 million). Kobe missed four of the final five games of the regular season due to knee and finger injuries. Throughout the season Kobe suffered multiple injuries that caused him to miss nine games. That season Kobe was named to the first-team NBA Best XI and the first-team NBA Best Defensive XI for the fifth consecutive year. The Lakers entered the playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference and
faced the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, eventually defeating them after six games. The team swept the Utah Jazz in the second round of the playoffs to advance to the Western Conference finals against the Phoenix Suns. In Game 2, Kobe dished out 13 assists, setting a new playoff career high; it was also the highest number of assists dished out by a Laker player in the playoffs since Magic Johnson in 1996. The Lakers won the Western Conference Finals series in six games to win the Western Conference Championship and advance to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year. In a rematch with the 2008 NBA champion Boston Celtics, in Game 7, Kobe led the Lakers to recover from a 13-point third-quarter deficit and win the championship despite shooting only 6-of-24 from the field; he scored 10 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter and contributed 15 rebounds for the game. Kobe won his 5th championship and won back-to-back Finals MVP trophies. It was the first time the Lakers beat the Celtics in a 7-game NBA Finals series. Kobe said it was the most satisfying of his five championships.
2010-2011 season
Kobe wins 2011 All-Star Game MVP
In the initial part of the 2010-2011 season, the Lakers put together an eight-game winning streak to open the season. In Game 9 against the Nuggets, Kobe became the youngest Mr. 26,000 points in NBA history. [Kobe also had his first triple-double since January 21, 2009 (17th of his career). On February 30, 2011, against the Celtics, Kobe became the youngest Mr. 27,000 points. on February 1, 2011, Kobe became one of seven players with at least 25,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, and 5,000 assists. on January 27, 2011, Kobe was named to the starting lineup of the NBA All-Star Game for the thirteenth consecutive year as a vote-getter. In the 2011 NBA All-Star Game, Kobe scored a game-high 37 points as well as 14 rebounds to earn his fourth career All-Star Game MVP trophy, tying the record held by Bob Pettit. During the season, Kobe moved from 12th to 6th on the NBA's all-time scoring list, surpassing John Havlishek, Dominique Wilkins, Oscar Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Elvin Hayes and Moses Malone. Kobe is averaging under 20 shots per game this season, the fewest since 2003-2004.