Chinese transliteration: Kobe Bryant, Kobe Byrne (Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau)[1], Kobe Bryan (Taiwan)[2] Nickname: Flying Warrior, Black Mamba[3][4] Numbers: 8 (1996-2006)[5], 24[6] Residence: Newport Beach, CA[7] Former residence: Italy[8][9] Languages: English, Italian, Spanish[10][11] Constellation: Virgo[12] Draft: 13th overall in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, exchanged for the Los Angeles Lakers on July 11 of the same year, the Hornets Got Vlade Divac[8][9] NBA Playing Years: 14 years[13] 2011-2012 Season Salary: $25.24 million[14] Contract Status: 7 years, $136.4 million, signed 2004/7/15, expires summer 2011[14]; 3 years, $83.5 million, signed 2010/4/3, expires summer 2014 High School Years
High school Period Kobe (7 photos) At Laurel Merion High School in Laurel Merion, located in the Philadelphia suburb of Philadelphia, 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. [28] 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 77-13 record. [28] At the adidas ABCD camp, Kobe won the 1995 High School MVP award, [29] and played alongside later teammate Lamar Odom. [30] 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. [31] 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. [32] Kirby finished his high school career by passing Wilt Chamberlain and Lionel Simmons to break the high school scoring record for Southeastern Pennsylvania with 2,883 points. [33][28] For his senior year in high school, Kirby received several awards, including the Naismith High School Player of the Year, the Gatorade All-American High School Player of the Year, the McDonald's All-American Team, and the USA Today All-American First-Team Player. Greg Downer, Kobe's high school basketball coach, described him as a "dominant all-around player."[32] In 1996, Kobe's high school basketball coach, Greg Downer, described him as a "dominant all-around player". [32] Kobe invited R&B singer Brandy Norwood to his prom in 1996,[34] although they were only friends. Kobe scored a 1080 on the Scholastic Aptitude Assessment Test (SAT) at graduation,[35] which was enough to secure him a basketball scholarship to a decent college. However, eventually, at the age of 17, Kobe decided to go straight to the NBA, becoming the sixth player in NBA history to go straight from high school to the NBA Draft. [28] Because going straight from high school to the NBA is not common (Kevin Garnett being the only exception in 20 years), Kobe's decision received a lot of attention. [28] Kobe has said that if he went to college after high school, he would choose Duke University. [36][37]
Edited NBA career
1996 NBA draft
Kobe 1996 transfer to the Los Angeles Lakers
As the first post player to enter the NBA draft directly out of high school, Kobe was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the 1996 draft with the 13th overall pick. [8] However, according to Kobe's agent at the time, Arn Tellem, Kobe playing for the Charlotte Hornets was "a no-brainer". [38] However, Bill Branch, then the Hornets' chief scout, 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. [39] Prior to 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." [40] On July 11, 1996, West traded his starting center, Vlade Divac, to the Hornets in exchange for Kobe's draft rights. [41] Since Kobe was only 17 years old at the time of the draft, his parents had to sign with the Lakers along with him. It was not until the start of the new season that Kobe, who turned 18, signed his contract independently. [42][43]
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[44]), and he was also the youngest player to start a game in NBA history. 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. [9] During NBA All-Star Weekend, Kobe won the Kobe 1997 All-Star Game Slam Dunk Contest
Winner of the 1997 All-Star Game Slam Dunk Contest, the 18-year-old Kobe became the youngest slam dunk contest winner in NBA history. [45] 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. [46][47] In the final game of the season, Kobe threw three three-and-outs (air balls) in the final seconds. [32] He first missed his game-winning shot in the fourth quarter of the game, and then missed two 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 few years later, "[Kobe] was the only guy who dared to take a shot like that in that moment." [48][49] 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, increasing from 7.6 to 15.4 points per game. [Kobe's increased minutes were due to the team's "small lineup", in which Kobe would switch to small forward and play alongside the starting guards. Kobe finished second in the race for the 1998 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award,[51] and became the youngest NBA All-Star Game starter in the history of the NBA, as voted on by the fans.[53] With Kobe, the team was able to win the NBA All-Star Game, and the team was able to win the NBA All-Star Game. [53] He was joined by fellow teammates Shaquille O'Neal, Eddie Jones, and Nick Van Exel,[54] 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. [55] 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 a labor dispute.[6] Kobe started every game in a season that was reduced to only 50 games due to a labor dispute. [6] During the season, Kobe signed a six-year contract with the Lakers worth approximately $70 million. [55] 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 have already begun to compare Kobe's skills to those of Michael Jordan and Earvin Johnson.[42] Kobe's skill set has been compared to that of Michael Jordan and Earvin Johnson. [42][56][57] And the year didn't get much better in the playoffs, getting swept out of the Western Conference semifinals by the San Antonio Spurs. [58]
Three-peat period (1999-2002)
Lakers dynasty O'Neal Kobe Jackson
With the arrival of Phil Jackson to coach the Lakers in 1999, Kobe's fortunes changed. [59] After several years of steady improvement, Kobe has become one of the best point guards in the league, appearing on several NBA Best XIs,[60] All-Stars and NBA Best Defensive XIs. [61] 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 consecutive championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. [62] Early in 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. [63] Upon his return to the court Kobe was able to average over 38 minutes per game, improving all technical statistics during the 1999-2000 season. [50][9] including a team-leading average of assists and steals. 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 the honor). [64] In the playoffs Kobe played only a 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. [65] and finally matched O'Neal's aerial pick-and-roll to win 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. [66] With the Game 6 win, the Lakers had their first NBA championship since 1988. [67][68][69] A commemorative photo of Kobe with his parents after the 2000 championship
Kobe with his two sisters, Sharia and Shayla
In the 2000-01 season, Kobe's numbers were very similar to the previous season when it came to statistics, except for a six-point higher scoring average (28.5 points per game). [50]But that was also the year that conflicts between Kobe and O'Neal began to emerge. [70] Averaging five assists per game again led the team. Although the Lakers only had 56 wins this season, 11 fewer than the previous season, they put together an outstanding 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. [71] In the playoffs Kobe had long minutes and improved his averages to 29.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. [50] In the playoffs O'Neal declared Kobe the best player in the league. [32][72] Kobe ended up being named to the second-team of the Best XI and was named to the Best Defensive XI for the 2nd consecutive year. In addition to this, he was named to the All-Star starting lineup for 3 consecutive years (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 once again, Kobe was also named to the NBA's first-team Best XI for the first time in his career. [9] That year the Lakers finished the regular season with 58 wins, placing 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 defeating 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. [73] In the 2002 Finals, Kobe averaged 26.8 points on 51.4% shooting, along with 5.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, including scoring a quarter of the team's points.[74] At the age of 23, Kobe became the youngest player to win three championships. [74] Kobe was noted and praised for his play in the 4th quarter, especially in the final two rounds of the playoffs. [74][75][76]
Brief slump (2002-2004)
During the 2002-03 season, Kobe averaged 30 points per game and completed a streak of nine consecutive games with 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 NBA Best XI and Best Defensive XI,[9] and ranked third in MVP voting. After a 50-32 regular season, the Lakers lost to the San Antonio Spurs, the year's eventual champion, after six games in the Western Conference semifinals of the playoffs. [77] From left to right, Kobe Malone O'Neal Payton
The following season, 2003-04, the Lakers acquired All-Stars Karl Malone and Gary Payton for another championship run. [78] Before the season began, Kobe was arrested on sexual assault charges. [79] This resulted in Kobe missing 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. [80] 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 title. In the final moments of the fourth quarter, Kobe hit a three-pointer to tie the game and send it into overtime. [81] The game ended up going into a second overtime, and Kobe hit another clutch three to help the Lakers win 105-104. [81] Featuring four future Basketball Hall of Famers, O'Neal, Malone, Payton and Bryant, the Lakers ended up in the NBA Finals. [82] In the Finals, the Lakers were defeated in five games by the Detroit Pistons, who won the championship for the first time since 1990 [83]. In the Finals series, Kobe contributed 22.6 points per game, along with 4.4 assists, on a dismal 35.1% shooting percentage. [84] Phil Jackson did not renew his contract with the Lakers and was replaced as coach by Rudy Tomjanovich. [85] O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant [86]. 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. [87][88]
Disappointing playoff run (2004-2007)
The 2004-05 season was marked by controversy and criticism due to 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 uncoachable." [89] 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. [90] 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. [91] In the post-season awards, Kobe did not make the Best Defensive Lineup due to the decline in the Lakers' overall strength, and the Best Lineup was only selected as the third lineup. [92] During this season, Kobe also publicized conflicts with Ray Allen and Karl Malone. [93][94] 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. [95] Kobe approved of the move, and various 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.
Kobe scored 62 points in three quarters of play Gallery (8) In the Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks game on December 20, 2005, Kobe scored 62 points in the first three quarters of the game (not playing in the fourth quarter), and when he came off the court, his personal scoring of 62 points was higher than the Mavericks' team's scoring of 61 points, and Kobe was the first player to do so since the introduction of the 24-second timer. [On January 16, 2006, the Lakers faced the Heat, and Kobe and O'Neal's pre-game handshake and hug made headlines that day, marking a gradual change in the conflict between the two players. [97]A month later at the 2006
Kobe Bryant 81 points in a single game (11) NBA All-Star Game, these two were seen joking together. [98]On January 22, 2006, Kobe scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. [99] 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 score in NBA history, behind Wilt Chamberlain's record of 100 points in a single game set in 1962. [100] Within the same month, Kobe also became the first player since 1964 to score 45 or more points in four consecutive games, becoming the third player after Chamberlain and Baylor to do so. [101] Throughout the month of January, Kobe averaged 43.4 points per game,[102] ranking 8th in NBA history for single-month scoring average, and first in single-month scoring average for an individual other than Chamberlain. [103] At the end of the 2005-06 season, Kobe set the Lakers' all-time record for most 40+ games in a single season (27) and most points scored (2,832). [47] Kobe won the title of league scoring champion for the first time with his 35.4 scoring average. He finished fourth in the 2006 NBA Most Valuable Player Award voting, but received 22 first-place votes-behind eventual winner Steve Nash. The Lakers put together a 45-37 regular season record, winning 11 more games than the previous season. [104][105][106] 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 switching to No. 33. [5] Kobe said in a TNT radio interview that he had intended to go with #24 for his rookie season, but was unable to do so, and that the #33 jersey had been retired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kobe had worn number 143 at the Adidas ABCD training camp, so ended up choosing the sum of three numbers, 8, as his number. [5] In the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers did enough to take a 3-1 series lead over the Phoenix Suns, which they defeated 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. [107] Despite Kobe averaging 27.9 points per game in the series, the Lakers eventually lost to the Suns in a 7-game battle. [107] In the 90-121 loss to the Suns in Game 7, Kobe was blamed for taking only three shots in the second half. [108] During the 2006 offseason, Kobe underwent knee surgery, preventing him from playing in the 2006 World Men's Basketball Championship. [109] He himself has said, "The significance of the number 24 is 24 hours, and I want to put all my energy into basketball, and that's why I chose the number 24. I wouldn't be Kobe if I couldn't put my whole heart and soul into it seriously. 24 is the best interpretation of me." [110][111][112] 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. [113] 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. [114] After a re-examination by the league, Kobe was banned from the subsequent game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The ban was based on the fact that Kobe waving his arms backward was "an aberrant gesture"
MVP season (2007-2008)
On May 27, 2007, ESPN reported that Kobe said that if Jerry West could not return to the Lakers and earn his full rights, he would like to be traded. [123] Kobe later confirmed that he wanted West to return to the team, but denied that he wanted himself traded if this did not happen. However, three days later, in a telephone interview with Stephen A. Smith, Kobe expressed his displeasure when an "insider" on the team claimed that he was responsible for O'Neal's departure; he publicly stated, "I want to be traded."[125] Kobe later confirmed that he wanted West to return to the team, but denied that he wanted to be traded if it did not happen. [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. [126] Later, Kobe said in a non-professional videotape that center Bynum should be traded for All-Star Jason Kidd. [127][128] On December 23, 2007, Kobe became the youngest player ever to reach 20,000 points (at age 29 years and 122 days) in a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. [129] Despite tearing ligaments in his right pinky thumb 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." [130] In early September 2008, Kobe decided not to have surgery on his pinky. [131] 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, the first of his career. [132] He said, "It's been a long journey. I'm proud to represent this team and this city." [133] 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." [134][135] 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. [136] He then went on to lead the first lineup of the NBA's best defensive lineup with Kevin Garnett, with Kobe receiving a total of 52 points **** including 24 first-place votes, his eighth selection for back-to-back championships (2008-2010)
Initially, the Lakers started the 2008-09 season with a seven-game winning streak. [145] Kobe led his team to a team-record tying 17-2 record to start the season,[146] and by mid-December, the Lakers were 21-3.[147] 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 has been the most Most Valuable Player award contender. [148] Kobe was honored as Western Conference Player of the Month in both December and January, and won Western Conference Player of the Week three times. [149] On February 2, 2009, Kobe scored 61 points in a game against the New York Knicks, setting a Madison Square Garden Arena record for most points scored. [150] 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. [151] The Lakers finished the regular season with a Western Conference-best 65-17 record. Kobe finished second behind LeBron James in MVP voting,[152] 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. [153] 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 his first NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award,[154] becoming the first player since Jerry West in the 1969 NBA Finals series to average 32.4 points and 7.4 assists per game,[155] and the second player since Michael Jordan to average 30 points per game in a Finals series , 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a Finals series and eventually win a championship. [8][156] Kobe contributed six game-winning baskets in the 2009-10 season,
passing Wilt Chamberlain. [160] He continued his play in the clutch, once again shutting out the Kings with a crushing three-pointer,[161] and putting in the game-winning shot late against the Celtics. [162] The next day, Kobe surpassed Jerry West as the Lakers' all-time scoring leader. [163] 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. [164] Two weeks later, Kobe hit his sixth game-winning shot of the season against the Raptors vs. [165][166][167][168] On April 2, 2010, Kobe signed a three-year contract extension worth $87 million (later confirmed to be $83.5 million[169]). [170] Kobe missed four of the final five games of the regular season due to knee and finger injuries. [171] 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 for the fifth consecutive year[172] and the first-team NBA Best Defensive XI. [173]The Lakers entered the playoffs as the top seed in the Western Conference,
President of the United States receives the NBA champion Lakers Photo gallery (8 images) The Lakers faced the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round,[174] and ultimately defeated the Thunder after six games. [175] Sweeping the Utah Jazz in the second round of the playoffs, [176] the team advanced to the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns. In Game 2, Kobe dished out 13 assists, 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. [177] 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. [178] 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. [179] It was the first time the Lakers had beaten the Celtics in a seven-game NBA Finals series. [180] Kobe said it was the most satisfying of his five championships. [181][182][183][184]
2010-2011 season
Kobe was named MVP of the 2011 All-Star Game
At the beginning of the 2010-2011 season, the Lakers put together an eight-game winning streak to start the season. [185] In Game 9 against the Nuggets, Kobe became the youngest Mr. 26,000 points in NBA history. [186] Kobe also had his first triple-double since January 21, 2009 (17th of his career). [187] On January 30, against the Celtics, Kobe became the youngest Mr. 27,000 points. [188] On February 1, 2011, Kobe became one of seven players with at least 25,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, and 5,000 assists. [189] On January 27, Kobe was named to the NBA All-Star Game starting lineup for the 13th consecutive year as a vote-getter. [190] In the 2011 NBA All-Star Game, Kobe scored a game-high 37 points along with 14 rebounds to earn his fourth career All-Star Game MVP trophy, tying the record held by Bob Pettit. [191][192] 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. [193]
Edited player profile
Kobe is a point guard with the ability to play the small forward position. Considered one of the most versatile players in the NBA,[194][195] he has been named to the NBA's Best XI in every year since 1999 and has played in the last 12 NBA All-Star Games in which he has participated (missing the 2010 All-Star season due to injury). [9] Sportswriters and sports commentators often compare Kobe to Michael Jordan, but Kobe has always disliked the comparison. [196] In 2007, ESPN's sportswriters voted for the greatest point guard of all time, which resulted in Kobe being ranked second behind Jordan. [195]
Lakers.com - Kobe Bryant Gallery (12 photos)Kobe is a prolific scorer, averaging 25.3 points per game in his career, along with 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.5 steals (as of the end of the 2010-2011 regular season). [50] He is a player who has the ability to create scoring opportunities for himself, and he shares the NBA record of hitting 12 three-pointers in a single game. [197] Kobe is often considered one of the NBA's most prolific scorers,[198] despite his average 45.5%[50] career shooting percentage. He uses his speed and athleticism to elude defenders in order to finish, and has virtually no offensive blind spots. Kobe's best moves are his turnaround jumper, as well as his ability to get down low on one-and-one's and his post-up jumper. Chris Ballard, NBA writer for Sports Illustrated, described Kobe's moves as "using footwork and pauses," in which he puts his off-center foot forward to get the defender to relax, then quickly launches himself away from the opponent to drive to the basket.[199] In addition to this, he is also the best player on the court. Kobe is also an excellent defender, having been named to either the first or second team of the NBA's Best Defensive Line in 11 of his last 12 seasons (2000-2011).[9] Kobe has been named to either the first or second team of the NBA's Best Defensive Line for the last 12 seasons (2000-2011). [9] Kobe is also considered one of the NBA's most capable players in key moments. [200] Kobe was also voted for nine consecutive seasons in the NBA Team General Manager Questionnaire as the player best suited to finish the final shot in the final moments of a game. [201] Both the Turner Television Network (TNT) and Sporting News named Kobe the NBA's 10-year Player of the Year from 2000-2009.