KOBE BRYANT

Kobe Bryant was drafted into the NBA in 1996 out of Lower Merion High School at the age of eighteen years, by the Los Angelos Lakers . Kobe has stayed with the LA Lakers since he was recruited by the famous franchise. Kobe Bryant went on to win 5 NBA championships with the Lakers and some honors for himself.

First of all, Kobe nicknamed himself the black mamba because he believed he was fierce and he striked to kill on the basketball court, an Assassin who made sure his opponent went down dead just like the black mamba snake .

Before making his appearance in the NBA young Kobe won the Naismith Boys High school player of the year Award. This is given to outstanding high school boys and girls who play extraordinary basketball at the high school level.

After Kobe Bryant was recruited by the lakers in 1996, he went on to play exceptionally well in his first year in the NBA. He was part of the few players to be selected for the NBA All Rookie Team. This selection is made annually to present the league’s best rookies.

In 2006 Kobe Bryant won the Under Armour Undeniable Performance ESPY award. The only award of it's kind given to any man or woman for outstanding performance in a single season of sports. Kobe Bryant was unbelievable in 2006 when he scored 81 points in a single game, a true definition of putting the whole team on your back.

Kobe was not left out of BET as the black mamba took home three different awards in 2002, 2003 and 2008 subsequently. These awards are given to black athletes annually for their awesome performance. 

ESPY also awarded Bryant for being a true Icon in 2016 .

Kobe Bryant also made it to the annual all-star selection fifteen times out of the twenty seasons he played in the NBA and managed to win 4 MVP titles in 2002, 2007 , 2009 and 2011 . 

In 2008 and 2010, ESPY awarded Kobe Bryant as the best player of those respective years. 

Kobe Bryant also won NBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER in 2008.

Out of the five championships he won, he managed to also win two MVPs in the finals of 2009 and 2010

Kobe Bryant was also named amongst the all NBA defensive team 12 times in his career 

Kobe Bryant retired from the NBA in 2017 before he made a short film titled DEAR BASKETBALL, to express his love for the game and to bid the NBA goodbye. His short film went on to win Academy Award for best short film(animated) in 2018 .

Kobe Bryant will certainly be inaugurated into the BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME and will forever live on in our hearts as a true legend. 

He is remembered for many things yet the very thing people can’t forget when ever Kobe Bryant comes to mind is the MAMBA MENTALITY , the urge to win no matter what the circumstances are! .

R I P   KOBE & GIANNA