Contents
- Kobe Bryant Facts (NBA) – #100 Fun Facts
- Kobe Bryant Early Years
- Kobe Bryant Wonder Years
- Kobe Bryant: High School Star
- 12) Went to Lower Merion High School
- 13) Basketball Star During His Freshman Year
- 14) Pennsylvania Player Of The Year
- 15) National High School Player Of The Year
- 16) Naismith Player Of The Year
- 17) Gatorade Circle Of Champions High School Player Of The Year
- 18) McDonald’s All-American Game
- 19) Broke Records Of Chamberlain And Warley
- 20) Went To The Prom With Brandy Norwood
- 21) Was In A Rap Band During High School
- 22) Performed At Sway & King Tech Concert
- 23) Scored 1080 On His SAT Test
- 24) College Recruiters From Across The Country Wanted Kobe
- Kobe Bryant: Career with NBA
- 25) Decided To Go Into NBA Directly
- 26) Contract With Adidas
- 27) More Endorsements During His Early Years
- 28) NBA Draft 1996
- 29) Youngest Player To Play In An NBA Game
- 30) Winner Of Slam Dunk Competition
- 31) Spot On NBA All Rookie Team
- 32) Disastrous Performance In First Season
- 33) Runner-Up For NBA’s Sixth Man Of The Year Award
- 34) $70-Million Contract For Six Years
- 35) Sidelined In Start Of 1999-2000 Season
- 36) Took Lakers To The Pinnacle of Success With Shaquille O’Neal
- 37) Suffered An Ankle Injury During NBA Finals 2000
- 38) Disagreements Between Bryant And O’Neal
- 39) O’Neal Asserted Bryant As Best Player
- 40) Played Eighty Games
- 41) All-NBA First Team
- 42) More Career Highs
- Kobe Bryant: Assault Charges
- Later Career of Kobe Bryant
- 48) Downgraded To The All-NBA Defensive Third Team
- 49) Career High Of 81 Points
- 50) Set Record For Scoring 40 Points In 27 Games
- 51) Couldn’t Participate in 2006 FIBA World Championship
- 52) Engaged in Several Incidents During Games
- 53) Played 82 Games during 2007-2008 Season Despite a Hand Injury
- 54) Member of USA FIBA Americas Championship Team
- 55) Part Of USA Men’s Senior National Team
- 56) Talking About The Black Mamba Collection
- 57) Suffered From Multiple Injuries In 2009-2010 Season
- 58) Endorsements For Nike
- 59) Youngest Player To Score 27,000 Points
- 60) Became A Career Scoring Leader In The All-Star Game
- 61) All-NBA Team And NBA All-Star Games
- 62) NBA All-Defensive Team
- 63) $200 Million Net Worth
- Accolades for Kobe Bryant
- 64) Youngest Player In NBA To Win Three NBA Championships
- 65) Second Player To Score Four Consecutive 50-Point Games
- 66) Kobe’s Jersey Became The Top Selling NBA Jersey
- 67) Youngest Player To Score 2000 Points
- 68) NBA Most Valuable Player Award
- 69) Western Conference Player Of The Month
- 70) Set A Record At Madison Square Garden
- 71) NBA Finals MVP Trophy
- 72) Youngest Player To Score 25,000 Points
- 73) Broke Jerry West’s Record
- 74) Second Successive NBA Finals MVP Trophy
- 75) Only Player In The NBA To Score 600 Points In 3 Successive Playoffs
- 76) Ranked Sixth On The NBA All-Time Career Scoring List
- 77) Youngest Player To Score 30,000 Points
- 78) Named In Numerous Lists Of Forbes Magazine
- Kobe Bryant Charity
- Kobe Bryant Married Life
- Music Career of Kobe Bryant
- Controversy
- More Kobe Bryant Facts
- Inspirational
Kobe Bryant Facts (NBA) – #100 Fun Facts
Kobe Bryant Early Years
1) Kobe Bryant (Born In 1978)
On August 23, 1978, a star was born in the house of former Philadelphia 76ers player Joe Bryant – Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was the only son as well as the youngest child of Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant.
2) Successful Basketball Player
Kobe Bryant is popularly known as a recognized and professional basketball player who is a pro at this game.
He plays for the famed Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
3) Kobe Bryant Parents
Kobe Bryant is the son of Joseph (Joe) “Jellybean” Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant.
His father, also born in Philadelphia, is a notable retired professional basketball player.
Joe Bryant coached the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA and is currently coaching the Chang Thailand Slammers of the ASEAN Basketball League.
Kobe has two elder sisters: Sharia and Shaya.
4) Named After Kobe Beef
Kobe Bryant is actually named after a certain type of beef.
Kobe’s parents saw the name “Kobe Beef Steak” on the menu of a restaurant they were visiting and liked the name a lot.
Kobe beef is the beef brought from the wagyu cattle in the Hyogo Prefecture in Japan.
It is a popular Japanese delicacy.
5) Nephew Of John “Chubby” Cox
Kobe Bryant is the nephew of a retired American basketball player, John Arthur “Chubby” Cox III.
He was a professional player in the Continental Basketball Association from 1978 till 1981.
Kobe Bryant Wonder Years
6) Started Playing Basketball At The Age Of 3
Kobe Bryant’s love for basketball ignited when he was very young.
He was only three years old when he started playing the game.
His father taught him the basics of basketball.
And with time, his love for this game grew stronger.
His favorite team at that time was the Lakers.
And he was a huge Magic Johnson fan.
7) Learned To Speak Spanish And Italian In Reiti
When Kobe was about 6 years old, Joe left the NBA and shifted to Reiti located in Italy.
He moved there so he could continue his career as a professional basketball player.
Soon, Kobe adjusted to the new lifestyle and learned Italian and Spanish.
In 2007, Kobe stated that he can still fluently speak Italian.
8) Kobe Bryant Studied Videos Of NBA Games
Kobe Bryant’s grandfather used to send Kobe videos of different NBA games and Kobe used to watch all of them.
He used to study every game and learned a lot from watching those videos.
9) Also Learned To Play Soccer
Apart from learning basketball at a very young age, Kobe also learned to play soccer.
He enjoyed this game a lot too.
10) Fan Of AC Milan, Ronaldinho And Frank Rijkaard
Kobe’s favorite soccer team is AC Milan.
He is also a huge fan of Frank Rijkaard, who is the ex-manager of FC Barcelona.
Also, Kobe really likes the notable soccer player Ronaldinho.
11) Would Have Tried Becoming A Soccer Player
Kobe stated once in an interview that if he and his family had stayed in Italy and had not shifted back to the U.S., he would have really tried to play soccer on a professional level.
Kobe Bryant: High School Star
12) Went to Lower Merion High School
When Joe Bryant retired from basketball during the year 1991, he and his family returned to the U.S. for good.
Kobe went to Lower Merion High School situated in Lower Merion, a suburb of Philadelphia, and gained a lot of popularity there.
13) Basketball Star During His Freshman Year
Kobe Bryant started gaining recognition as a basketball player during his freshman year at Lower Merion High School.
Kobe was the first freshman of the school in a long time to play for the school’s varsity basketball team.
14) Pennsylvania Player Of The Year
Lower Merion’s varsity basketball team lost during Kobe’s freshman year with a record low of 4-20 but in the following three years, the team went 77-13. Kobe played in all five positions during these matches.
On average, he made 31.1 points, 5.2 assists and 10.4 rebounds per game, and was declared the Pennsylvania Player of the Year because of his shining performances.
15) National High School Player Of The Year
During his senior year at Lower Merion High School, Kobe Bryant was rated as the National High School Player of the Year by both Parade Magazine and USA Today.
16) Naismith Player Of The Year
Kobe Bryant received the prestigious Naismith Prep Player of the Year award during 1996.
This award is named after James Naismith, who invented basketball.
This award is given every year by the Atlanta Tip-off Club to exceptional female and male basketball players in high school.
17) Gatorade Circle Of Champions High School Player Of The Year
The Gatorade Player of the Year Award is given each year to female and male high school students in the U.S. for their outstanding performance in sports.
In 1996, Kobe Bryant won this award in the basketball category.
18) McDonald’s All-American Game
During the year 1996, Kobe Bryant also participated in the notable McDonald’s All-American Game.
The McDonald’s All-American Game refers to all-star basketball games held each year that feature outstanding male and female players from high schools in the U.S. and Canada.
19) Broke Records Of Chamberlain And Warley
Kobe Bryant was the star of his school.
He was the unparalleled scorer in all of southeastern Pennsylvania with a striking record of 2,883 points.
He broke the high school records of Wilt Chamberlain, a renowned NBA player who had scored 2,349 points, and Carlin Warley, who played college ball for St. Joseph’s and had scored 2441 points.
20) Went To The Prom With Brandy Norwood
Kobe Bryant was famous in high school, especially among the girls.
He went to his senior prom in 1996 with popular R&B singer and actress Brandy Norwood.
However, the two were nothing more than just friends.
21) Was In A Rap Band During High School
When he was in high school, Kobe was a part of a rap band named CHEIZAW.
The group was named after the Chi Shah gang featured in the well-known movie “Kid with the Golden Arm.”
CHEIZAW was signed by Sony Entertainment, but Sony’s ultimate motive was to get rid of the rest of the group and get Kobe to record an album.
22) Performed At Sway & King Tech Concert
Kobe Bryant performed in a concert by Sway & King Tech during 1997.
He also recorded a couple of verses for Brian McKnight’s song “Hold Me.”
23) Scored 1080 On His SAT Test
Kobe scored 1080 in his SAT test; this score would have entitled him to get great scholarships at the best colleges if he had gone to college and had not received a basketball scholarship.
Kobe once mentioned in an interview that if he had gone to college, his pick would have been Duke University.
24) College Recruiters From Across The Country Wanted Kobe
Kobe Bryant’s brilliant performances had stunned almost every college recruiter across the United States.
College recruiters were eager to make him a part of their college team after Kobe finished high school.
He was seriously considering going to any one of these four: Villanova, Michigan, North Carolina and Duke; but then, he changed his mind.
Kobe Bryant: Career with NBA
25) Decided To Go Into NBA Directly
Instead of going to college after high school, Kobe Bryant made a decision that startled everyone – he decided to enter the NBA.
Kobe thought that going to the professionals directly would help him establish a career fast.
So, in 1996, 17-year-old Kobe started playing for the NBA.
He was the sixth basketball player in the entire NBA history to enter the NBA right after high school.
Kobe’s decision brought him into the limelight and created a lot of hype in the media.
26) Contract With Adidas
Prior to starting his NBA career in the 1996-1997 season, Kobe Bryant signed a big six-year-long contract with Adidas; the contract was worth an outstanding $48 million.
Kobe’s very first signature shoe with Adidas was the “Equipment KB 8.”
It had Kobe Bryant’s initials: K and B.
27) More Endorsements During His Early Years
During the very same year that Kobe signed a contract with Nike, he was showered with many other endorsements too.
One of his initial sponsors was the Coca-Cola Company; Kobe endorsed their soft drink, Sprite.
Also, he appeared in McDonald’s ads.
He promoted Upper Deck, the sports card company, and the new NBA Infusion Ball by Spalding.
He also signed with Ferrero SpA’s well-known brand, Nutella.
28) NBA Draft 1996
Kobe Bryant was selected as the thirteenth pick in the draft by the Charlotte Hornets during the start of his NBA career in 1996.
Kobe’s agent then, Arn Tellen, said that it was “impossible” that Kobe would play for the Charlotte Hornets.
The Hornets’ head scout during that time, Bill Branch, said that the Hornets had consented to deal their draft pick to the Lakers prior to choosing Kobe Bryant.
Both the teams agreed on making this trade a day before drafting, and the Lakers didn’t advise the Hornets on whom to choose until 5 minutes before they chose Kobe.
Branch stated that before the trade was made, the Hornets had never thought of drafting Kobe Bryant.
29) Youngest Player To Play In An NBA Game
When he was 18, Kobe Bryant was termed as the youngest player to play in an NBA game; he was only 18 years and 72 days old at that time.
He was also declared the youngest starter of the NBA when he was 18 years and 158 days old.
30) Winner Of Slam Dunk Competition
In 1997, Bryant won the Slam Dunk Contest during the All-Star Weekend.
He was 18 at that time and became the youngest player ever to win this contest.
The 1997 NBA All-Star Game was the forty-seventh edition of the popular All-Star Game.
This game was played on February 9, 1997.
The NBA Slam Dunk Contest is a part of the All-Star Game.
31) Spot On NBA All Rookie Team
During the start of his NBA career, Kobe Bryant didn’t get to play much during a game but as the season ended, he started playing 15.5 minutes per game on average.
His performance during the year landed him a place on the NBA All Rookie second team along with Travis Knight.
32) Disastrous Performance In First Season
Kobe Bryant played badly in the playoffs, during the last minutes of his first season.
He shot air balls four times during the game, and every one was at a very crucial time.
Kobe also missed a jumper during the fourth quarter of the game and 3 three-pointers during the overtime.
33) Runner-Up For NBA’s Sixth Man Of The Year Award
Bryant began receiving more playing time during each of his games in the second season with the NBA.
This gave him the chance to exhibit more of his talent and skills.
He ranked second for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award.
He gained a lot of fans and became the youngest ever NBA All-Star in the history of the NBA.
34) $70-Million Contract For Six Years
During his third season in the NBA, Bryant emerged as a premier guard of the league from 1998 till 1999.
He started almost all 50 games of the season, which was shorter than usual because of a lockout.
He also signed off on a huge six-year contract that was worth $70 million.
Due to this contract extension, Kobe was signed to stay with the Lakers till the season of 2003-2004 ended.
35) Sidelined In Start Of 1999-2000 Season
During a pre-season game with the Washington Wizards, Kobe Bryant suffered a severe injury on his hand.
Due to this, he remained on the sidelines for six weeks during the start of the 1999-2000 season.
36) Took Lakers To The Pinnacle of Success With Shaquille O’Neal
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal became the talk of every game the Lakers played.
Coach Phil Jackson joined the Lakers during 1999 and he utilized the potential of this duo to its maximum by using their skills strategically.
As a result, the Lakers won 67 games that season.
Bryant and O’Neal together made a unique and phenomenal guard-center pair and enabled the Los Angeles Lakers to win three basketball championships consecutively from 2000-2002.
37) Suffered An Ankle Injury During NBA Finals 2000
While playing the 2000 NBA Finals opposite the Indiana Pacers, Kobe Bryant fell and suffered an ankle injury during the second quarter of Game 2.
Kobe tumbled over something, rose in the air and fell on the foot of Jalen Rose of the Pacers.
Later, Rose confessed that he had deliberately positioned his foot right under Bryant so he could get an injury.
38) Disagreements Between Bryant And O’Neal
During the season of 2000-2001, differences between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal started surfacing.
These disagreements affected the overall performance of the Lakers and they were victorious in only 56 games during that season and lost 11 huge games.
39) O’Neal Asserted Bryant As Best Player
During the playoffs in the 2000-2001 season, Kobe Bryant played some extremely heavy minutes; these minutes gave a substantial boost to his stats and brought them up to average 29.4 points, 6.1 assists and 7.3 rebounds in each game.
Shaquille O’Neal then declared Kobe Bryant as the top player of the league.
40) Played Eighty Games
Kobe Bryant played eighty basketball games for the first time ever during the season of 2001-2002.
His stats on average were 24.2 points, 5.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game.
41) All-NBA First Team
For the first time during his career, Kobe Bryant was named to the prestigious All-NBA First Team during the 2001-2002 season.
The famous All-NBA Team is an honor awarded by the NBA to the most excellent players of the league every season.
42) More Career Highs
During the 2002-2003 season, Kobe Bryant’s game became more polished and he started making thirty points per every game on average.
In nine consecutive games, Kobe scored 40 points or higher; on average he scored 40.6 points during the month of February.
Also, he made 6.9 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 5.9 assists on average during every game he played in – all of these were his career highs of that time.
Kobe Bryant: Assault Charges
43) Charged For Sexually Assaulting A Hotel Employee
During the summer of 2003, an employee of The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera located in Edwards, Colorado, accused Kobe Bryant of assaulting her sexually.
Bryant was staying at the hotel as he had a surgery on July 2.
She asserted that Bryant raped her one night prior to his surgery.
44) Lost Majority Of His Sponsors
Kobe Bryant was arrested July 2 on the charge of sexual assault.
He admitted that he had an adulterous affair with that woman but said it was consensual, and he denied the assault charges.
Due to this episode, Kobe lost many of his sponsors and his public image was tarnished badly.
One of his sponsors, Nike, did not leave him but it also did not promote him during the entire season of 2003 to 2004.
45) Settlement Of The Sexual Assault Case
Kobe Bryant went through numerous hearings at court and a lot of hype was created in the media.
Terry Ruckriegle, judge of the Eagle County District Court, dismissed all charges filed against Kobe Bryant on September 1, 2004, after the accuser told him that she was not ready to bear witness in court.
The accuser then filed a civil lawsuit against Kobe before the case went to trial.
The two parties then met and settled the case; terms of the settlement were not disclosed to the media or the public.
46) Kobe’s Apology To The Accuser
Kobe Bryant released a statement in which he deeply apologized to the woman who accused him of sexual assault.
He said, “First, I want to apologize directly to the young woman involved in this incident.
I want to apologize to her for my behavior that night and for the consequences she has suffered in the past year.
Although this year has been incredibly difficult for me personally, I can only imagine the pain she has had to endure.
I also want to apologize to her parents and family members, and to my family and friends and supporters, and to the citizens of Eagle, Colorado.”
47) Phil Jackson Criticized Kobe Bryant
During the season of 2004 to 2005, Kobe Bryant was studied in detail and received a lot disparagement because of the entire alleged sexual assault episode.
A huge barrage of criticism came his way in the form of Phil Jackson’s book, “The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul.”
The book focused on the turbulent 2003-2004 season the Lakers went through and censured Kobe Bryant heavily.
Later Career of Kobe Bryant
48) Downgraded To The All-NBA Defensive Third Team
The Lakers missed the playoffs in the 2004-2005 season; also that season witnessed a significant drop in Kobe Bryant’s reputation in the NBA.
He failed to make it to the NBA All-Defensive Team and was relegated to the All-NBA Third Team.
This had happened for the first time to Kobe in his basketball career.
49) Career High Of 81 Points
Kobe Bryant’s game started regaining its glory during the 2005-2006 season when Phil Jackson returned as the coach of the Lakers.
Kobe scored a smashing 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006, and made a career-high record.
He broke the record of Elgin Baylor who had scored 71 points, and had the second-highest points in NBA history after Wilt Chamberlain’s astounding 100-point game during 1962.
50) Set Record For Scoring 40 Points In 27 Games
During January 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 45 points and above in four successive games; this made him the only player after Baylor and Chamberlain to make such a record.
Kobe made 43.4 points on average per game during January; it is the highest average of any player in the NBA’s history after Chamberlain.
As the 2005-2006 season ended, Bryant set a Lakers record for scoring twenty-seven 40-point games.
He also was triumphant in winning the Lakers’ scoring title for the first time in his career by scoring 35.4 points per game on average.
51) Couldn’t Participate in 2006 FIBA World Championship
During the off-season of 2006, Kobe Bryant suffered from an injury to his knee and was asked to rest by his doctor.
Due to this injury he could not participate in the much-awaited 2006 FIBA World Championship.
The 2006 FIBA World Championship was a basketball competition on the international level and was hosted and organized by Japan.
Earlier, in 2002, Kobe did not play in this championship either.
52) Engaged in Several Incidents During Games
Kobe Bryant was engaged in a number of incidents on court during the 2006-2007 season.
On January 28, 2006, while Kobe waved his arm to make a shot, he struck Manu Ginobili, a guard of the San Antonio Spurs.
His elbow hit Ginobili in the face quite hard.
Kobe was then suspended for the next game against the New York Knicks.
He repeated a similar action on March 6, 2006; this time he struck Marko Jaric, a guard of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
He was again suspended for the subsequent game.
During a game against Philadelphia on March 9, 2006, Kobe Bryant elbowed Kyle Korver’s face.
Kobe received strict criticism for his actions during that season.
53) Played 82 Games during 2007-2008 Season Despite a Hand Injury
During the 2007-2008 season, Kobe Bryant injured his finger on his shooting hand.
His finger’s radial collateral ligament ruptured and he also suffered from a volar plate injury on the MCP joint.
Despite his injury, Kobe played all eighty-two games of that season and delayed his surgery.
Talking about his injury, Kobe said, “I would prefer to delay any surgical procedure until after our Lakers season, and this summer’s Olympic Games.
But, this is an injury that myself and the Lakers’ medical staff will just have to continue to monitor on a day-to-day basis.”
During September 2008, Kobe settled that he would not undergo surgery to get his injury fixed.
54) Member of USA FIBA Americas Championship Team
In 2007, Kobe Bryant became a part of the USA FIBA Americas Championship Team.
The team won the championship with a remarkable victory record of 10-0 and won the gold.
Kobe started all ten games of the USA FIBA Americas Championship and made a score of 15.3 points, 1.6 steals, 2.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in every game on average.
55) Part Of USA Men’s Senior National Team
Kobe Bryant was named twice as a member of the USA Men’s Senior National Team, once in 2007 and the second time in 2008.
On June 23, 2008, the USA Men’s Senior National Team was selected for the Summer Olympics 2008.
It was Kobe’s first time ever to become a part of the Olympics. Team USA won gold that year.
56) Talking About The Black Mamba Collection
Kobe Bryant signed a contract with Nuebo during 2009 to promote his collection of sports and luxury watches titled the Black Mamba Collection.
While talking about the Black Mamba Collection, Kobe Bryant said, “The Black Mamba collection of watches is me: It is my alter ego, so to speak.
As I mentioned before, it is sharp, cutting-edge and sleek which are characteristics I try to apply when I’m out there on the basketball court.”
57) Suffered From Multiple Injuries In 2009-2010 Season
During the 2009-2010 season, Kobe Bryant suffered numerous injuries.
He experienced harsh injuries on his knee and finger a couple of times; due to this, he missed out on nine important games of the season.
58) Endorsements For Nike
Nike is one of Kobe Bryant’s biggest sponsors.
Kobe Bryant appeared in a video in 2008 in which he promoted Nike’s shoes called Hyperdunk.
Later, Kobe Bryant launched the fourth edition of the Zoom Kobe IV, which is Kobe’s signature shoe line by Nike.
During 2010, Nike launched Nike Zoom Kobe V.
59) Youngest Player To Score 27,000 Points
On January 30, 2011, during the 2010-2011 season, Kobe Bryant achieved the honor of being the youngest player in the NBA history to score 27,000 points.
On February 1, Kobe was termed as one of the seven players to have scored at least 25,000 points, 5000 assists and 5000 rebounds.
60) Became A Career Scoring Leader In The All-Star Game
Kobe Bryant scored 27 points in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game and surpassed the record of Michael Jordan.
Through this he achieved the honor of being the career scoring leader in the All-Star Game.
61) All-NBA Team And NBA All-Star Games
Kobe Bryant has the honor of being a part of each All-NBA Team since he was first selected in 1999.
Kobe has also been named to 15 NBA All-Star games.
62) NBA All-Defensive Team
Kobe was named nine times to the NBA All-Defensive First Team: in the seasons 1999-2000, 2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011.
Kobe was named three times to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team: in the seasons 2000-2001, 2001-2002 and 2011-2012.
63) $200 Million Net Worth
Forbes Magazine stated that Kobe Bryant had annual income of $52 million.
He earned a salary worth $20 million and had endorsements worth $30 million.
His net worth, estimated at $200 million or more, suffered a blow when he and Vanessa decided to get a divorce.
Vanessa took hold of their three manors located in Newport Beach, California, that are valued at $18.8 million.
But when the couple called off their divorce, Kobe’s huge net worth was restored.
Accolades for Kobe Bryant
64) Youngest Player In NBA To Win Three NBA Championships
When he was 23 years old, Kobe Bryant became the youngest player who had won three consecutive NBA Championships, from 1999 to 2002.
His performance during the championships received great appreciation.
This victory strengthened Kobe’s status as a clutch player of the league.
65) Second Player To Score Four Consecutive 50-Point Games
During the 2006-2007 season, Kobe Bryant became the second player in the history of the NBA to score four amazing consecutive 50-point games.
Wilt Chamberlain is the only player to have scored seven consecutive 50-point games.
Kobe finished that season by scoring ten games of 50-plus points; this made him the only player after Chamberlain to score this much during one season.
66) Kobe’s Jersey Became The Top Selling NBA Jersey
During the 2006-2007 season, Kobe Bryant’s jersey became arguably the top selling NBA jersey in China and the United States.
Earlier that season, Kobe had changed his jersey’s number to 24 from 8.
According to several journalists, the heightened sales of Kobe’s jersey were due to his jersey’s new number.
67) Youngest Player To Score 2000 Points
On December 23, 2007 during the 2007-2008 season, Kobe Bryant added another feather in his cap when he became the youngest player at the age of 29 years and 122 days to have scored 2000 points.
68) NBA Most Valuable Player Award
During the 2007-2008 season, Kobe Bryant was voted No. 1 as the NBA Most Valuable Player on May 6, 2008.
On receiving the award, Kobe said, “It’s been a long ride.
I’m very proud to represent this organization, to represent this city.”
In the 2005-2006 season, Kobe Bryant had been ranked fourth during the voting done for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, but he received 22 votes for first place and was second to the winner of that year’s award, Steve Nash.
69) Western Conference Player Of The Month
Kobe Bryant opened the 2008-2009 season with victories as he led the Lakers to set a record for most wins during the season’s start with a score of 17-2; by the middle of December, the Lakers had a record of a brilliant 21-3.
Kobe was the Western Conference Player of the Month for the months of December and January; he was also declared the Western Conference Player of the Week three times.
70) Set A Record At Madison Square Garden
During the 2008-2009 season, Kobe Bryant scored 61 points in a game opposite the Knicks on February 2, 2009; and he set a record for scoring the most points at Madison Square Garden in New York where the game was being played.
71) NBA Finals MVP Trophy
During the 2008-2009 season, Kobe Bryant received his first NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Trophy when he won his fourth championship.
Kobe had a series average of 32.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 7.4 assists and 1.4 steals.
He was also declared the first player after Jerry West (1969) to score an average of 32.4 points and 7.4 assists during the NBA Finals.
Kobe was also the first player since the famed Michael Jordan to score 30 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds on average in the finals.
72) Youngest Player To Score 25,000 Points
When he was 31 years and 151 days old, Kobe Bryant achieved the honor of being the youngest player in the NBA history to score 25,000 points, during the 2009-2010 season.
He even exceeded the record set by Wilt Chamberlain.
73) Broke Jerry West’s Record
During the 2009-2010 season, Kobe Bryant surpassed the record set by Jerry West and became the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Lakers franchise.
74) Second Successive NBA Finals MVP Trophy
Kobe Bryant was successful in winning his fifth championship during the 2009-2010 season when the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics.
Kobe also received his second successive NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Kobe stated this championship to be the “most satisfying” of the five he had won.
75) Only Player In The NBA To Score 600 Points In 3 Successive Playoffs
Kobe Bryant is the only player in the entire NBA history who has scored 600 points during the post-season for three years in a row.
He made 633 points in 2008, 695 during 2009 and 671 in 2010.
76) Ranked Sixth On The NBA All-Time Career Scoring List
During the 2010-2011 season, Kobe Bryant advanced to the sixth position from his twelfth position on the NBA all-time career scoring list.
He surpassed the records of John Havlicek, Oscar Robertson, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes, Hakeem Olajuwon and Dominique Wilkins.
77) Youngest Player To Score 30,000 Points
On December 5, 2012, Kobe Bryant became the youngest player in his league to score 30,000 points when he was 34 years and 104 days old.
And on December 18, he made 30-plus points in his seventh successive game — it was termed as the longest streak in NBA history by a 34-year-old player.
78) Named In Numerous Lists Of Forbes Magazine
Kobe Bryant has been named in plenty of lists of Forbes Magazine: he has ranked No. 6 in the World’s Highest Paid Athletes; no. 27 in the Celebrity 100 list; No. 26 on the Social list; No. 27 in Press and Web; No. 32 in TV/Radio and No. 33 in Money.
Kobe Bryant Charity
79) Aided The Call Of Duty Endowment
On November 4, 2010, Kobe Bryant and actor-writer Zach Braff attended the Call of Duty: Black Ops event taking place at the Santa Monica Airport.
They helped present a huge $1 million check from Activision to the organization which works to aid veterans settle into civilian careers after serving in the military.
80) Representative Of ASAS
Kobe Bryant is associated with the After-School All-Stars (ASAS) organization; he is also its ambassador.
ASAS is a non-profit American-based foundation that offers excellent after-school programs to hundreds of children in about thirteen cities in the U.S.
81) Kobe Bryant China Fund
Kobe Bryant established the Kobe Bryant China Fund.
This foundation partners with the Soong Ching Ling Foundation, which is a charitable organization supported by the government of China.
The Kobe Bryant China Fund works hard to provide better education and health facilities to the underprivileged by raising funds in China.
Kobe Bryant Married Life
82) Met Vanessa Laine In 1999
Kobe Bryant met Vanessa Laine during November 1999.
Kobe was 21 and Vanessa was 17 at that time.
She was a background dancer in the music video of “G’d Up” by Tha Eastsidaz and was working in the same building where Kobe was doing some work on his debut album.
They hit it off quite well and started dating each other; later during May 2000, they got engaged.
83) Married Vanessa Laine
Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Laine tied the knot on April 18, 2011, at St. Edward Roman Catholic Church located in Dana Point, California.
Their first child, daughter Natalia, was born on January 19, 2003.
Vanessa had an ectopic pregnancy during the spring of 2005 but became pregnant again and gave birth to another daughter on May 1, 2006.
Kobe’s second daughter, Gianna, was born only six minutes before his ex-teammate O’Neal’s daughter, Me’arah Sanaa.
84) Kobe’s Parents Didn’t Support His Marriage to Vanessa
Kobe Bryant’s parents and sisters did not attend his wedding ceremony.
His parents were against his marriage for several reasons.
The two main reasons were Kobe getting married at such a young age and that Kobe was marrying a non African-American woman.
85) Reconciled With His Parents On The Birth Of His First Daughter
When Kobe’s first daughter Natalia was born, he warmed to the idea of reconciling with his parents.
He had not met with them in two years but after his daughter’s birth, he went to meet them and resolved all his issues with them.
86) His Wife Filed For Divorce
Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce from Kobe Bryant on December 16, 2011, and stated that the two had extremely conflicting differences that couldn’t be resolved.
But on January 11, 2013, Kobe and Vanessa announced that they had canceled their plans for divorce.
Music Career of Kobe Bryant
87) Recorded His Debut Musical Album, ‘Visions’
Kobe Bryant recorded an entire album with Sony Entertainment; the album was titled “Visions” and was planned to be launched during the spring of 2000.
This album focused less on hip-hop and more on radio-friendly music.
88) Kobe’s First Single Didn’t Receive Recognition
Kobe Bryant’s first single from the album “Visions” was titled “K.O.B.E.” and it featured notable supermodel Tyra Banks who sang the hook of the song.
The song was released during January 2000; it was also performed at NBA All-Star Weekend during that month.
Unfortunately for Bryant, the song did not receive much appreciation and recognition; consequently, Sony called off plans of releasing “Visions” and also walked out on Kobe.
89) Co-founding Heads High Entertainment
After being abandoned by Sony Entertainment, Kobe Bryant decided to launch his album on his own.
He co-founded Heads High Entertainment, which was an independent record label, but the company closed within one year of its establishment.
Controversy
90) Insult To Referee Bennie Adams
On April 13, 2011 during the 2010-2011 season, Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 by the NBA after Kobe directed an insult pertaining to gay people at referee Bennie Adams.
The NBA’s decision was appreciated by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, and Kobe’s language was termed as a “disgrace” by the Human Rights Campaign.
91) Kobe Apologized For His Unethical Behavior
Kobe Bryant apologized for abusing Bennie Adams.
He and the other players on the Lakers made an appearance in a public service message by the Lakers and denounced Kobe’s unacceptable behavior.
More Kobe Bryant Facts
92) Cover Athlete For Numerous Video Games
Kobe Bryant has been the cover athlete for several video games: “Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside,” “NBA Courtside 2: Featuring Kobe Bryant,” “NBA Courtside 2002,” “NBA 3 On 3 Featuring Kobe Bryant,” “NBA ’07: Featuring the Life Vol. 2,” “NBA ’09: The Inside” and “NBA 2K10.”
93) Black Mamba
Kobe Bryant gave himself the nickname “Black Mamba.”
He stated that he wanted his basketball capabilities to work exactly like the snake, the black mamba, and wanted his skills to be extremely speedy and accurate.
94) Launch Of King Power Black Mamba
In 2013, the famous watch brand Hublot declared that Kobe Bryant would serve as their new brand ambassador.
The company also revealed that they had launched a limited edition luxury watch named the King Power Black Mamba in honor of Kobe Bryant.
95) Songs Named After Kobe Bryant
During 2009, popular rapper Lil Wayne launched a song titled “Kobe Bryant.”
Rapper Sho Baraka launched a song named “Kobe Bryant On’em” during 2010; the song was featured on Baraka’s album titled “Lions and Liars.”
Inspirational
96) Didn’t Like To Be Known As The Next Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant did not like it when people referred to him as the next Michael Jordan.
He said, “I don’t want to be the next Michael Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.”
97) On His Parents
While talking about the importance of his parents in his life, Kobe said they were his backbone.
He stated, “My parents are my backbone.
Still are.
They’re the only group that will support you if you score zero or you score 40.”
98) Doesn’t Miss Games Due To Small Injuries
Kobe Bryant does not miss games if he is suffering from injuries unless and until the injury is a very serious one.
Kobe said, “I’ve played with IVs before, during and after games.
I’ve played with a broken hand, a sprained ankle, a torn shoulder, a fractured tooth, a severed lip, and a knee the size of a softball.
I don’t miss 15 games because of a toe injury that everybody knows wasn’t that serious in the first place.”
(This was said during an interview and referred to an injury of Shaquille O’Neal.)
99) On Perfection And Rising
Kobe Bryant is a perfectionist and loves being perfect in all times.
He stated, “I am chasing for perfection.”
Kobe believes that negativities in life present him with chances to become better and rise.
While talking about this topic, he said, “Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.”
100) On Winning Games
While talking about winning games, Kobe Bryant said, “I’ll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it’s sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot.”
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