Born on August 23, 1978, Kobe Bryant is a native of
Pennsylvania and a graduate of Lower Merion High School. The son of former NBA player Joe ‘Jellybean’
Bryant, Kobe had no problem in making a name for himself after being voted a
starter for the 1998 All-Star Game during his second season, which made him the
youngest All-Star in NBA history at 19 years of age.
As with all athletes, Kobe Bryant had a life before becoming
an NBA star. Eight years of his
childhood, which was spent in Italy, led to Bryant being able to speak fluently
Italian. His parents, who also have two
daughters, Sharia and Shaya, named Kobe Bryant after a type of steak that they
noticed on a restaurant menu. During his
high school years, Bryant was recognized as the all-time leading scorer in
Southeastern Pennsylvania history. His
record, which was 2,883 points, managed to break the marks of both Wilt
Chamberlain and Carlin Warley. During
his final years as a high school athlete, Kobe Bryant was chosen by USA Today
and Parade as the National High School Player of the Year. In addition, he was recognized as the
Naismith Player of the Year and the Gatorade Circle of Champions High School
Player of the Year.
During his rookie NBA season, which occurred in 1996-1997,
Kobe Bryant played in 71 games and started in six. He was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second
Team and became the youngest player to ever start an NBA game when he was 18
years, five months and five days of age.
By the 1997-1998 season, Kobe Bryant was ready for action as the points
just kept racking up at each game.
During the 1998-1999 season, Bryant was named to the All-NBA Third
Team. The following season, which was
held from 1999-2000, found Kobe Bryant remaining atop of the mountain on the
NBA players list. In addition to being
named to the 1999-2000 All-NBA Second Team, he was also honoured with the NBA
All-Interview Second Team, the NBA All-Defensive First Team and was named the
NBA Player of the Week from April 10-16, 2000.
By the time the 2000-2001 season rolled around, Kobe Bryant
was a household name. After appearing in
68 games and averaging 28.5 points per game, Kobe ranked among the league
leaders in scoring. In 2001-2002, Bryant
played in a career-high 80 games, in which he averaged 25.2 points each and was
again ranked among the league’s scoring leaders. In 2002, he was named as the Most Valuable
Player of the NBA All-Star Game.
During the seasons that followed, Kobe Bryant continued to
score points both on the court and in the hearts of NBA fans. With an average of 24 points per game in the
2003 season, Kobe was selected to the 2003-2004 All-NBA and All-Defensive First
Team. The 2004-2005 season found Bryant
on the All-NBA Third Team. In January
2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a single game, which is the second
All-Time in NBA history.
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