Kobe Bryant Biography: Kobe Bean Bryant August 23, 1978–January 26, 2020 was an American professional basketball player. He was a shooting guard who spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bryant, regarded as one of the best basketball players in history, won five NBA titles and was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and two-time NBA Final MVP. He is fourth in the league’s all-time regular season and playoff scoring. Bryant was posthumously elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. Bryant is the son of NBA player Joe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant Biography 2025
Kobe Bean Bryant was a professional basketball player from America. He was a shooting guard who played his whole 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant, widely recognized as one of the best basketball players of all time, won five NBA titles, was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and the two-time NBA Finals MVP. Bryant has also led the NBA in scoring twice and is fourth all-time in regular season and playoff scoring. In 2020, he was posthumously elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
Kobe Bryant Biography 2025 Details
| Born |
August 23, 1978
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died |
January 26, 2020 (aged 41)
Calabasas, California, U.S. |
| Listed height |
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight |
212 lb (96 kg) |
| High school |
Lower Merion
(Ardmore, Pennsylvania) |
| NBA draft |
1996: 1st round, 13th overall pick |
| Selected by the Charlotte Hornets |
| Playing career |
1996–2016 |
| Position |
Shooting guard / small forward |
| Number |
8, 24 |
| Category |
Football Biographies |
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Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association.
Born: 23 August 1978, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: 26 January 2020 (age 41 years), Calabasas, California, United States
Number: 24 (Los Angeles Lakers / Small forward, Shooting guard), MORE
Spouse: Vanessa Bryant (m. 2001–2020)
Children: Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, Natalia Diamante Bryant
Height: 1.98 m
Parents: Joe Bryant, Pam Bryant
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Early life
Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia. He is the youngest of three children and the only son of Pamela Cox Bryant and former NBA player Joe Bryan. He was also the maternal nephew of John “Chubby” Cox, an NBA player. Bryant’s parents named him after the famed Kobe beef from Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu. His middle name, Bean, was inspired by his father’s nickname, “Jellybean”. Bryant grew up in a Catholic home. Bryant began playing basketball at the age of three, and the Lakers were his childhood favorite team. When Bryant was six years old, his father retired from the NBA and relocated his family to Rieti, Italy, to pursue his professional basketball career.
After two years, they relocated to Reggio Calabria, then Pistoia, and finally Reggio Emilia. Kobe adapted to his new lifestyle and learnt to speak Italian fluently. He was particularly fond of Reggio Emilia, which Kobe regarded as a nurturing environment and the source of some of his fondest childhood memories. Kobe started playing basketball seriously while residing in Reggio Emilia.
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Professional career
| Kobe Bryant’s early career |
Details |
| Draft Year |
1996 |
| Pre-Draft Comment |
Celtics GM Jan Volk compared him to Michael Jordan during a pre-draft workout. |
| Pre-Draft Workout |
Scrimmaged against former Lakers, impressing GM Jerry West. |
| Draft Pick |
Selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets, traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. |
| Lakers Trade |
Lakers traded Vlade Divac to the Hornets for Bryant’s draft rights. |
| Age at Draft |
17 years old |
| Contract |
3-year rookie contract worth $3.5 million, co-signed by parents until he turned 18. |
| NBA Debut |
Summer Pro League, scoring 25 points in his debut and averaging 24.5 points and 5.3 rebounds over four games. |
| 1996–97 Season Role |
Mostly came off the bench behind Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. |
| Youngest Player Milestones |
Second-youngest player in NBA history at debut (18 years, 72 days) and youngest NBA starter (18 years, 158 days). |
| Minutes Played (1996–97) |
Averaged 15.5 minutes per game. |
| 1997 All-Star Weekend |
Won the Slam Dunk Contest, becoming the youngest champion at age 18. |
| Rookie Honors |
Named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. |
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National team career
| Kobe Bryant’s national team career |
Details |
| Olympics 2000 |
Declined participation due to getting married in the off-season. |
| 2002 FIBA World Championship |
Opted not to play. |
| FIBA Americas Championship 2003 |
Selected but withdrew after undergoing shoulder and knee surgeries. |
| Olympics 2004 |
Withdrew from the team due to his sexual assault case. |
| First Publicly Named (2006-2008 Roster) |
Along with LeBron James, one of the first two publicly named to the USA preliminary roster for 2006–2008. |
| 2006 FIBA World Championship |
Did not participate due to knee surgery. |
| USA National Team Debut |
2007 FIBA Americas Championship, helped Team USA go 10–0 and win gold, qualifying for the 2008 Olympics. |
| 2007 FIBA Americas Stats |
Averaged 15.3 points, 2.9 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game in 10 games. |
| Olympics 2008 (Beijing) |
First Olympics appearance, helped USA win gold by defeating Spain 118–107 in the final, scoring 20 points. |
| 2008 Olympic Stats |
Averaged 15.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, shooting .462 from the field in eight games. |
| Olympics 2012 (London) |
Rejoined the team, won another gold medal, and retired from international play afterward. |
| National Team Career Record |
26–0 record across three tournaments (2007 FIBA Americas, 2008 Olympics, 2012 Olympics), winning gold each time. |
Kobe Bryant Net Worth 2025
|
Category
|
Details
|
|
Net Worth (2025)
|
$600 million (estimated)
|
|
Career Earnings
|
$680 million (total)
|
|
NBA Career Earnings
|
$328,237,108
|
|
Endorsement Earnings
|
Over $357 million
|
|
Notable NBA Contracts
|
– 1996: Three-year rookie deal, $3.5 million
– 1999: Six-year extension, $70 million
– 2004: Seven-year, $136.4 million
– 2013: Two-year extension, $48.5 million
|
|
Final Season Salary
|
$25 million
|
|
Notable Endorsements
|
Nike, Sprite, McDonald’s, Turkish Airlines, Lenovo, Hublot, Panini, Alibaba, Sina.com
|
|
Nike Contract (2003)
|
$40 million over four years
|
|
Adidas Contract (Rookie Year)
|
Six-year deal worth $48 million
|
|
BodyArmor Investment
|
$6 million in 2013; estimated $400 million from Coca-Cola acquisition in 2021
|
|
Bryant Stibel
|
Venture capital firm co-founded with Jeff Stibel, focusing on tech, media, and data businesses
|
|
Charity Work
|
– Make-A-Wish Foundation: Over 200 wishes granted
– After-School All-Stars
– Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation
– Cancer charities
– Kobe Bryant China Fund
|
|
Death
|
January 26, 2020, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California; also claimed the life of his daughter Gianna and seven others
|
|
Legal Settlements
|
$28.5 million settlement with Los Angeles, including $15 million from a federal jury; $29 million awarded for distress caused by graphic photos shared by first responders
|
|
Major Investments
|
– BodyArmor sports drink: Increased from $6 million to approximately $200 million due to Coca-Cola acquisition
– Investments through Bryant Stibel
|
