Introduction

Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest basketball players of the 20th century. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA (National Basketball Association) for the whole of his career. He has numerous achievements to his credit. He has helped his team win five NBA championships. He has been part of the U.S. team which has won the Gold Medal at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. He has been named the best player of the 2001-2010 decade by many sports critics. He was the youngest player to reach the landmark of 30,000 career points in the NBA at the age of 34 years and 104 days. 

Early Life

Kobe ‘Bean’ Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father was Joe Bryant, a former Philadelphia 76ers player. He was pushed by his father from an early age to take up basketball. He started playing basketball at the age of 3, and his favourite team was the Lakers. When he was six years old, his father moved to Italy to play basketball, leaving the NBA behind. He grew up in the new environment and learned to speak the local language. He only came to the USA in the summer to play in the Summer Leagues.He also played Football (Soccer) when he was growing up in Italy and was an ardent supporter of AC Milan. When his father retired in 1991, the family returned to the States, and he joined the Lower Merion High School and played for the varsity basketball team. He had amazing statistics during his junior year where he averaged 31.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and was named as the ‘Pennsylvania Player of the Year’. In his senior year at high school, Bryant led his team to their first state championship in 53 years. In 1996, at the age of 17 Kobe went on to be selected to play for the L.A. Lakers, which was his favourite team from childhood. He became the youngest player ever to play in an NBA game at the age of 18 years and 72 days.Though he was playing limited minutes, in the beginning, he began getting more and more game time as his performances improved. At the age of 18, he became the Slam Dunk Champion at the All-Star Weekend. This helped him get more chances in the starting team from next year. In 1999, he became part of the All-NBA, All-defensive and All-Star teams. 

Career at Los Angeles Lakers

With the arrival of Coach Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant was paired with Shaquille O’Neal to form one of the most devastating combinations in NBA history. With the two of them performing at their best the team was able to win an impressive 67 matches and grab the 1999-2000 NBA Championship comfortably. Again in the 2000-2001 season, Kobe’s exceptional contributions helped the team win their second consecutive title. In the 2001-2002 season, Kobe played 80 games and averaged 25.2 points per game and helped his team complete a hat-trick. He was the youngest player at the age of 23, to win three NBA titles. In 2009 and 2010 Kobe led his team to the NBA Championship and was the recipient of the NBA Finals MVP Award. In his second year itself, he was selected to the NBA All-Star Game, and he has been part of every NBA All-Star team henceforth. He has got the All-Star MVP Award in 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011. In 2010, he was the third richest athlete in the world with annual earnings of $45 million. For the 2014-2016 seasons, he has been paid $48 million by the L.A. Lakers. In 2016, Kobe will complete 20 years at his favourite club. From being a Lakers fan, Kobe Bryant has gone on to become one of the greatest legends of the NBA and one of the richest athletes of all time. 

Retirement

Although Bryant returned in time for the start of the 2015-2016 NBA season, he personally struggled alongside his young Lakers teammates. In November 2015, he announced that he would retire at the end of the season. "This season is all I have left to give," he wrote on The Players' Tribune website. "My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind but my body knows it's time to say goodbye." The announcement drew a strong reaction, particularly from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. "With 17 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals and a relentless work ethic, Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our game," Silver said in a statement. "Whether competing in the finals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an unconditional love for the game." On April 13, 2016, Bryant dazzled a sold-out crowd at the Staples Center and fans everywhere in the last game of his career, scoring 60 points and leading the Lakers to a win against the Utah Jazz. It was Bryant’s sixth 60-point game of his career. 

10 LIFE LESSONS FROM KOBE BRYANT

1 – “THE MOMENT YOU GIVE UP, IS THE MOMENT YOU LET SOMEONE ELSE WIN.” 

2 – “IF YOU’RE AFRAID TO FAIL, THEN YOU’RE PROBABLY GOING TO FAIL.” 

3 – “HATERS ARE A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE. NOBODY HATES THE GOOD ONES. THEY HATE THE GREAT ONES.” 

4 – “I CREATE MY OWN PATH. IT WAS STRAIGHT AND NARROW. I LOOKED AT IT THIS WAY: YOU WERE EITHER IN MY WAY OR OUT OF IT.” 

5 – “USE YOUR SUCCESS, WEALTH AND INFLUENCE TO PUT THEM IN THE BEST POSITION TO REALIZE THEIR OWN DREAMS AND FIND THEIR TRUE PURPOSE.” 

6 – “I REALIZED THAT INTIMIDATION DIDN’T REALLY EXIST IF YOU’RE IN THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND.” 

7 – “THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO TRY AND INSPIRE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN BE GREAT IN WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO.” 

8 – “ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT FAILURE FEELS LIKE, DETERMINATION CHASES SUCCESS.” 

9 – “A LOT OF LEADERS FAIL BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE THE BRAVERY TO TOUCH THAT NERVE OR STRIKE THAT CHORD.” 

10 – “I CAN’T RELATE TO LAZY PEOPLE. WE DON’T SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE. I DON’T UNDERSTAND YOU. I DON’T WANT TO UNDERSTAND YOU.” 

📜Conclusion:-

The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.