Kobe Bryant(1978 — 2020)
Kobe Bryant
États-Unis
5 min read
Kobe Bryant was an American basketball player, considered one of the greatest in NBA history. He spent his entire professional career (1996-2016) with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five championship titles. He died in a helicopter crash in 2020.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Joins the NBA and the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996, directly out of high school
- Wins five NBA championship titles with the Lakers (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010)
- Olympic champion with the United States team at the Beijing (2008) and London (2012) Games
- Scores 81 points in a single game in 2006, the second-best individual performance in NBA history
- Dies on January 26, 2020, in a helicopter crash in California, at the age of 41
Works & Achievements
Five championship wins that place Kobe among the greatest players in the league's history.
Second-best individual performance in NBA history, a record-setting offensive feat.
Award honoring the most valuable player of the year, the crowning recognition of his dominance.
Titles won with the United States team at the Beijing and then London Games.
Film inspired by his farewell letter, awarded an Oscar in 2018.
Work in which Kobe details his philosophy of hard work and his mental preparation.
Anecdotes
At just 17 years old, Kobe Bryant joined the NBA straight out of high school in 1996, without going to college — something that was very rare at the time. He thus became one of the youngest players ever to step onto a professional court.
Kobe was nicknamed the “Black Mamba,” a name he chose for himself in reference to the snake renowned for its precision and aggressiveness. This nickname became a true philosophy of relentless hard work that he called the “Mamba Mentality.”
On January 22, 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a single game against the Toronto Raptors. It is the second-highest total in NBA history, just behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points in 1962.
For his very last game in April 2016, Kobe scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz, giving his fans a spectacular farewell. Shortly after his career, he won a 2018 Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for “Dear Basketball.”
Kobe spoke fluent Italian, having spent part of his childhood in Italy where his father played professional basketball. This European experience deeply shaped his vision of the game and his culture.
Primary Sources
Dear Basketball, from the moment I started rolling my dad's tube socks and shooting imaginary game-winning shots in the Great Western Forum... I knew one thing was real: I fell in love with you.
Those two numbers represent two different parts of myself, like two careers in one. The most important thing is to always stay true to yourself.
The Mamba Mentality is about constantly trying to improve. It's a never-ending process, with no final destination.
Key Places
Kobe Bryant's birthplace, where he was born in 1978 into a family of basketball players.
High school where Kobe shined at basketball before jumping straight to the NBA in 1996.
Home arena of the Los Angeles Lakers, where Kobe played most of his career and won his titles.
Region of Italy where Kobe lived as a child during his father's career and learned Italian.
Site of the helicopter crash where Kobe and his daughter Gianna lost their lives in 2020.
