Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. A heated feud between the duo and a loss within the 2004 NBA Finals was followed by O'Neal's commerce from the Lakers after the 2003–04 season. Following O'Neal's departure Bryant grew to become the cornerstone of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, setting quite a few scoring information in the course of. In 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 factors towards the Toronto Raptors, the second most factors scored in a single recreation in NBA historical past, second solely to Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. He was awarded the common season's Most Valuable Player Award in 2008.

Bryant was additionally the quilt athlete for NBA 2K17 and NBA 2K10. At the age of six, the sport turned a half of my nature. Everything I saw, heard, learn, or felt was seen via the lens of growing as a basketball participant. This perspective makes me curious about every little thing, makes every little thing fascinating, and implies that life is a residing library the place all I need to do is pay attention. This meant that geometry class was considered as understanding the angles of the sport.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers performed nicely sufficient to reach a 3–1 series lead over the Phoenix Suns, culminating with Bryant's overtime-forcing and game-winning shots in Game 4. They came within six seconds of eliminating the second-seeded Suns in Game 6, nonetheless, they misplaced that sport 126–118 in overtime. Despite Bryant's 27.9 points per sport within the collection, the Lakers broke down and ultimately fell to the Suns in seven video games. After scoring 50 points on 20 of 35 shooting within the Game 6 loss, Bryant was criticized for much less than taking three photographs within the second half of the 121–90 Game 7 loss to Phoenix. Bryant acquired a quantity of awards for his excellent performance throughout his senior yr at Lower Merion. These included being named Naismith High School Player of the Year, Gatorade Men's National Basketball Player of the Year, a McDonald's All-American, a first-team Parade All-American and a USA Today All-USA First Team player.

The Sony president who initially signed Bryant had already left, and Bryant's different backers had mostly abandoned him. Afterwards, Bryant co-founded an unbiased report label, Heads High Entertainment, but it folded within a yr. In 2013, Bryant had a authorized disagreement with an public sale house over memorabilia from his early years that his mother had put up for auction. Bryant's mom obtained $450,000 from the auction house for the gadgets, and contended Bryant had given her the rights to the gadgets he had remaining in her residence. However, Bryant's lawyers requested the auction house to return the gadgets.Before the scheduled trial, a settlement was reached permitting the public sale home the sale of less than 10% of the items. Bryant's mother and father apologized to him for the misunderstanding in a written statement, and appreciated the monetary assist he had given them over time.

On December 16, 2011, Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable variations, and the couple requested joint custody of their daughters. On January 11, 2013, Bryant and his spouse each announced through social media that they'd known as off their divorce. In early December 2016, Vanessa gave birth to their third daughter, and in January 2019 the Bryants introduced they had been expecting a fourth daughter. Bryant was within the building and working on his debut album. The two started dating and have become engaged six months later in May 2000, whereas Laine was still a senior at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California. In addition to his abilities on offense, Bryant additionally established himself as a standout defensive player.

The Lakers are on the street, and after back-to-back games in Washington and Brooklyn, Mike D'Antoni has nothing scheduled for the staff in suburban Detroit. The Lakers have returned from a road trip, and the players, coaches, staffers and broadcast crew fan out from the aircraft to their vehicles for separate drives residence. Bill Macdonald, the Lakers' TV voice, lives in Newport Coast in South Orange County, like Bryant. On a typical drive home from LAX, Macdonald will see Bryant's car blaze past him—invariably, unapologetically. The Lakers have just performed a Sunday afternoon sport in Houston. Chris Douglas-Roberts of the Charlotte Bobcats has misplaced a 2014 first-round playoff sport to the Miami Heat.

Bill Branch, the Charlotte Hornets' head scout on the time, said that the Hornets agreed to trade their No. thirteen choose to the Lakers the day earlier than the draft. Before the trade agreement, the Hornets by no means thought of drafting Bryant. During the draft, the Lakers told the Hornets whom to decide out minutes earlier than the pick was made.

But he by no means left his American roots behind, returning to the united states every summer season to play in developmental basketball leagues. The Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant, was greater than a basketball player. He was a symbol of motivation and a picture of dedication and greatness.