In addition to his skills on offense, Bryant additionally established himself as a standout defensive participant. Bryant hardly ever drew costs when he performed protection, which he believed spared his body and contributed to his longevity. However, some critics have suggested that Bryant's defensive accolades in his later years were based more on his status than his precise play. By the top of the season, he averaged 15.5 minutes a recreation. During the All-Star weekend, Bryant participated in the Rookie Challenge and gained the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, becoming the youngest dunk champion at the age of 18.

According to Arn Tellem, Bryant's agent on the time, Bryant taking half in for the Charlotte Hornets was "an impossibility". However, Bill Branch, the Hornets' head scout on the time, mentioned that the Hornets agreed to commerce their draft choice to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier than picking Bryant. The groups agreed to the commerce the day earlier than the draft and the Lakers advised the Hornets whom to choose out 5 minutes earlier than the choose was made.

Despite previous variations with Bryant, Jackson returned to educate the Lakers. In the following season, the Lakers have been in a position to acquire NBA All-Stars Karl Malone and Gary Payton to make another push at the NBA championship. Bryant was arrested for sexual assault before the season started. This brought on Bryant to overlook some video games due to courtroom appearances or attend court docket earlier in the day and travel to play video games later on the same day.

But Bryant's lifelong willpower to prove others mistaken prevailed with him returning to the court docket about eight months later. Bryant's focus and old flame have been on improving his sport within the league and gaining stardom there. However, it didn't stop him from making a small detour into rap music. Bryant was on a video set in 1999 when he met Vanessa Laine, an additional and highschool scholar who would become his spouse two years later. His choice to marry young caused a temporary rift between him and his household. On April 29, 1996, Bryant announced he would skip college and go straight to the NBA to pursue his aim of becoming the most effective basketball participant.

He was selected to his eleventh consecutive All-Star Game as a starter, and was named the Western Conference Player of the Month for December and January along with being named Western Conference Player of the week three times. During the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, Bryant who tallied 27 points, four assists, 4 rebounds, and four steals was awarded All-Star Game co-MVP with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal. The Lakers finished the regular season with the most effective record in the west (65–17). Bryant was runner-up within the MVP voting behind LeBron James, and was chosen to the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team for the seventh time in his profession. Kobe Bean Bryant(August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American skilled basketball player. In 2008 and again in 2016, ESPN ranked him the second-greatest capturing guard of all time after Jordan.

A capturing guard, he spent his whole 20-year profession with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association . He was posthumously voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA seventy fifth Anniversary Team in 2021. His harm came while he was enjoying seven consecutive quarters and at least 40 minutes for seven consecutive video games.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers performed properly enough to achieve a 3–1 collection lead over the Phoenix Suns, culminating with Bryant's overtime-forcing and game-winning shots in Game four. They came within six seconds of eliminating the second-seeded Suns in Game 6, nonetheless, they misplaced that game 126–118 in additional time. Despite Bryant's 27.9 points per game 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 taking pictures within the Game 6 loss, Bryant was criticized for under taking three pictures in the second half of the 121–90 Game 7 loss to Phoenix. Bryant received a quantity of awards for his outstanding efficiency during his senior 12 months at Lower Merion.

Flying back to L.A., he known as a information convention at Staples Center and, with tears in his eyes and voice quavering, acknowledged having sex with the woman but insisted it was consensual. Bryant took refuge in his relationship with Vanessa, as bodyguards accompanied them to Disneyland and obtained them seats on the local Cineplex after the lights went down. The couple bought a home in the Newport Beach neighborhood of Newport Coast, the place they installed his “Star Wars” memorabilia and her Disney collectibles.