Kobe Bean Bryant also known as “The Black Mamba” “The Lord of the Rings” and “Kobe Bean” is a former NBA superstar who played in the league for 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA phenom was born and raised in Philadelphia but did a lot of traveling with his father Joe “Jellybean” Bryant who also played in the NBA. Before Kobe, Joe had two daughters who were also very skilled in basketball and soccer. Being the son of an NBA player and the youngest of three athletes, Kobe was born to compete.
After living in Rieti, Italy and playing in the Italian League Bryant and his family moved back to Philadelphia in 1991 where the young superstar joined the Lower Marion High School Basketball team leading them to four state championships in a row. Not only was he athletically talented, but Bryant also maintained good grades and high SAT scores all throughout his high school career. When it was time to graduate Bryant decided to skip college and go straight to the NBA and was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996 with the 13th overall pick in the first round but was subsequently traded to the LA Lakers. Bryant came into the league breaking records as he became the youngest player to ever play in an NBA game.
Kobe Bryant came into the league showing signs of greatness with his flair, showmanship, and ability to score from anywhere on the court. His rookie year in 1996-1997 he won the dunk contest at only 18 years old being the youngest player to ever win the dunk contest and still holds the record today. His Sophomore season consisted of even more exciting games, high scores, and dominating plays with the help of his 7`1, 325 lbs teammate Shaquille O`Neal. This was also the season he was voted an “All-Star” starter and was also the youngest to ever receive this honor. The 1997-1998 season Kobe established himself as a premier guard in the league and the Lakers extended his contract for another six years.
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In 1999 Kobe Bryant truly changed the game by winning the NBA Championship and two more times in the following seasons. With the three-peat under his belt, Kobe was the face of the league for a long time. In 2003 Kobe Bryant was faced with legal troubles when he was charged with a sexual assault which was eventually dropped in 2004. During his comeback in 2004, the team did struggle after O`Neal left the Laker to join the Miami Heat due to a confrontation between the two all-stars. Even with the odds stacked against him, Kobe showed tremendous heart and dedication when he dropped eighty-one points against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006, which is the second highest single-game mark in NBA history and led the league in scoring that season. “Kobe Bean” played on both 2008 and 2012 Olympic Basketball teams winning consecutive golds.
Although Kobe Bryant’s career may have been full of victory and triumph it was also dimmed by a whole lot of injuries. Kobe faced twenty-two different injuries throughout his career putting him on the bench for over 150 games out of his 1,356 games played in his total career. Of all his injuries one of them changed how he played for the rest of his career. The first injury was on April 12, 2013, against the Golden State Warriors. Bryant made what seemed like an innocent move pushing off his left foot when he said he heard a pop in the back of his right ankle and initially thought someone had kicked him. Kobe was fouled and fell to the ground scowling and holding the back of his ankle.
Kobe quoted “When I first did it, right there, I was trying to feel if the tendon is there or if it’s gone. I realized it wasn’t there. I was literally trying to pull the tendon up, so hopefully, I could walk and kind of hobble through the last two and a half minutes and try to play.” Bryant eventually made it back to the foul line to sink his free throws and limped into the locker room. When the trainers were done looking at Kobe`s ankle it was clear that he had torn his Achilles tendon. Kobe also said during his post-game interview “I was really tired, man. Just tired in the locker room, upset and dejected and thinking about this… mountain, man, to overcome. I mean this is a long process. I wasn’t sure I could do it. But then your kids walked in and you’re like, I gotta set an example. ‘Daddy’s going to be fine. I’m going to do it.’ I’m going to work hard and go from there.”
April 13th, the day following the gruesome injury the procedure was a success. The surgery was done by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship program at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in LA. Without Kobe in the lineup the Lakers did make it to the playoffs, but they were swept and eliminated in the first round against the San Antonio Spurs. With Kobe still injured, the off-season begins and Kobe`s walking boot doesn’t come off until late May. Even after the removal of the boot, Bryant still had to face six weeks of rehabilitation with hopes to return before the next season opener.
Regarding his return, Bryant had this to say to Bleacher Report during an interview “It’s progressing faster than everybody expected… I should be able to be more active with conditioning in the middle of August, which is like four months after the surgery. It’s crazy, but I’ve been very, very fortunate to be able to have [Lakers head physical therapist] Judy [Seto] travel with me absolutely everywhere, be with me all the time, and I was fortunate to be able to go in and have the procedure done the next day. I think all that’s helped.” By August he was back running and jumping using technology in rehab like the “AlterG” machines (anti-gravity machinery) which help him to gradually increase weight on his feet. In mid-November Kobe finally returns to the practice court, participating in light, non-contact drills with his teammates.
In the beginning of December with the season already at a start, Kobe announces through Facebook that he would finally be returning against the Toronto Raptors. Six games after his return he suffered from a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Missing the rest of the regular season and struggling with his young teammates Kobe Bryant finally announces his retirement in November of 2015 after returning for the brand-new season. After his big announcement, he said “This season is all I have left to give… My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind, but my body knows it’s time to say goodbye”. On April 13th, 2016, Kobe Bryant played his last game at the Staples Center in front of a sold-out crowd. He ended his reign scoring 60 points against the Utah Jazz counting as his sixth sixty-point game in his career. Kobe went down as one of the best players to ever play the game, the best competitor anyone could play against and the most hated player an opposing fan could hate.
References
- Official NBA player profile of Kobe Bryant on NBA.com
- Kobe Bryant’s career statistics on Basketball-Reference.com
- Articles about Kobe Bryant on Bleacher Report
- ESPN’s coverage of Kobe Bryant’s career and news
- Yahoo Sports profiles and articles about Kobe Bryant
- Time Magazine’s articles related to Kobe Bryant
- Los Angeles Times’ Lakers coverage including articles about Kobe Bryant
