Good afternoon, everyone. On Sunday morning near Los Angeles, California, Kobe Bryant was found dead at 41 years old after a helicopter crash. His 13-year old daughter Gianna was among the 8 other people killed in that crash. They were on their way to a basketball game that was going to be played at the Mamba Academy when the crash happened on a hillside. I first learned about this when I was taking a walk near my house. I was completely shocked when I heard this horrible news, just like everybody else in the world. I want to celebrate Kobe’s life and the impact he made both on and off the basketball court. Let’s get started.
Kobe Bryant loved basketball ever since he was 3 years old. While living in Italy (when his father Joe was playing basketball after retiring from the NBA), he started to learn more about the sport. In his high school years, he went to Lower Merion High School near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He declared for the NBA after his senior year in high school and was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick in 1996. However, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac on the night of the draft. From his rookie season until after the 2003-04 season, he was teammates with Shaquille O’Neal, who came to the Lakers in free agency after 4 seasons with the Orlando Magic. Kobe’s rookie season with the Lakers started mostly as a bench player, but as the season went on, he played more minutes per game. During the All-Star weekend in Cleveland, he won the Slam Dunk contest. His first three seasons with the Lakers ended in playoff disappointment. In Game 5 of the 1997 Western Conference Semifinals, Kobe Bryant shot 4 airballs (including a couple of potential game-winning or game-tying shots) in a loss to the Utah Jazz. The Lakers were then swept in back-to-back seasons in the playoffs (1998 to the Jazz, 1999 to the San Antonio Spurs).
Phil Jackson was hired as head coach of the Lakers for the 1999-2000 season to guide them to an NBA championship. Under his guidance (plus Shaq’s MVP season), the Lakers won the NBA Championship over the Indiana Pacers in 6 games. In Game 4 of the Finals, Kobe led the Lakers to an overtime victory after Shaq fouled out of the game. He scored 22 points in the second half and overtime in the win over the Pacers. That first championship was followed by another in 2000-01 in a season where Kobe and Shaq had some disagreements with each other. Despite these moments, the Lakers finished with 56 wins and the #2 seed in the West. In the playoffs, the Lakers swept all of their opponents on their way to the NBA Finals. First was the Portland Trail Blazers, who took the Lakers to Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals. After sweeping Portland, they swept the Sacramento Kings in the semifinals. In Game 4 of that series, Kobe scored 48 points while also tallying 16 rebounds and 3 assists in the victory. In the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers swept the top-seeded Spurs, who were led by the duo of David Robinson and Tim Duncan and head coach Gregg Popovich (who is still coaching the Spurs to this day). After losing Game 1 of the Finals to Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers won the next 4 games to clinch their second straight NBA title. During the 2001-02 season, Kobe won the All-Star game MVP award for the first time in his career. The Lakers finished that season with 58 regular season wins and the #2 seed in the West (behind division rival Sacramento). After taking care of the Blazers and Spurs in the first 2 rounds, the Lakers would take on the top-seeded Kings in the Western Conference Finals. The teams would split the first 4 games of the series, with each team winning a road game. In Game 4 at Staples Center, the Lakers came back against the Kings and won after Robert Horry’s last second 3-pointer after a couple of misses at the rim. Shaq tipped the ball to Worry for the game-winner, which tied the series at 2-2. After the Kings took Game 5, the Lakers took Game 6 to force a Game 7. The Lakers won that game in overtime to move on to the Finals, where they swept the New Jersey Nets to complete the three-peat.
During the 2002-03 season, Kobe had a stretch of 9 games in a row with at least 40 points. On January 7, 2003, he made a total of 12 three-pointers in a game against the Seattle SuperSonics (who are now the Oklahoma City Thunder). Unfortunately, the Lakers fell short of the Finals in the playoffs, losing in 6 games to the Spurs in the second round. The 2003-04 season did not start well for Kobe as he was arrested for sexual assault for an incident in Colorado (the 2 parties reached a settlement in civil court and Kobe was not jailed). Despite this, the Lakers (who added Karl Malone and Gary Payton to make another title push) won 56 games and the #2 seed in the West. In the final game of the regular season against Portland, Kobe made a three-pointer to force overtime. In the second overtime, he made a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Lakers the win and the Pacific Division. They got all the way to the NBA Finals for the 4th time in 5 seasons after eliminating the Houston Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the playoffs. In the Finals, the Lakers were upset in 5 games by Chauncey Billups and the Detroit Pistons. After the Finals, Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat while Kobe stayed with the Lakers. After missing the playoffs in 2004-05, Kobe led the Lakers back to the postseason the next year. During the 2005-06 season, Kobe went on a tear in terms of scoring. On December 20, 2005, he scored 62 points in just 3 quarters against the Dallas Mavericks. On January 22, 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. Kobe ended up leading the NBA in scoring with 35.4 points per game during the ’05-’06 season. In the postseason, the Lakers had a 3-1 series lead against the Phoenix Suns (led by MVP Steve Nash). In Game 4, he made the game-winning shot in overtime before a roaring crowd at Staples Center. The Lakers went on to lose the next 3 games and the series to the Suns, ending their season. Even with another scoring title in 2006-07, Kobe and the Lakers lost to the Suns in the first round again.
In the 2007-08 season, Kobe and the Lakers got back to the NBA Finals after a 57-win season. What helped the Lakers get there was a trade for Pau Gasol during the trade deadline in February of 2008. This year was also when Kobe won his only NBA MVP award. The Lakers took care of business in the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets, the Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs on their way to the Finals. In the Finals, Kobe and the Lakers were defeated by the Boston Celtics in 6 games. That Celtics team was led by the trio of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. In the 2008-09 season, the Lakers won 65 games and got back to the NBA Finals, where they faced the Orlando Magic. Kobe won his first Finals MVP award as the Lakers won the NBA title in 5 games against the Magic. The 2009-10 season was full of clutch moments for Kobe Bryant, including 6 game-winning shots. On December 4, 2009, Kobe made a one-legged buzzer-beating 3 to beat the Miami Heat at Staples Center. In the playoffs, they eliminated the Thunder, the Jazz and the Suns on their way to the Finals. For the second time in 3 years, the Lakers would take on the Celtics. This time, the Lakers won in a seven-game series that was hard fought. Kobe and the Lakers overcame a 13-point deficit to beat the Celtics in Game 7 and clinch their second straight title. The Lakers were looking to three-peat again in the 2010-11 season, but they fell short of the Finals after being swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round. After the loss to Dallas in the playoffs, Phil Jackson retired from coaching.
In the lockout-shortened season of 2011-12 (66 games), the Lakers finished with 41 wins and the #3 seed under coach Mike Brown. After winning a seven-game series against Denver, Kobe and the Lakers lost to the Thunder in the second round. Before the 2012-13 season, the Lakers acquired both Steve Nash and Dwight Howard for a potential title push. Unfortunately, they fell short of that goal after a rash of injuries during that season. Late in the season, Kobe was playing almost every minute of each game due to injuries to other players. On April 12, 2013, Kobe tore his Achilles tendon in a game against the Golden State Warriors. Despite the injury, he went to the free-throw line and made both free throws before going to the locker room. Without Kobe, the Lakers limped into the playoffs and were swept by the Spurs in the first round. The next 2 seasons would end short for Kobe due to injuries (including the Achilles, a knee injury, and a torn rotator cuff). He announced that the 2015-16 season would be his final year in the NBA. He was given the farewell treatment by each team when the Lakers were on the road. During the season, he wrote a poem called “Dear Basketball” for the Player’s Tribune. He also wrote a letter to the city of Los Angeles that thanked them for all of their support for his 20 years as a Laker. In the season finale against the Jazz on April 13, 2016, he gave everyone in attendance a night to remember forever. In a thrilling comeback victory, he scored 60 points to lead the Lakers to a victory at Staples Center. Despite the losing season, Kobe gave it his all in that last game.
Kobe Bryant had a magnificent basketball career, winning 5 NBA titles and 2 Olympic Gold medals. He scored a total of 33,643 points during his NBA career, which was third all-time when he retired. He actually had 2 jersey numbers retired (8 and 24, 10 years wearing each number). On the court, he will always be remembered for the clutch shots, the crazy dunks, and his determination and work ethic that he displayed for 20 seasons with the Lakers. Off the court, he will always be remembered as a loving husband to his wife, Vanessa, and a loving father to 4 girls. He won an Academy Award in 2018 for the animated short “Dear Basketball” (which was animated by Glen Keane and scored by John Williams). Without a doubt, he will be missed by everyone in the sports world and beyond. I send my deepest of condolences to the family and friends of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna.
I will conclude this piece with these words: Rest in Peace, Kobe Bryant.
(I want to share this tribute video of Kobe Bryant, provided by ESPN's Youtube page.)
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