Kobe Bryant

About Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He entered the NBA directly from high school, and has played for the Lakers his entire career, winning five NBA championships. Bryant is a 16-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. Twice he has led the league in scoring. As of December 2014, he ranks third on both the league's all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists. He is the son of former NBA player, Joe Bryant.

Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania, where he was recognized as the top high school basketball player in the country. He declared his eligibility for the NBA Draft upon graduation, and was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest.

In 2003, Bryant was accused of sexual assault after having sex with a hotel employee in Edwards, Colorado. In September 2004, prosecutors dropped the case after his accuser refused to testify, though a civil suit was later settled out of court.

Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002. A feud between the duo and a loss in the 2004 NBA Finals resulted in O'Neal's trade from the Lakers to the Miami Heat. Following O'Neal's departure, Bryant became the cornerstone of the franchise. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, setting numerous scoring records in the process. In 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second most points scored in a single game in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. He was awarded the regular season's Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 2008. After losing in the 2008 NBA Finals, Bryant led the Lakers to two consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, earning the NBA Finals MVP Award on both occasions.

Kobe Bryant Achievements

NBA career that started 16 years ago, Kobe Bryant has won 5 championships, earned an NBA record 15 selections for All-NBA teams and 12 for All-Defensive teams. He has also led the league in scoring twice, won the Slam Dunk challenge and got 4 All-Star Game MVPs in 14 appearances.

NBA Most Valuable Player Award-2008:

The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 NBA season to the best performing player of the regular season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner (then president)[a] of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement in 1963. Until the 1979–80 season, the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since the 1980–81 season, the award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each first-place vote is worth 10 points; each second-place vote is worth seven; each third-place vote is worth five, fourth-place is worth three and fifth-place is worth one. Starting from 2010, one ballot was cast by fans through online voting. The player with the highest point total wins the award.[2] The sculptor of the bronze NBA MVP trophy presented since 1986 is noted American artist Marc Mellon

Best NBA Player ESPY Award-2010,2008:

The Best NBA Player ESPY Award is an award presented annually since 1993 to a National Basketball Association (NBA) player adjudged to be the best in a given year, typically the NBA season contested during or immediately before the holding of the ESPY Awards ceremony.

Between 1993 and 2004, the award voting panel comprised variously fans; sportswriters and broadcasters, sports executives, and retired sportspersons, termed collectively experts; and retired sportspersons, but balloting thereafter has been exclusively by fans over the Internet from amongst choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee.

BET Award for Best Male Athlete of the Year-2008,2003,2002:

Below are the nominees and winners for the BET Award for Best Female Athlete & Male Athlete. Serena Williams holds the record for most wins in the Female Athlete category with 8 wins, she also holds the record for the most nominations, being nominated every year since the awards inception. LeBron James holds the records with 5 wins for Male Athlete. Kobe Bryant comes in second place with 3 awards. The Best Male Athlete has always been a basketball player until Michael Vick won it in 2011.

Under Armour Undeniable Performance ESPY Award-2006:

The Under Armour Undeniable Performance ESPY Award has been conferred annually since 2006 on the player, irrespective of gender or nationality, adjudged to have made, in a given calendar year, the most significant, remarkable, and undeniable performance in a single regular season or playoff game contested professionally under the auspices of one of the four major North American leagues or collegiately under the auspices of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The award is one of two corporate-sponsored ESPYs; the titular sponsor designates criteria for selection consistent with its advertising campaigns.

Balloting for the award is conducted over the Internet by fans from amongst between three and five choices selected by the ESPN Select Nominating Committee. The ESPY Awards ceremony is conducted in June and awards conferred reflect performance and achievement over the twelve months preceding presentation.

NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award-2011,2010,2011:

The National Basketball Association All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player(s) voted best of the annual All-Star Game. The award was established in 1953 when NBA officials decided to designate an MVP for each year's game. The league also re-honored players from the previous two All-Star Games. Ed Macauley and Paul Arizin were selected as the 1951 and 1952 MVP winners respectively.[1] The voting is conducted by a panel of media members, who cast their vote after the conclusion of the game. The player(s) with the most votes or ties for the most votes wins the award.[2] No All-Star Game MVP was named in 1999 since the game was canceled due to the league's lockout.

NBA All-Defensive Team-2011,2010,2009:

The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. Until the 2013-2014 NBA season, voting was conducted by the NBA head coaches; the coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. In 2014, a panel of 123 media members voted for the two All-Defensive Teams. [1][2] The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of two five-man lineups, a first and a second team, comprising a total of 10 roster spots. The players each receive two points for each first team vote and one point for each second team vote. The top five players with the highest point total make the first team, with the next five making the second team. In the case of a tie at the fifth position of either team, the roster is expanded. If the first team consists of six players due to a tie, the second team will still consist of five players with the potential for more expansion in the event of additional ties. Ties have occurred several times, most recently in 2013 when Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah tied in votes received.