Kobe Bryant Biography for Kids (2024)

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Kobe Bryant

Sports >> Basketball >> Biographies

Kobe Bryant Biography for Kids (1)
Kobe Bryant
Author: Sgt. Joseph A. Lee

  • Occupation: Basketball Player
  • Born: August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Died: January 26, 2020 in Calabasas, California
  • Nicknames: Black Mamba, Mr. 81, Kobe Wan Kenobi
  • Best known for: Winning 5 NBA championships with the LA Lakers

Biography:

Kobe Bryant is famous for being one of the best basketball players in the history of the NBA. He played guard for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 years. He was known for his tough defense, vertical leap, and ability to score winning baskets at the end of the game. He is widely considered the best basketball player of the 2000s and perhaps one of the best of all time.

Where was Kobe born?

Kobe was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 23, 1978. He has two older sisters, Sharia and Shaya. His dad, Jellybean Joe Bryant, was a pro basketball player, too. Kobe attended Lower Merion High School in a suburb of Philadelphia. He was a standout basketball player and earned several awards including the Naismith High School Player of the Year.

Did Kobe Bryant go to college?

Kobe decided not to attend college and went straight into professional basketball. He said that if he had gone to college, he would have chosen Duke. He was the 13th player taken in the 1996 draft. The Charlotte Hornets drafted Kobe, but immediately traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Vlade Divac. Kobe was only 17 years old when he was drafted. He had turned 18 by the time his first NBA season started.

Has Kobe won any Championships?

  • Yes. Kobe won 5 NBA championships with the LA Lakers. The first 3 championships were early on in his career (2000-2002). All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal was his teammate at the time. After Shaq was traded, it took some time for the Lakers to rebuild, but they won two more championships, one in 2009 and another in 2010.
  • His high school team won the state championship his senior year.
  • He won two Olympic Gold medals for basketball in 2008 and 2012.
  • He was the NBA slam dunk champion in 1997.

Kobe Bryant Biography for Kids (2)
Kobe Bryant Local DC
Author: US Government

Retirement

After a wildly successful 20 year NBA career, Kobe retired at the end of the 2016 NBA season. He scored 60 points in his final game on April 13, 2016. It was the most points scored by a player in a single game during the 2016 NBA season.

Death

Kobe died in a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. His daughter Gianna and seven others also passed in the accident.

Does Kobe hold any records?

  • Kobe scored 81 points in an NBA game, which is the second most points scored in a single game.
  • He holds the record for the most career points scored by a Los Angeles Laker.
  • He is the youngest player to score 26,000 career points. He actually held a lot of the "youngest" records in the NBA, but LeBron James is catching him in many categories.
  • Kobe was the NBA scoring champion in 2006 and 2007.
  • He was selected to the All-NBA Team fifteen times and the All-Defensive Team twelve times.
  • At the time of the writing of this article he was third on the all-time NBA scoring list.

Fun Facts about Kobe Bryant

  • Kobe was the first guard to be drafted by the NBA out of high school.
  • Kobe played for the Los Angeles Lakers his entire professional career.
  • He was the youngest player to start an NBA game.
  • Kobe's mom's brother, John Cox, also played in the NBA.
  • He was named after the Japanese steak "kobe".
  • His middle name is Bean.
  • He spent a lot of his childhood in Italy where his father played professional basketball. He learned how to speak Italian and played a lot of soccer.

Other Sports Legend's Biographies:

Baseball:
Derek Jeter
Tim Lincecum
Joe Mauer
Albert Pujols
Jackie Robinson
Babe Ruth
Basketball:
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Chris Paul
Kevin Durant
Football:
Peyton Manning
Tom Brady
Jerry Rice
Adrian Peterson
Drew Brees
Brian Urlacher
Track and Field:
Jesse Owens
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Usain Bolt
Carl Lewis
Kenenisa Bekele
Hockey:
Wayne Gretzky
Sidney Crosby
Alex Ovechkin
Auto Racing:
Jimmie Johnson
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Danica Patrick
Golf:
Tiger Woods
Annika Sorenstam
Soccer:
Mia Hamm
David Beckham
Tennis:
Williams Sisters
Roger Federer
Other:
Muhammad Ali
Michael Phelps
Jim Thorpe
Lance Armstrong
Shaun White

Sports >> Basketball >> Biographies

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Kobe Bryant Biography for Kids (2024)

FAQs

What is Kobe Bryant's summary? ›

Kobe Bryant (born August 23, 1978, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died January 26, 2020, Calabasas, California) was an American professional basketball player, who helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to five championships (2000–02 and 2009–10).

Why was Kobe Bryant important for kids? ›

“As one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kobe's spotlight was brighter than almost anyone's, and he used it to help millions of kids. For 12 years he was an ambassador for After-School All-Stars, and he used his time and his resources to inspire our 90,000 kids and help build opportunities for them.

What is the background of Kobe Bryant? ›

Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, the youngest of three children and the only son of Pamela Cox Bryant and former NBA player Joe Bryant. He was also the maternal nephew of NBA player John "Chubby" Cox. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu.

What is Kobe famous for? ›

Bryant became one of the NBA's most popular players and the face of the Lakers during his career. Winning a record four NBA All-Star Game MVP awards, he was the overall league MVP in 2008, a two-time NBA scoring champion and 12 All-Defensive selections.

Why Kobe has 2 numbers? ›

The significance of the numbers 8 and 24 in Kobe Bryant's career goes beyond mere digits on a jersey. Both numbers encapsulate different phases of his journey as a basketball player and as an individual. The number 8 symbolizes his early dominance and emergence as a prodigious talent in the NBA.

Why is Kobe Bryant so important? ›

His determination, integrity, and athleticism made him a true leader in black history. In his 41 years, he achieved so much personally and professionally. Kobe's journey represented hope, demonstrated overcoming, and displayed family legacy in a way we don't often see from someone like him.

How tall was Kobe Bryant at 16? ›

Kobe was 6'3" at 16.

Who did Kobe Bryant inspire? ›

Current stars like Trae Young, Luka Donicic and Bradley Beal have all spoken about how Kobe is the reason they play basketball and there is an entire generation of players who grew up idolising Bryant.

Why is Kobe Bryant a hero? ›

He is considered a hero because he has the trait of being determined, fearless, and inspirational. Kobe Bryant's was successful because of his determined mindset.

What is Kobe Bryant's legacy? ›

Bryant's legacy lives on with the Los Angeles Lakers, with the NBA and WNBA (both leagues have awards in honor of him), with Nike and with the Mamba and Mambacita Foundation.

What is Kobe Bryant remembered for? ›

Bryant honed his killer instinct, with his work ethic and never-give-an-inch mindset driving him to five NBA championships and eleven All-NBA First Team honors. The two-time Finals MVP scored 33,643 points during his career, with 81 of those daggers coming on January 22, 2006 in a game against the Toronto Raptors.

Why is Kobe's logo? ›

The Meaning of Kobe's logo

Kobe explained in an interview that his talent is the sword and his life experiences stand as the sheath. Some people say that the logo is a reference to the movie Kill Bill, a 2003 gory film about revenge directed by Quentin Tarantino.

What are some facts about the name Kobe? ›

The first known use of Kobe comes from biblical times with the spelling of Koby. In Hebrew and Greek, Koby is a pet name for Jacob, meaning "supplanter." In Swahili, Kobe translates to “tortoise” or “turtle”.

Who is the tallest NBA player? ›

The tallest NBA player ever is Gheorghe Mureșan, standing at an imposing height of 7 feet 7 inches (231 cm). Born in Romania, Mureșan played in the NBA from 1993 to 2000, primarily with the Washington Bullets/Wizards and the New Jersey Nets. His towering presence was unmatched on the court.

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