Kobe Bean Bryant
S.S Sports
On January 26, we lost an amazing person due to a horrible accident in Calabasas, California. Kobe Bryant and eight others, including his 13 year-old daughter Gianna, two of her teammates, their parents, an assistant coach and the pilot died when their helicopter crashed into the side of a hill. They were on their way to a basketball game in Thousand Oaks. It was a tragic loss for all of the families involved and for Kobe’s many adoring fans across the globe. His death has touched the hearts of many due to his amazing basketball career and the work he has done for the community. We should not focus too much on his death but rather celebrate his successes.
Kobe’s career started when he was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 1996 as the 13th overall pick. Almost immediately, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers to replace Vlade Divac. Bryant initially struggled to get playing time but that changed as he showed how he could perform on the court. The Lakers progressed into the playoff semifinals, where they lost to the Utah Jazz in overtime.
In his second season he got much more playing time and he began to show that he was a very talented guard. His averaging scoring doubled and he began playing small forward alongside guards he usually would back up. That season he was also voted by fans to be the youngest NBA All Star Game starter in NBA history. Sometime during the season he signed a six-year contract that kept him with the Lakers until the end of the 2003-04 season. Early in his career he was being compared to NBA superstars Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan.
Kobe won 5 titles with the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his 20-season career. He was arguably one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA and certainly of his generation. His five titles are tied for the most in Lakers franchise history. In his career he averaged 25 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He was one of the most complete players in the NBA. He had an 81-point game in 2006 against Toronto, which is the second highest single-game scoring performance in NBA history. Bryant has won many MVP awards in his career.
Kobe retired in 2016 from the NBA and his two jersey numbers, #8 and #24, were retired in December 2017 in a meaningful ceremony. He went on to found the Mamba Sports Academy, which his daughter Gianna Bryant, who was proving to be a promising basketball player, attended. Kobe was also the girls’ coach for Mamba Academy, meaning he was also Gianna’s coach. He invested a lot of his time into many community projects, which is why it is so devastating to see him go. His legacy will live forever on the court and in Los Angeles.
Sierra Sanchez is a freshman studying biomedical science.