Husein Gradasevic
General Facts about Kobe Bryant
- Full Name: Kobe Bean Bryant
- Born on: 23rd August 1978
- Died on: 26th January 2020
- Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Star Sign: Virgo
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Basketball Player
- Net worth: $600 Million (at the time of his death)
- Marital Status: Was married to Vanessa Bryant.
Kobe played for the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his 20 years in the NBA from 1996 to 2016. The six-feet-six-inches tall basketballer was a shooting guard, and he wore jersey number 8 and 24.
His Family & Education Background
He was born on 23rd August 1978 in Philadelphia to Joe and Pamela Bryant. His dad and his maternal uncle, John Cox, are former NBA players. His sisters are Sharia and Shaya, and they are older than him.
When he was six years old, his father retired from the NBA and whisked his family off to Italy, where he had other prospects to play basketball. They moved back to the US when he was 13 years old, where he joined Bala Cynwyd Middle School in 8th grade and went to Lower High School for his high school education.
His Career Background
At three years of age, he was already playing basketball, and he adored the LA Lakers. After living in several Italian cities, he started playing the game more when they moved to Reggio Emilia.
His grandfather back in the US would send him videos of the game for him to watch, and he also watched European sports animations. In the summer, he would fly to the US for the summer league.
In high school, he was the school’s first freshman to play on the varsity team, and he joined the NBA straight from high school at 17 years, even though he had the talent and the SAT score to get into any college team.
His Personal Life
He got married to Vanessa Bryant in 2001. They met when he was 21 years, and she was 17 and a senior high school student. His parents, siblings, teammates, and his agent did not attend the wedding. However, he reconciled with his parents after his first daughter was born in 2003.
He got his second daughter in 2006. Four years later, in 2011, his wife filed for divorce, but they resolved their differences in January 2013. His third daughter came in 2016, and their last born, also a daughter, came in 2019.
Sexual Assault
In 2003, he was accused of sexual assault by a hotel employee who was 19 years old. He agreed that he had been adulterous but that it was consensual. The following year, the lady failed to testify in court, and however, he apologized publicly and settled her lawsuit out of court.
His Death
On 26th January 2020, accompanied by his second daughter Gianna and six of his friends, he flew in a helicopter from Orange County for a basketball game.
However, the plane crashed in Calabasas, killing everyone on board. A private funeral service took place in Newport Beach, and on 24th February, a public ceremony took place at Staples Center.
In conclusion, Kobe was quite successful in his basketball career and had a long list of awards, including a 5-time NBA champion, 18-time NBA All-Star, and a 9-time NBA All-Defensive First Team.
The NBA also crowned him the Most Valuable Player in 2008. In most of these awards, he broke the NBA and the LA Lakers’ record. He will surely be forever missed by many.
