This article is about Kobe Bryant net worth, career, achievements, life events, and everything else you need to know leading up to his death. He was an American professional basketball player. Being a shooting guard, Kobe Bryant entered the NBA (National Basketball Association) directly from high school, playing his entire 20-season professional basketball career in the league with Los Angeles Lakers.
Kobe Bryant won a number of accolades: two-time NBA Finals MVP winner, 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team,18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and an incredible five NBA championships.
Widely referred to as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Kobe led the NBA scoring charts during two seasons. He ranks fourth on the league’s all-time postseason scoring and all-time regular season scoring lists.
Kobe Bryant’s Early Life
Kobe Bean Bryant was born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania on August 23, 1978, to Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. His only siblings are his elder sisters named Sharia and Shaya. Kobe started to play basketball from an early age. He was a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and AC Milan football clubs.
At age six his family moved to Rieti, Italy, and returned to Philadelphia in 1991 before he enrolled at the Lower Merion High School. While in high school, he participated in school basketball activities and won his school a state championship after 53 years.
Kobe Bryant’s Career
He was drafted into the NBA by the Charlotte Hornets in the year 1996 before being traded to play for the Lakers. In the 1996-1997 NBA season, he provided remarkable performances and created a record as the youngest player to ever play in an NBA game.
In the 1997-98 season, he performed better than he did in the previous seasons, and was voted the season’s NBA All-Star starter being the youngest player in the NBA to receive this honor. By playing well the following season, he established himself in the league as a premier guard and extended his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers by six years.
Kobe Bryant excelled in his team as a shooting guard in the league and led his team to victory becoming champions from 2000 to 2002. In 2004 Kobe extended his contract with the Lakers by seven years.
On 22nd January 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a single game against the Toronto Raptors. He also scored well in the next four games, becoming the first-ever player to score either 45 points or more in 4 consecutive games.
In December 2007, he became the youngest NBA player to reach 20,000 points. This record was eventually later broken by LeBron James. In 2008, he represented the United States men’s national basketball team at the Olympics and won a gold medal.
In the 2009-2010 season, Kobe Bryant put up an outstanding performance and broke the record of Jerry West, becoming the all-time leading scorer in the Los Angeles Lakers team history.
He won another gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics. In December same year, he became the first ever player in the history of the NBA to reach 30,000 career points. At 37 years of age, he became the oldest player in the NBA to score 60 or more points in a game.
He announced his retirement from the game on 29th November 2015.
Kobe Bryant Net Worth
Kobe Bryant net worth is made up of his earnings as a professional basketball player with the Los Angeles Lakers, the side where he spent over twenty years of his career, winning titles for the team and personal honors for himself. His net worth which is estimated at $600 million, started to amass when he became the youngest NBA player ever to receive defensive honors.
He is the second NBA player in history (after Michael Jordan) to have received a paycheck of over $30 million. Apart from earning huge sums from his basketball career, Kobe Bryant’s style and good looks have landed him spots in a number of fashion shoots.
He has produced his signature line of shoes for brands like Nike and Adidas. He also endorses Nubeo’s Black Mamba which is a collection of luxury watches priced between $25,000 and $280,000. His iconic No. 24 jersey is the NBA’s top seller in Europe, China, and the United States. His contract with Mercedes-Benz’s local Smart Car and other ventures contributed to his fortune.
Family, Personal Life & Death
Kobe Bryant married Vanessa Laine in 2001, with whom he had four daughters -Bianka, Capri, Natalia, and the late Gianna.
Kobe Bryant lost endorsements and reputation following an accusation of sexual assault by a hotel employee. His case was later dropped when his accuser failed to appear before the court.
On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, along with Gianna Bryant his 13-year-old daughter, died near Calabasas, California, United States in a helicopter crash.
Until his demise, Kobe Bryant was a winner. His accomplishments in his time as a legendary basketball player were enough to speak for him and preserve his memory in the hearts of many people around the world.