Kobe Bryant News, Rumors, Stats, Highlights And More

A heated feud between the duo and a loss in the 2004 NBA Finals was adopted by O'Neal's trade from the Lakers after the 2003–04 season. Following O'Neal's departure Bryant turned the cornerstone of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. He led the NBA in scoring in the course of the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, setting numerous scoring data within the course of. In 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 factors against the Toronto Raptors, the second most points scored in a single recreation in NBA historical past, second solely to Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. He was awarded the regular season's Most Valuable Player Award in 2008. After dropping in the 2008 NBA Finals, Bryant led the Lakers to 2 consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, incomes the NBA Finals MVP Award on each occasions.

2K Games announced Bryant as the cover athlete for “NBA 2K24” on Thursday. The newest version of the basketball online game could have a Kobe Bryant Edition and a Black Mamba Edition, each of which might be obtainable for preorder on Friday forward of a Sept. eight launch. On November 29, 2015, Bryant announced viaThe Players' Tribunethat he would be retiring at the finish of the season. On April 13, 2011, the NBA fined Bryant $100,000 for guiding a homosexual slur at referee Bennie Adams in frustration in the earlier day's sport.

Trudell retains preying on Bryant's weak backhand, however. Someone has referred to as subsequent, however when the sport ends, Bryant would not budge. When Bryant has a choice word for Lakers sideline reporter Mike Trudell while he's taking part in against Shawne Williams, Trudell tells Bryant he'd be happy to beat him next.

Bryant avoiding a collision in a sport in opposition to China on the 2008 Summer OlympicsBryant declined to play within the 2000 Olympics because he was getting married within the low season. He additionally decided not to play in the 2002 FIBA World Championship. Bryant was originally chosen for the FIBA Americas Championship in 2003 however withdrew after present process arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgeries. In the following summer, he had to withdraw from the Olympic team due to his sexual assault case. Along with LeBron James, he was one of many first two gamers to be publicly named to the 2006–2008 U.S. preliminary roster in 2006 by Jerry Colangelo. However, he was as quickly as once more sidelined after knee surgical procedure and didn't take part within the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

James also delivered a speech to the group before the sport, and every participant in the Lakers beginning lineup was announced with Bryant's name. The sport was the second-most-watched in ESPN history, averaging four.41 million viewers. Through his first sixteen seasons, his body was resilient, and he exhibited a excessive ache threshold while usually enjoying by way of injuries. A fierce competitor, opponents and teammates alike have been the item of his scorn.

On November 30, 2014, in a 129–122 additional time victory against the Toronto Raptors, Bryant recorded his twentieth career triple-double with 31 factors, 12 assists and eleven rebounds. At age 36, he became the oldest NBA participant to ever obtain 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a sport. On December 14, Bryant turned the NBA's third all-time main scorer, passing Jordan in a 100–94 win towards Minnesota. He played within the first 27 games of the season, averaging team-highs with 26.four points and 35.four minutes per game whereas leading the league with 22.four pictures per game. However, Scott held him out for 3 straight games to relaxation after certainly one of his worst performances of the season, when Bryant dedicated nine turnovers and scored 25 factors on just 8-for-30 taking pictures in a 108–101 loss to Sacramento.

However, he was as quickly as once more sidelined after knee surgical procedure and didn't participate within the 2006 FIBA World Championship. The 1998–99 season marked Bryant's emergence as a premier guard within the league. With starting guards Van Exel and Jones traded, Bryant started each sport for the lockout-shortened 50-game season.

When the Lakers gained their second championship in Philadelphia in 2001, Kobe was noticed holding the trophy in the bathe and crying. Some wondered if the battle with O’Neal was taking its toll; Bryant would later say he was thinking about the rift in his household. Bryant and Vanessa were married in Dana Point in 2001. Neither his dad and mom nor his sisters nor any of his teammates attended.