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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe Bryant was named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year in 1996 as a senior at Lower Merion High School outside of Philadelphia.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
As a senior in high school in 1996, Kobe took actress and singer Brandy to prom.
Associated Press
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe became the sixth player in history to skip college and enter the NBA draft. Here he signs an NBA basketball before a press conference at his high school.
Associated Press
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
The Hornets drafted Kobe No. 13 overall in the 1996 NBA draft. Charlotte had agreed to a trade with the Lakers before the draft, which put one of the greatest careers in NBA history into motion.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
In his second year, Kobe won the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Despite being known as one of the greatest to every play the game, Kobe won just one NBA MVP award, in 2008.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe is a 5-time NBA champion, the first coming in 2000. It started a three-peat of titles alongside Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe’s fifth and final title came in 2010, the second of back-to-back titles.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
His second NBA Finals MVP came the next season in 2010 against the Boston Celtics.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe won two NBA Finals MVP awards, the first in 2009 against the Orlando Magic.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe’s biggest game came on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006, in Los Angeles. He dropped 81 points against the Raptors in a 122-104 win. It was the second-most points scored in a game behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100.
AP
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe made the All-NBA First Team 11 times in his career, the first coming in 2002.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe’s last year on the All-NBA First Team came in 2013, ending an eight-year streak.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe made the NBA All-Defensive first team nine times in his career, the first coming in 2000.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
His last year on the All-Defensive first team came in 2011, ending six-year streak.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe was honored as an All-Star 18 times in his career. The first came in 1998.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe’s final year as an All-Star was 2016, ending a streak of 17-years in a row streak.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe was MVP of the All-Star Game four times in his career.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
On Feb. 1, 2010, Kobe became the all-time Lakers leading scorer.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
To say Kobe was the clutch gene is an understatement. He hit 36 game-winners in his career.
Robert Hanashiro, USAT
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
In his career, Kobe won 17 player of the month awards, close to the equivalent of two full season. He won 33 player of the week awards, basically the equivalent of one season.
Robert Hanashiro, USAT
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe had 134 40-point games in his career.
Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Spo, USA TODAY Sports
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
As of today, Kobe is third on the NBA All-Time scoring list, fourth on the postseason scoring list.
Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe is fourth on the postseason scoring list.
Associated Press
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe won back-to-back scoring titles in 2006 and 2007.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
If one moment defined Kobe’s career, it was when he pleaded with a coach to let him stay in the game after tearing his left Achilles’ tendon. He shot two free throws and then was benched.
Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe won two gold medals in the Olympics (Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012).
Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
In his final game, Kobe scored 60 points in a win against the Jazz. He outscored Utah’s entire team 23-21 in the final quarter.
Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Both of Kobe’s No. 8 and NO. 24 jerseys were retired by the Lakers on December 18, 2017.
Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe holds the NBA record for most seasons with one franchise for an entire career.
Robert Hanashiro, Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe was the first guard in NBA history to play for at least 20 seasons.
Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
The gym at Lower Merion High School, Kobe’s alma mater, is now named after him.
USA TODAY Sports
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe is a big deal in China, and he’s made many trips to the country. He even started the Kobe Bryant China Fund, which raises money within China earmarked for education and health programs.
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Glen Keane and Kobe accept the Oscar for best animated short film for “Dear Basketball.”
Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY NETWORK
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
In addition to his Oscar, Kobe won a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Post-Produced Graphic Design for “Dear Basketball.”
AP
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe married his wife Vanessa on April 18, 2001, at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, California. Here they are at the Oscars before Kobe’s big win.
Dan MacMedan, USA TODAY NETWORK
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe’s first dauhter, Natalia Diamante Bryant, was born in 2003.
Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe’s second daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, was born in 2006. His third, Bianka Bella Bryant, was born in 2016.
Getty Images
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe was on video game covers eight different times, with the two most notable NBA 2K10 and 2K17 Legend Edition/Legend Edition Gold.
2K Games
Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe’s career stats: 33,643 points (25.0 ppg), 7,047 rebounds (5.2 rpg) and 6,306 assists (4.7 apg).
Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports
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Celebrate Kobe Bryant’s 40th birthday with his biggest accomplishments
Kobe Bryant was named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year in 1996 as a senior at Lower Merion High School outside of Philadelphia.
Kobe Bryant is now 40 years old.
It’s been a long time now since he tormented the Phoenix Suns, so with that in mind, we’ve decided to take a look back a three times Bryant absolutely torched Phoenix.
RELATED: Suns pay tribute to Lakers’ Kobe Bryant with video
April 30, 2006
In Game 4 of a first-round playoff series, Kobe Bryant forced overtime with a last-second looping drive after a Steve Nash turnover and won the game when he corralled a jump-ball and raced up the court for a 17-foot buzzer-beater. Kobe. The Lakers led 3-1 after the victory but the Suns rallied to win the series.
RELATED: Kobe Bryant among most hated sports figures in Arizona
May 29, 2010
The Suns’ improbable conference-finals run ended at home when Kobe Bryant scored 37 points, including 24 in the second half with often-spectacular shots. The Suns, coming off a devastating Game 5 loss in which a Bryant airball was put back by Ron Artest at the buzzer, were eliminated with a 111-103 Game 6 loss and have not returned to the playoffs since then.
Jan. 10, 2012
Playing with a torn right wrist ligament, Bryant scored 48 points to lead the Lakers to a 99-83 win. Bryant wore out the Suns’ defense as he made 18 of his 31 shot. “Not bad for an old fellow,” Bryant, 33 at the time, said.
The Suns pay tribute to Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant during his final appearance in Phoenix.
Better memories for Suns fans
Bryant burned Phoenix on many occasions, but Suns fans will also always have some good memories of facing the former Lakers great.
Raja Bell’s 2006 playoffs clothesline comes to mind, as well as all the Lakers’ first-round playoff exits against the Suns and an 18-23 record for the Lakers in Phoenix during Bryant’s tenure.
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