William Hernandi
1905541094
T. Elektro’ 19
My Idol : Kobe Bryant
Meet Kobe Bryant. He is a super talented basketball
athlete in NBA history. He become my idol
because I started to play and love basketball
because of him.
Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978) is
an American former professional basketball player.
He played his entire 20-year career with the Los
Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball
Association (NBA). He entered the NBA directly from
high school and won five NBA championships. Bryant
is an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA
Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive
team. He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons
and ranks third on the league's all-time regular
Picture 1 : Young Kobe
season scoring and fourth on the all-time postseason
scoring list. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all
time. Bryant is the first guard in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons.
Bryant is the son of former NBA player Joe Bryant. He enjoyed a successful high
school basketball career at Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania, where he was
recognized as the top high school basketball player in the country. Upon graduation, he
declared for the 1996 NBA draft and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the
13th overall pick; the Hornets then traded him to the Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned
himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk
Contest, and he was named an All-Star by his second season. Despite a feud between
the two players, Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA
championships from 2000 to 2002.
In 2003, Bryant was accused of sexual assault, but the charges were eventually
dropped and a civil suit was settled out of court. After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA
Finals, O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat and Bryant became the cornerstone of the
Lakers. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. In 2006,
he scored a career-high 81 points against
the Toronto Raptors, the second most points
scored in a single game in league history
behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in
1962. Bryant was awarded the regular
season's Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in
2008. After the Lakers lost in the 2008 NBA
Finals, Bryant led the team to two consecutive
championships in 2009 and 2010, earning
the Finals MVP Award on both occasions. He
continued to be among the top players in the
league through 2013, when he suffered a torn
Achilles tendon at age 34. Although he recovered
Picture 2 : The 81 Point game
from that injury, he suffered season-ending
injuries to his knee and shoulder, respectively, in the following two seasons. Citing his
physical decline, Bryant retired after the 2015–16 season.
At 34 years and 104 days of age, Bryant became the youngest player in league
history to reach 30,000 career points. He became the all-time leading scorer in Lakers
franchise history on February 1, 2010, when he surpassed Jerry West. During his third
year in the league, Bryant was chosen to start the All-Star Game, and he would
continue to be selected to start that game for a record 18 consecutive appearances until
his retirement. His four All-Star MVP Awards are tied with Bob Pettit for the most in NBA
history. At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals as a member of
the U.S. national team. In 2018, Bryant won the Academy Award for Best Animated
Short Film for his film Dear Basketball.
