Kobe Bryant Wiki, Bio, Age, Height, Career, Net Worth, Wife

Kobe Bryant was a professional basketball player who also worked as a director and actress. Kobe Bryant is well-known for his roles in the films “Dear Basketball” from 2017, “Daddy’s Home” from 2015, and “The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2018: Live-Action” from 2018. He sadly died on January 26, 2020, in Calabasas, California, USA.

Early Years

The basketball player was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia. He was born under the sign of Leo. Furthermore, Kobe has two older daughters, Shaya and Sharia, who are both older than him. Joe is an NBA athlete, just like his father. Kobe started playing basketball when he was three years old. Furthermore, his grandparents used to show him NBA games on camera. Meanwhile, his entire family relocated to the United States after his father’s departure.

Death

Bryant died on the 26th of January in the year 2020. He was flying a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter at the time, which tragically crashed in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Calabasas. Bryant and his thirteen-year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi” were added to the helicopter by nine people. Bryant was about to practice for a tournament game at Mamba Sports Academy in Thousands Oaks, California, when the helicopter took off from Orange County. On February 7, 2020, Kobe and his daughter will have a private funeral. All was admiring them in a remembrance service at the Staples Center on February 24th.

Also performing musical tributes were Beyoncé and Alicia Keys, as well as Jordan, Shaq, and his wife Vanessa, who were among those posting heartfelt remembrances of the basketball legend and family guy. Kobe’s wife Vanessa posted on her Instagram account, “We are absolutely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring partner, Kobe — the incredible father of our children; and my gorgeous, sweet Gianna — a caring, compassionate, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.”

Professional Life and Career

After his father’s NBA career ended in 1984, Kobe moved his family to Italy, where he was playing in the Italian League. Following that, Kobe became a dedicated basketball and soccer player. Then, in 1991, his family moved back to Philadelphia, and Kobe joined the Lower Merion High School basketball squad, which he led to four consecutive state championships. Following that, he started collaborating with the 76ers. Bryant was selected as the rookie for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game in his second season with the Lakers, making him the youngest All-Star in NBA history at the age of nineteen.

After that, the shooting guard teamed up with powerhouse center Shaquille O’Neal to secure three NBA championships. From 2002 to 2004, he was also named to the NBA’s first-ever all-star team. Kobe has signed sponsorship agreements with Adidas, Sprite, and other well-known companies. Even while Kobe was performing flawlessly for the Lakers since O’Neal retired in 2004. In January 2006, he scored 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors. Bryant was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2008 after leading his team to the NBA Finals. They were unfortunately defeated by the Boston Celtics.

In the 2009 NBA Finals, the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic and claimed the title. The Lakers won a second consecutive title the next year, defeating the Celtics. Kobe was a member of the United States Olympic teams in 2008 and 2012, winning gold medals alongside Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony. Kobe was attempting to get back on the field after being hurt in April 2013, but he fractured his knee just six games into the 2013-2014 season. In December 2014, the seasoned All-Star passed Michael Jordan for third place all-time on the NBA scoring chart, but his season was cut short for the third year due to injury.

Retirement is a time where you can relax

About the fact that Kobe returned in time for the start of the 2015-2016 NBA season, he was hard at work alongside his young Lakers teammates. After that, Kobe announced that he will retire at the end of the season. He wrote on The Players’ Tribune page, “This season is everything I have left to offer.” “The beating won’t stop my pulse. My mind may take it, however my body thinks it’s time to let go,” Kobe said. Kobe’s announcement elicited a strong response, especially from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

In his final contest, on April 13, 2016, Kobe stared at a packed Staples Center and fans everywhere, helping the Lakers defeat the Utah Jazz. “I can’t believe how quickly 20 years went by,” Kobe told the audience after the game. This is completely insane… and to be there in the middle of the court alongside you all, my teammates, appreciating the ride we’ve been through — we’ve had our ups and downs. The most significant thing is that we all stuck together throughout.”

More on his retirement here.

Every Laker player, like O’Neal, Phil Jackson, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, and Magic Johnson, paid homage to Kobe. In November 2015, Kobe announced his departure from the Lakers with a poem titled “Dear Basketball” on The Players’ Tribune website. The poem was then turned into a short film with the help of Disney animator Glen Keane and composer John Williams. The result was a 5-minute, 20-second film that premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival.

Oscar judges took notice, resulting in Kobe winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 2018 ceremony in an unexpected turn of events. However, it was revealed in June 2018 that the invitation has been withdrawn by the Academy’s governors committee. He also said that the former basketball great will have to put in more time on the court before being considered for membership. Apart from his philanthropic efforts, he was a trustee of the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation, which partnered with the non-profit After-School All-Stars. He also ran the Kobe Basketball Academy, an annual summer camp.

 Net Worth

The basketball player amassed a sizable net worth as a result of his professional career. Kobe Bryant’s net worth is estimated to be in the $600 million range. Similarly, he was able to supplement his income by working as an entrepreneur. Kobe is one of the wealthiest basketball players in the world. Apart from that, there is little detail about Kobe’s properties or wages. Furthermore, in the year 2014, Kobe Inc. spent $5.8 million on a building in Newport Beach to hold its offices.

Relationship Status

Vanessa Laine was Bryant’s wife, and they married in April 2001. Vanessa was fourteen years old at the time of their union. Natalia Diamante, who was born in 2003, Gianna Maria-Onore, who was born in 2006 and died in 2020, Bianka, who was born in 2016, and Capri, who was born in 2019, are the couple’s four children. Apart from that, there is no other detail on how the pair met for the first time.

In July 2003, Kobe was charged in Colorado with one count of sexual harassment against a 19-year-old female hotel staff. Kobe said that he was guilty of adultery but not of rape. In the year 2004, the argument against Kobe came to a close. Then he reached an out-of-court settlement with the hotel staff who had brought a federal case against him.

Social Media and Body Measurement

When it came to the basketball player’s physical presence, he stood at a healthy 6 foot 5 inches tall. Kobe weighed in at 96 kilograms. Kobe had a well-developed muscular body style as an athlete. He, too, had a pair of blue eyes and super-short black hair. Bryant’s body dimensions are 42-16-35 inches in length, width, and height. Kobe also had a dark skin and a broad, powerful frame. Furthermore, the basketball was very attractive and had a captivating personality.

On social media, the professional basketball player is very involved. Kobe Bryant has a total of 20.8 million Instagram followers and 15.2 million Twitter followers. In a similar vein, Kobe has a Facebook profile of over 22 million fans. His social media pages are brimming with his jobs, collaborations, and family photos. Kobe’s passion and admiration for his family and profession can be reflected in his social media messages.

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