Kobe Bryant

Position: Guard
Height: 6’6” (199 cm)
Weight: 220 lbs. (100 kg)
NBA Team: Los Angeles Lakers
School: Lower Merion H.S. (PA)

USA BASKETBALL NOTES

• Gold Medals: 2008 Olympic Games, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship.
• Named a member of the 2010-12 USA Men’s National Team on Feb. 10, 2010.
• Member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team that finished 8-0 and won the gold medal.
• Member of the 2008 USA Senior National Team that finished pre-Olympic tour with a 5-0 record. Averaged 13.4 ppg., 2.2 rpg., 2.6 apg. and 2.2 spg.
• Member of the 2007 USA FIBA Americas Championship Team that finished 10-0, won gold and qualified the United States men for the 2008 Olympics.
• Started in all 10 of the USA’s games and averaged a team third best 15.3 ppg., 2.0 rpg., 2.9 apg. (fourth highest on team), a team leading 1.6 spg., averaged a team second (tied) most 19.9 minutes a game, while shooting 54.8 percent (51-93 FGs) from the field overall, 45.9 percent (17-37 3pt FGs) from 3-point, and 87.2 percent (34-39 FTs) from the foul line. Ranked third on the team for made and attempted free throws, ranked fourth for made field goals, made 3-pointers.
• Ranked among all FIBA Americas Championship competitors 15th in scoring, 14th in assists, eighth in steals, 14th in 3-point percentage and 3rd in free throw percentage.
• In the 2007 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge, helped lead the USA Blue Team to a come-from-behind 105-104 victory and recorded 26 points, and added 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals in 31 minutes. He drained the game winner on a 14' jumper above the foul line with :06 left in the game.
• Forced out of basketball action for the 2006 USA Senior National Team after having minor surgery on his right knee on July 15, 2006.
• Named on March 5, 2006, to the 2006-2008 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team.

NBA HONORS

• Voted MVP of the 2009 and 2010 NBA Finals.
• Voted the 2008 NBA MVP.
• Eight-time All-NBA first team who earned the honor in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
• All-NBA second team in 2000 and 2001.
• All-NBA third team in 1999 and 2005.
• NBA All-Defensive first team selection eight times (2000, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010).
• NBA All-Defensive second team in 2001 and 2002.
• Has been named an NBA All-Star 13th consecutive years; only Jerry West, Karl Malone and Shaquille O'Neal, with 14 straight nods each, have more.
• NBA All-Star Game starter in each of the last 10 games.
• Is a four-time MVP of the NBA All-Star Game (2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011) and lists tied with Bob Pettit for most All-Star game MVP honors.
• Has played in 12 of the 13 All-Star Games he has been named to, and has averaged 20.3 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 4.5 apg., 2.8 spg., and shot 50.7 percent from the field, 34.5 percent from 3-point and 80.7 percent from the foul line.
• Named MVP of the 2011 NBA All-Star Game after posting 34 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in 29 minutes while leading the West to a 148-143 victory.
• Named co-MVP of the 2009 NBA All-Star Game after posting 27 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals in 29 minutes.
• Named MVP of the 2007 NBA All-Star Game in his hometown of Philadelphia after compiling 31 points, 6 assists, 6 steals and 5 assists in 28 minutes to lead the West over the East 153-132.
• In 2003, for the first time in his career, he received the most votes (1,474,386) in NBA All-Star balloting.
• Finished runner-up in the 2007 PlayStation Skills Challenge that was won by USA teammate Dwyane Wade and which also featured LeBron James and Chris Paul.
• Became the youngest player to start an All-Star Game in 1998.
• Named to the 1996-97 NBA All-Rookie second team.
• Won the Nestle Crunch Slam Dunk during the 1997 NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland.
• Participated in the 1997 Schick Rookie Game and posted a rookie game-record 31 points and 8 rebounds.
• Named to the 1999-2000 NBA All-Interview second team.

NBA MILESTONES

• Member of the 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010 Los Angeles Lakers NBA championship teams.
• Lists 12th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 25,790 points.
• Recorded his 671st regular season victory with the Lakers versus Sacramento (3/16/10) to move ahead of Earvin “Magic” Johnson as the second winningest Laker ever.
• Became the 17th and youngest player in NBA history to 24,000 points versus Memphis (11/6/09).
• Became just the second Laker to reach 1,000 career games with the franchise (Abdul-Jabbar) versus Memphis (2/23/10).
• Holds NBA record for most made 3-point field goals in one game with 12 versus Seattle SuperSonics (1/7/03), shares NBA record for most 3-pointers made in one half with eight (3/28/03).
• Ranks third in NBA history (behind Wilt Chamberlain -118; Michael Jordan - 31) and first in Laker franchise history with 24 career 50-plus point games.
• Assembled in February 2003 one of the greatest individual scoring streaks in NBA history. Became just the second player in NBA history and the first Lakers player to score 50 or more points in four consecutive games, joining Wilt Chamberlain, who holds the record with seven consecutive games of 50 or more points (December 1961). Recorded 65 points in a win against the Blazers (3/16/07), 50 points against the Timberwolves (3/18/07), 60 points in a victory over the Grizzlies (3/22/07) and 50 points in a win over the Hornets (3/23/07). His streak was snapped on March 25 when he was held to 43 points in a 115-113 win over Golden State.
• Captured the 2005-06 NBA regular season scoring title averaging 35.4 ppg., the eighth highest scoring average of all time, and the seventh most points scored in a season with 2,832 total points.
• Scored 81 points against Toronto on Jan. 22, 2006, the second most all-time in NBA history and recorded six games of 50 or more points in 2005-06.
• In 2003, for the first time in his career, he received the most votes (1,474,386) in NBA All-Star balloting.
• Appeared in 198 career NBA Playoff games (through 2010 Playoffs) and has averaged 25.5 ppg., 5.2 rpg. 4.8 apg., 1.4 spg., while shooting 44.8 percent from the field, 33.70 percent from 3-point, and 81.5 percent from the foul line.
• Became the youngest player to reach 18,000 points in NBA history (16th fastest) versus Charlotte (1/26/07).
• Versus Indiana on March 5, 2003, reached 10,000 points for his career, making him the youngest player (24 years, 193 days) in NBA history to reach that plateau.
• Made his NBA debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 3, 1996, at the age of 18 years, 2 months and 11 days old. Lists as the second youngest player in Laker History (behind Andrew Bynum) to appear in a regular season game and is the third youngest player to ever appear in an NBA game (only Bynum and Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal were younger).

NBA NOTES

• Completed in 2009-10 his 14th NBA season, all with the Lakers.
• Has played in 1021 games, started 873 games in his career and averaged 25.3 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 4.7 apg., 1.5 spg., while shooting 45.5 percent from the field, 34.0 percent from 3-point and 83.8 percent from the foul line.
• Has appeared in 198 career postseason games, holding career playoff averages of 25.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg., 4.8 apg and 1.4 rpg.
• Boasts of career highs of 81 points (Toronto 1/22/06), 16 rebounds (Toronto 1/24/10), 15 assists (Washington 2/12/02), 7 steals (Utah 2/13/06) and 5 blocked shots (3 times).
• Helped lead the Lakers in 2009-10 to a Western Conference best 57-25 regular season record, the Pacific Division title and the 2010 NBA championship.
• Started and played in 73 games in 2009-10, averaged 38.8 minutes, 27.0 ppg., 5.4 rpg., 5.0 apg., 1.6 spg., shot 45.6 percent from the field, 32.9 percent from 3-point and 81.1 percent from the foul line.
• Finished 2009-10 ranked 2nd in the NBA in field goals attempted, 4th in scoring, 5th in field goals made, 7th in minutes, 11th in free throws made and attempted, 13th in steals, 14th in efficiency ranking (22.89), 24th in assists, 41st in 3-point field goals attempted and 46th in steals per turnover.
• Made six game winning shots in 2009-10 (final 10 seconds or less of 4th quarter or overtime) the most game-winning shots in a single season of any player over the last 10 years.
• Made a record-breaking 12 3-pointers in a single game on Jan. 7, 2003, against the Seattle SuperSonics.
• As a member of the 2002 Laker championship team, averaged 26.6 ppg., 5.8 apg. and 4.6 apg. in 19 postseason games.
• Selected out of high school by the Charlotte Hornets in the first round (13th pick overall) of the 1996 NBA Draft.
• His draft rights were traded by the Hornets to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac on July 11, 1996.

HIGH SCHOOL NOTES

• Became the 27th player to jump from high school to the NBA.
• Concluded his high school career as the all-time leading scorer in Southeastern Pennsylvania history with 2,883 points, surpassing the mark established by Wilt Chamberlain (2,359).
• Named the 1996 Naismith High School Player of the Year and Gatorade Circle of Champions High School Player of the Year senior year.
• Selected by USA Today and Parade Magazine as the 1996 National High School Player of the Year as a senior at Lower Merion High School (Pa.) after averaging 30.8 ppg., 12.0 rpg., 6.5 apg., 4.0 spg. and 3.8 bpg.
• Led Lower Merion H.S. to a 31-3 record and Class AAAA state title as a senior, and compiled a 77-13 record his final three seasons.

PERSONAL NOTES

• Born August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• He and wife, Vanessa, have two daughters, Natalia Diamante and Gianna Maria
• His parents named him after a type of steak (Kobe) seen on a restaurant menu prior to his birth.
• Spent eight years as a child in Italy and is fluent in Italian.
• Has two older sisters, Sharia and Shaya.
• Son of Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant, forward with Philadelphia 76ers (1975-75 through 1978-79), San Diego Clippers (1980-81 through 1981-82) and Houston Rockets (1982-83). His father averaged 8.7 ppg. in 606 career games in the NBA.

• 2008 OLY - 2008 U.S. Olympic Games Team, Beijing, China (the USA finished 8-0 and won the gold medal).
  
• 2008 SNT - 2008 USA Basketball Senior National Team (the USA compiled a 5-0 record).
  
• 2007 OLYQ - 2007 USA FIBA Americas Championship Team (the USA finished 10-0, won the gold medal and qualified the U.S. men for the 2008 Olympics).
  
• 2007 SNT- - 2007 State Farm USA Basketball Challenge USA White Team (the USA Blue Team defeated USA White Team 105-104).