Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant was an American All-Star basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant became famous in 1996 as the first shooting guard in basketball history to be drafted out of high school. He has twice been the NBA’s leading scorer and was the season's MVP in 2007-08.

Bryant was born in 1978 in Philadelphia. He was named after the beef famous in Kobe, Japan. His father was a Philadelphia 76ers player. When Bryant was six, his family moved to Italy. He learned to play soccer and once considered becoming a professional soccer player. Back in the USA, he excelled in high school basketball and joined the NBA, aged 17.

On January 26, 2020, Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other occupants (including baseball coach John Altobelli and his wife and daughter) were killed in a helicopter crash while flying to a basketball game at Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy, where Gianna was scheduled to play.