He performed virtually all of the following season however again struggled, with a career-low .358 shooting proportion whereas averaging 17.6 factors per sport, and he retired following the last regular-season recreation of the 2015–16 season. The Lakers in 2012–13 acquired heart Dwight Howard and point guard Steve Nash. On November 2, 2012, Bryant scored forty factors with two steals, and he passed Magic Johnson because the Lakers career chief in steals. However, the Lakers misplaced the sport to the Clippers and started the season 0–3 for the first time in 34 years and simply the fourth time in franchise historical past. After starting the season 1–4, coach Mike Brown was fired.

But when it comes to having a kind of great, bonding friendships—that’s something I will most likely by no means have. This self-perpetuating image of Bryant as an unyielding workaholic has become so integral to his ethos that it reflexively informs every other detail about his life. He has become The Last Hard Man, the realest of the actual, the lone remnant from a Precambrian NBA era when players still hated each other and the only individuals who cared about AAU basketball have been actual eighth graders. Yet individuals overlook that this was not always the case. As crazy as it now appears, there was a protracted stretch within the ’90s when the precept knock on Bryant was his alleged insincerity. He smiled continuously, spoke Italian, and took Brandy to the promenade.

Sharing the Mamba Mentality with the following era. Introducing our #NBA2K24 cover athlete, Kobe Bryant. His career started as Michael Jordan's reign on the court was ending, and his recreation continually drew comparisons to Jordan's. Sony pushed Bryant from his roots of underground hip hop into a more radio-friendly sound.

In 2018, Bryant became the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and the first former professional athlete to be nominated and to win an Academy Award in any category for his filmDear Basketball. On August 22, 2016, Bryant and his business partner Jeff Stibel launched Bryant-Stibel, a enterprise capital firm targeted on completely different companies including media, knowledge, gaming, and know-how, with $100 million in funding. In 2011, Bryant was featured in Taiwanese singer Jay Chou's single, "The Heaven and Earth Challenge" (天地一鬥, pronounced "Tian Di Yi Dou").

Bryant, in his last Cleveland game, defending LeBron JamesBryant requested that opposing teams on the road not maintain any on-court ceremonies in his honor or current him any gifts in public. Prior to announcing his retirement, he had been steadfast about not wanting the fuss of a staged farewell tour, preferring to hear boos as an alternative of cheers. Previously, Bryant was respected but not beloved, and he was astonished on the cheers he was now receiving. Bryant later confirmed his need for West's return to the franchise but denied stating that he would wish to be traded if that didn't happen.

He is also the all-time main scorer in Lakers franchise historical past. Since his second yr within the league, Bryant has been chosen to begin each NBA All-Star Game that has been held in the final fourteen years. He has received the All-Star MVP Award 4 instances , tying him for the most All Star MVP Awards in NBA historical past. He is a 14-time member of the All-NBA group and an 12-time member of the All-Defensive group; he is also the youngest player ever to receive defensive honors. At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals as a member of the USA nationwide staff.

Bryant is the second-highest-paid NBA player ever, with $323 million in career wage. He trails only Kevin Garnett, but LeBron James is catching up quickly. Both were named for Bryant, who -- for now -- is the only player named Kobe to make it to the NBA. LAS VEGAS -- There’s Kobe, carrying the uniform of a staff from Los Angeles. There’s Kobe, the final one on the court docket at follow and getting yelled at because the buses are ready for him. The NBA 2K franchise initially debuted in 1999 with NBA 2K, that includes one other Hall of Famer, Allen Iverson, on the duvet.

In the 2008 Summer Olympics, he won a gold medal as a member of the us men's basketball team, often known as "The Redeem Team". He won one other gold medal on the 2012 Summer Olympics. He led the Lakers to two extra championships in 2009 and 2010, profitable the Finals MVP award on both events.