Twenty seasons, one franchise, two retired numbers. Kobe Bryant gave everything he had to the Los Angeles Lakers, and his Mamba Mentality still shapes how players and fans think about hard work, competitiveness and refusing to lose.
His story ended far too soon in January 2020, but the highlights, from the 81-point night to the 60-point farewell, live on. Celebrate the Black Mamba with our Kobe Bryant collection.
Kobe Bryant Fact File
| Full name | Kobe Bean Bryant |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 August 1978 |
| Place of birth | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Died | 26 January 2020, Calabasas, California (aged 41) |
| Height | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Nationality | American |
| Team | Los Angeles Lakers (1996-2016) |
| Shirt number | 8 and 24 (both retired by the Lakers) |
| Nickname | Black Mamba |
Career History
| Years | Team | Number | Games | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-2006 | Los Angeles Lakers | 8 | 707 | 16,866 |
| 2006-2016 | Los Angeles Lakers | 24 | 639 | 16,777 |
| Career | Los Angeles Lakers | 8 / 24 | 1,346 | 33,643 |
Regular-season games and points only, from Basketball-Reference. His career average was 25.0 points per game, and he sits fourth on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
Early Years: Philadelphia to Italy and Back
Kobe was the son of former NBA player Joe Bryant and moved to Italy aged six while his father played there, returning to Philadelphia at 13. At Lower Merion High School he became a national star and went straight to the NBA.
Charlotte took him 13th overall in the 1996 draft, but a deal agreed with the Lakers, with Vlade Divac heading the other way, sent the teenager to Los Angeles.
Wear the purple and gold with our Kobe Bryant Lakers 24 Basketball Icon Frame Men's Hoodie.
Breakthrough: The Three-Peat with Shaq
Alongside Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe grew from exciting youngster into a champion. The Lakers won three straight titles from 2000 to 2002, and he was named to his first of 18 All-Star teams in 1998.
Those early years in the number 8 shirt brought 707 games and 16,866 points. Browse more from the era in our Los Angeles Lakers collection.
Go back to where it started with our Kobe Bryant 8 Jersey Frame Men's T-Shirt.
Peak: 81 Points and Back-to-Back Titles
On 22 January 2006, Kobe scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second-highest total in NBA history. He averaged 35.4 points that season and won scoring titles in 2006 and 2007.
Switching to number 24, he was named MVP in 2008, then led the Lakers to back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010, taking Finals MVP both times. He also won Olympic gold with Team USA in 2008 and 2012.
Channel the mentality with our Kobe Bryant Black Mamba 24 Jersey Frame Men's Hoodie.
Later Career: Sixty in the Finale
Injuries slowed him late on, but the farewell was perfect. On 13 April 2016, in his final game, he scored 60 points against the Utah Jazz, the most anyone has scored in a last appearance.
He retired third on the all-time scoring list. LeBron James passed him on 25 January 2020, the night before Kobe died. He was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2020.
Honours
NBA
- NBA champion: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010
- NBA MVP: 2008
- NBA Finals MVP: 2009, 2010
- 18× NBA All-Star; 4× All-Star Game MVP
- 15× All-NBA (11 First Team)
- 12× All-Defensive
- NBA scoring champion: 2006, 2007
International
- Olympic gold: 2008, 2012
Recognition
- Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame: Class of 2020
- NBA 75th Anniversary Team
- Academy Award, Best Animated Short Film: Dear Basketball (2018)
Away From the Game
Kobe won an Oscar for Dear Basketball, an animated short based on his retirement poem. His family renamed his foundation the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation in February 2020 to honour his daughter Gianna, and it continues to support young athletes. He married Vanessa Bryant in 2001 and they had four daughters.
FAQs
How old was Kobe Bryant when he died?
Kobe Bryant was 41 when he died on 26 January 2020.
Where was Kobe Bryant born?
He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 23 August 1978.
How tall was Kobe Bryant?
He was 6 ft 6 in, or 1.98 m.
What teams did Kobe Bryant play for?
Only one: the Los Angeles Lakers, for all 20 of his NBA seasons from 1996 to 2016.
How many points did Kobe Bryant score?
He scored 33,643 regular-season points, fourth on the NBA's all-time list.
Who did Kobe Bryant score 81 points against?
The Toronto Raptors, on 22 January 2006, in a 122-104 Lakers win.
Shop the Kobe Bryant Collection
Lakers icon frames, jersey frames and logo designs: here is the pick of our Kobe Bryant range.
See every design in the Kobe Bryant collection, the Los Angeles Lakers collection and our wider basketball collection, or create your own custom name hoodie.
Part of our Player Profiles series. Read next: Michael Jordan and Tom Brady.
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