His legacy is suffering from the corpses of slackers who couldn't match his dedication, particularly underachievers of unusual measurement . It has turn out to be well-liked to recommend that his ego—and his two-year, $48.5 million contract—are now actively hurting the franchise. The perception has turn into so universal that ESPN The Magazine printed a narrative suggesting the Lakers can't signal top-flight free brokers as lengthy as Bryant controls the system. Most of the story’s sources were anonymous and Bryant claims he didn’t read the article. But he additionally mentioned he has been asked about it enough to “grasp what it was conceptually,” and he definitely doesn’t dispute the takeaway. Bryant was drafted because the thirteenth pick by the Charlotte Hornets at age 17.

Cress stated the Sikorsky S-76 is generally well-regarded among pilots and has a strong security record over a long time of use. He noted that it has been the "helicopter of alternative" for Queen Elizabeth II, among different top dignitaries, since 2009. Minutes later, there was a shift change on the Southern California TRACON, which provides air traffic control providers to airports in the area. And the helicopter was heading into increasingly mountainous terrain, where visibility that morning was poor.

For the NBA 2K21 soundtrack, Damian Lillard, underneath his stage name Dame D.O.L.L.A., launched a tribute observe also titled "Kobe," featuring Snoop Dogg and Derrick Milano. 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"). Not to be confused with the American soccer participant Coby Bryant.

The Sony president who originally signed Bryant had already left, and Bryant's different backers had mostly deserted him. Afterwards, Bryant co-founded an independent document label, Heads High Entertainment, but it folded within a 12 months. In 2013, Bryant had a legal disagreement with an public sale house over memorabilia from his early years that his mom had put up for auction. Bryant's mom obtained $450,000 from the auction home for the objects, and contended Bryant had given her the rights to the items he had remaining in her residence. However, Bryant's lawyers requested the public sale house to return the gadgets.Before the scheduled trial, a settlement was reached allowing the auction home the sale of less than 10% of the gadgets. Bryant's dad and mom apologized to him for the misunderstanding in a written statement, and appreciated the monetary support he had given them through the years.

The solely different Laker to take action was Baylor, who also scored 50+ in three consecutive contests in December 1962. Bryant finished the year with a complete of ten 50-plus level video games, surpassed only by Chamberlain. In the 2007 NBA playoffs, the Lakers were once again eradicated within the first spherical by the Phoenix Suns, 4–1. The 2005–06 season marked a crossroads in Bryant's basketball profession.

Bryant thought-about the shot one of many luckiest he has made. Despite the harm, Bryant elected to proceed playing with it, somewhat than take any time off to relaxation the damage. Five days after his finger harm, he made another sport profitable shot, after lacking on a chance in regulation, this time in opposition to the Milwaukee Bucks in an extra time sport. Bryant also grew to become the youngest player to achieve 25,000 points in the course of the season, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain. The following day, he surpassed Jerry West to turn out to be the all-time main scorer in Lakers franchise history.

While in high school, then 76ers coach John Lucas invited Bryant to work out and scrimmage with the group, where he played one-on-one with Jerry Stackhouse. In his senior yr of highschool, Bryant led the Aces to their first state championship in fifty three years. During the run, he averaged 30.eight factors, 12 rebounds, 6.5 assists, four steals, and three.8 blocked photographs in leading the Aces to a 31–3 document. Bryant ended his high-school career as Southeastern Pennsylvania's all-time leading scorer at 2,883 points, surpassing both Wilt Chamberlain and Lionel Simmons. Bryant's retired No. 33 jersey and banner at the Lower Merion High School gymBryant earned national recognition during a spectacular high-school profession at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, positioned within the Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion.

When the Lakers received their second championship in Philadelphia in 2001, Kobe was spotted holding the trophy within the shower and crying. Some puzzled if the conflict with O’Neal was taking its toll; Bryant would later say he was thinking about the rift in his household. Bryant and Vanessa were married in Dana Point in 2001. Neither his mother and father nor his sisters nor any of his teammates attended.