Having spent over 2 decades of his life playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, in which he won five NBA championships and set numerous records, there is no doubt that Kobe Bryant can be mentioned in the same breath as some of the greatest Lakers of all time, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson.
Named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2008, the 18-time NBA All-Star is also widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Read on to learn more about his greatness at court and life outside of it.
biography
Bryant was born Kobe Bean Bryant to Joe and Pamela Cox Bryant on August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Raised as a Roman Catholic, he is the only male child in his family who has two older sisters. Sharia Washington and Shaya Bryant tabb.
Kobe Bryant spent his early years in Philadelphia before relocating to Italy, where he spent most of his formative years learning the language and culture. Later in his life his family moved back to the United States where he attended Lower Merion High School in Ardmore. It was here that he gained national recognition for his basketball excellence when he was named Pennsylvania Player of the Year in his junior year.
After high school, Bryant received scholarship offers from top colleges such as Duke, North Carolina, and Michigan. However, he chose to forego college and instead went straight to the league by entering for the 1996 NBA draft. On draft night, Bryant was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th pick overall and was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he spent his entire career.
Kobe Bryant family – wife and children
Kobe Bryant married his better half, Vanessa Lain, sometime in 2001, when he met Bryant when she was still a high school student and, within six months of the beginning of the relationship, proposed to meet her. They later tied the knot against the wishes of Bryant’s parents at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in California.
Their union has so far been blessed with three adorable children; Natalia Diamante Bryant (born January 19, 2003), Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant (born May 1, 2006) and Bianka Bella Bryant (born December 5, 2016).
father
As mentioned above, Kobe Bryant is the son of former NBA player turned basketball coach Joe Bryant, popularly known as Jellybean. His father was the reason Kobe became so passionate about the game of basketball and his genes enabled him to perform extremely well. During his playing days, Joe played for teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers and Houston Rockets before moving abroad. He has now served as the coach of WNBA teams such as the Las Vegas Rattlers, Boston Frenzy and Los Angeles Sparks.
Wealth (income and earnings)
Kobe Bryant’s first contract with the Lakers was when he was a teenager. His first rookie deal was worth $3.5 million. He then penned a 6-year deal worth $70 million. Over time, his contracts continued to increase and he was making up to $24 million a year.
In addition to his salary, Bryant has also earned massively from sponsorship deals. He was once the brand face of companies like Nike, Adidas, Mercedes-Benz and many others. According to records, his dealings with these companies are valued at over $300 million. He’s also blazed the trail of business tycoon by launching a venture capital fund called Bryant Stibel with entrepreneur Jeff Stibel. The company deals exclusively with investments in data companies, media and in particular in technology.
With all that effort, it’s no surprise that the 9-time NBA All-Defensive First Team member has an estimated net worth of $500 million.
weight and height
Just like almost every player that has ever existed, Kobe Bryant plays in the NBA and is impressively tall. The longtime Lakers guard is 195.5 cm tall and weighs about 96 kg. Mamba, as he is known to be known, also has body measurements of chest – 43 inches (109 cm), arms/biceps – 16.5 inches (42 cm), and waist – 35 inches (89 cm).