In the sad anniversary of his passing, to remember and honor his memory, after recounting the 8 best moments of his career, we decided to list the 24 reasons that have made one of the most iconic players in the history of sports immortal.
We want to say it in advance, even before moving on to the list: heartfelt thanks, Kobe Bryant:
- He was a 5-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, holding one more ring than LeBron James and only one less than Michael Jordan at the current state.
- He earned Finals MVP recognition in two out of the five victories, in 2009 and 2010.
- He won the MVP title in 2008. He undoubtedly deserved to win it on more than one occasion, but unfortunately, that did not happen
- He boasts a remarkable 18 appearances in the NBA All-Star Game. From 1998 to 2016, Kobe never missed a single one. The only year absent from his record is 1999 when the All-Star Game was not held due to the lockout
- A 4-time All-Star Game MVP, a historic achievement shared only with Bob Pettit.
- He was selected 9 times for the All-NBA Defensive First Team, showcasing his defensive prowess.
- Kobe topped the scoring charts in consecutive years, 2006 and 2007.
- He is the first (and so far, only) player to have two jersey numbers retired by the same franchise – the iconic 8 and 24 in Lakers colors.
- He won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in his rookie season in 1997.
- Kobe spent a significant part of his childhood in Italy, moving to various cities with his family before returning to the United States at the age of 13.
- On April 13, 2016, Kobe played his farewell game, delivering another legendary performance with 60 points against the Utah Jazz.
- He skipped college, entering the NBA directly from high school, drafted at 18 by the Charlotte Hornets and then traded to Los Angeles.
- He won Olympic gold with Team USA in Beijing 2008 and London 2012.
- In 2018, Kobe won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for “Dear Basketball,” based on his retirement letter to The Players’ Tribune.
- Likely the greatest player in the history of the most successful franchise, on par with the Boston Celtics.
- His love-hate relationship with Shaq remains one of the most intriguing stories in NBA history, despite their dominant three-peat.
- Kobe remained loyal to the Lakers, even during the franchise’s challenging times.
- His high school, Lower Merion High School, retired his number 33.
- A mosaic depicting Kobe was created in 2010 by Philadelphia artist Jonathan Mandell in the Lower Merion gym.
- Michael Jordan admitted Kobe was the only player who could have beaten him one-on-one.
- In 2018, he founded the Mamba Sports Academy, promoting basketball, especially women’s basketball, with his daughter Gianna as the star.
- The Mamba Mentality: in sports, undoubtedly Kobe’s most significant legacy, surpassing any statistic or title.
