On January 26 2020, the whole world woke up to the sad news of the demise of retired basketball superstar, Kobe Bryant.
He had been involved in a fatal helicopter crash which also claimed the life of his 13 year old daughter, Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, who was travelling with him on that ill-fated flight, and 7 other occupants of the helicopter.
Tributes poured in from all around the world, sports stars, fans who enjoy betting on basketball, actors, everyone who had in one way or the other known or heard about Kobe Bryant were shocked by his death and the circumstances surrounding it.
Born on 24th August 1978, Bryant was first drafted into the NBA in 1996 as the 13th overall pick. He was a one-team man, and spent all of his 20 active years playing for the Los Angeles Lakers where he became a legend in the NBA, going on to represent the United States of America at numerous international tournaments, winning Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
He was selected for the 1996 NBA draft after his high school graduation, and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick; the Hornets then traded him to the Lakers.
As a rookie, Bryant earned a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan favorite by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, and he was named an All-Star by his second season as a full time NBA player. Bryant became the cornerstone of the Lakers in 2005 after the exit of Shaquille O’Neal from the team.
He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons. In January 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points in a match against the Toronto Raptors; the second most points scored in a single game in league history, only behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962.
Bryant led the Los Angeles Lakers to two consecutive NBA titles in 2009 and 2010, and was named NBA Finals MVP on both occasions.
He continued to be among the top players in the league through 2013, when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon aged 34. He subsequently suffered season-ending injuries to his knee and shoulder, respectively, in the following two seasons.
Bryant retired after the 2015–16 season as a result of his reduced physical fitness levels. He scored 60 points in his last career game against Utah Jazz in 2016.
Bryant was pivotal in the Lakers that won five NBA championships, and was named among the NBA All-Star line up 18 times.
He was also a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP.
Bryant also led the NBA in scoring twice (2006 and 2007), and ranks fourth on the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists.
He was the first Shooting Guard to play for up to 20 seasons in the NBA.
Bryant died on his way to a basketball tournament, and the All-Star game has been named after him. He left behind a wife and three children.
The jerseys 8 and 24 were retired by the Los Angeles Lakers after he died, and even this season the Lakers chant when they huddle before a game is “Mamba on three”.
Even in death, the legend of the black Mamba lives on!.
