Kobe Bryant's NBA life, career in photos
1996
Bryant was a 17-year-old kid when he entered the NBA and had a childlike grin when the Lakers introduced him as the newest member of their franchise. He never played for another.1997
Bryant faced a steep learning curve as a rookie, averaging 7.6 points per game. A year later, he was an All-Star and on his meteoric rise to stardom.1998
In his first All-Star Game, Bryant showed he belonged among the game’s best, scoring 18 points opposed Michael Jordan.1999
Bryant’s relationship with Shaquille O’Neal was often complex, but they would form one of the top duos in NBA history.2001
This was always a certainty: When fans came to watch Kobe Bryant, they would get a show.2002
Bryant’s confidence was soaring. The Lakers rolled through the playoffs, winning a third consecutive NBA title.2003
Bryant and O’Neal were often portrayed as rivals, and they bickered often. Clearly, however, they had moments that both enjoyed.
2005
Bryant had the best offensive season of his career in 2005-06, leading the NBA by averaging 35.4 points per game.2006
Games against the Boston Celtics always brought out the best in Bryant; the Celtics and Lakers have been rivals for decades.2007
Bryant was always an intense competitor. Here, celebrating a basket in a playoff game against Phoenix, he showed how much more the postseason meant.2008
Bryant dove into the stands in an effort to save a loose ball in Dallas. No play was insignificant to him.2009
Bryant led the Lakers to the fourth championship of his career, the first since he and O’Neal won three straight in the early 2000s.2010
The fifth and final championship of Bryant’s NBA career. As the final seconds of those NBA Finals ticked away, Bryant leaped onto the scorer’s table and, as confetti fell and some stuck to his soaked uniform, he held five fingers high. The meaning was clear.2011
Bryant was adored globally, including South Korea, where he threw a basketball clinic for children during a tour of five Asian cities.2012
Bryant played in the Olympics twice for USA Basketball. He left both times with a gold medal.2013
Whenever Bryant visited China, it wasn’t uncommon for thousands of fans to show up just to get a glimpse of someone who was as revered as any player there — including Chinese star Yao Ming.2014
Bryant was among the players who wore “I Can’t Breathe” shirts in 2014 to protest the death of Eric Garner, a Black man killed by police in New York.2015
Bryant averaged 22.3 points in his next-to-last season in the NBA, the 15th time in his 20 seasons that he would average at least 20 points.2016
Wherever Bryant went in his final season, opposing fans cheered and let him know how much he would be missed.Kobe Bryant waves as he walks off the court during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Salt Lake City, March 28, 2016. Bryant was an 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.