Senin, 24 November 2008

Los Angeles Lakers Basketball star Kobe Bryant Photos, Wallpapers, Biography

Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant

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Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers photoKobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers photo

Vanessa Bryant and Kobe Bryant
Vanessa Bryant. She is the wife of basketball player Kobe Bryant who has been notorious because of sexual assault charges filed against him. He was already married at the time of those allegations but his wife has stuck with him and apparently the couple is going strong.

Basketball star Kobe BryantBasketball star Kobe Bryant

Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant Biography ...
Kobe Bryant was born on August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents, Joe and Pam, already had two girls, Sharia and Shaya. Kobe was their third and final child. Life in the Bryant family was not your normal everyday existence. Joe, a playground legend from Philly’s John Bartram High School, was in the midst of a scattershot pro basketball career that took him to three different countries. After three stellar years at La Salle University, he was drafted in 1975 by the Golden State Warriors.

“Jellybean Joe,” a 6-9 forward with the skills of a point guard, never really found his place in the NBA. After the Warriors refused his contract demands, he was dealt to Philadelphia. From there, he bounced from one team to another, appearing in a total of 606 games for the 76ers, Clippers and Rockets and averaging 8.7 points along the way. He also played professionally in Europe.

Kobe grew up eating, sleeping and breathing basketball. A yearafter he was born, Joe was traded to the San Diego Clippers. The Bryants loved being in sunny Southern California. Their neighbors were friendly, and rain rarely forced the kids inside. Kobe developed an intense love of hoops on the West Coast. By his third birthday he was already telling people be would be an NBA star.

In November 1999, 21 year old Kobe met 17 year old Vanessa Laine while she was working as a background dancer on the Tha Eastsidaz/ Snoop Dogg music video " G'd Up " (In the video Vanessa is in the convertible in a silver bikini). Kobe was in the building working on his debut musical album, which was never released.

The two began dating and were engaged just six months later in May 2000, all while Laine was still a senior at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California. Due to the media, she finished high school through independent study.

They married on April 18th,2001 in Dana Point, California. There were only about 12 guests at the wedding. Neither Kobe's parents, nor his two sisters, nor longtime advisor and agent Arn Tellem, nor Kobe's teammates attended. Bryant's parents were opposed to the marriage for a number of reasons. Reportedly Kobe's parents had problems with him marrying so young, especially to a woman who wasn't African-American. This disagreement resulted in an estrangement period of over two years, during which Kobe Bryant did not have any contact with his parents. Finally in Spring 2003 after Kobe's 1st daughter Natalie was born, Kobe and his parents reconciled.

According to Vanessa's cousin Laila Laine, there was no prenuptial agreement. Vanessa said Kobe "loved her too much for one".

The Bryants' first child, a daughter named Natalia Diamante Bryant, was born on Sunday January 19th,2003. The birth of Natalia influenced Bryant to reconcile his differences with his parents: Kobe/Vanessa & Joe/Pam were once again on good terms. Vanessa Bryant suffered a miscarriage due to an ectopic pregnancy in the Spring 2005; and later in Fall 2005 the Bryants announced that they were expecting their second child. Their second daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, was born on Monday May 1st,2006. Interestingly, Gianna was born 6 minutes ahead of of former teammate and rival Shaquille O'Neal's daughter Me'arah Sanaa, who was born in Florida.

In the summer of 1982 the Bryants packed their bags for Houston, after Joe was dealt to the Rockets. Kobe, who was gaining a better understanding of what his dad did for a living, started following the NBA seriously. His favorite player was Magic Johnson, a point guard in a power forward’s body—not unlike Kobe’s dad. The youngster responded to Magic’s flashy style and winning ways, and adopted the Lakers as his favorite pro team.

Kobe sizzled during the 1994-95 season. The junior averaged 31.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists and was named Pennsylvania Player of the Year. Kobe also unveiled his devastating cross-over dribble during the campaign. He learned the move from God Shammgod, a teammate on his summer AAU squad.

After Kobe’s breakout year, college recruiters from across the country came knocking. The soon-to-be senior boasted excellent grades and SAT scores, so academics would not be an obstacle. At the top of his list were Duke, North Carolina, Villanova and Michigan. But when Chicago schoolboy Kevin Garnett went in the first round of the NBA Draft in June of 1995, Kobe began seriously considering going directly to the pros. That summer, Joe arranged for his son to work out with members of the 76ers, and Kobe was awesome. He also made a big impression on scouts at the ABCD All-America camp at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

As a senior, Kobe’s sparkling play put Lower Merion on the high-school basketball map. The Aces posted a 32-3 record and captured their first state title in 42 years. The school’s name was in the newspapers constantly, college coaches filled the stands for every game, and coach Downer received invitations to several prestigious tournaments. Kobe finished the year with a scoring average of 30.8 points, pushing his four-year points total to 2,883, which shattered the Pennsylvania record set four decades earlier by Wilt Chamberlain.

The fun really began when the season ended. When an Italian League team approached Joe about becoming its coach, management insisted that his son be part of the deal. Meanwhile, with several other top high school seniors—including Tim Thomas of New Jersey, Lester Earl of Louisiana, and Jermaine O’Neal of South Carolina—thinking about going to the NBA, Kobe did nothing to squelch rumors that he would do the same. The 17-year-old added fuel to the fire when he wowed the scouts at the 1996 Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina

Kobe Bryant's career highlights

A member of the 2002 Laker championship team averaging 26.6 ppg and 5.8 apg and in four games in the NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets

Selected to the 2001-2002 All-NBA First Team after averaging 25.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 5.5 apg

Selected to the 2001-2002 All-Defensive Second Team

Was named MVP of the 2002 All-Star Game after tallying 31 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists

Western Conference starter in his fourth straight All-Star Game

A member of the 2001 Laker championship team averaging 24.6 ppg and 5.8 apg in five games in the NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers

Selected to the 2001-2002 All-NBA Second Team

A member of the 2000 Laker championship team averaging 15.6 ppg and 4.6 apg in five games in the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers

Selected to the 1999-2000 All-NBA Second Team

Ranked 12th in the NBA in points per game (22.5) and 16th in the NBA in minutes per game (38.2)

Selected to the 1999-2000 NBA All-Defensive First Team and named to the 1999-2000 NBA All-Interview Second Team

Named the NBA Player of the Week for the week ending 4/16/00, averaging 29.7 points, 7.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds

Hit the game-winning bucket with 2.6 seconds remaining, lifting the Lakers to a 97-96 win over Phoenix on 5/10/00 in game 2 of the series

Posted a career-high 40 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 8 assists against the Sacramento Kings on 3/12/00

Netted 15 points as a starter in the 2000 NBA All-Star Game

Named to the 1998-99 All-NBA Third Team after leading the Lakers in steals (1.44 spg) and ranking 2nd on the team in scoring (19.9 ppg, 15th in the NBA) and free-throw percentage (.839, 20th)

Logged 9 double-doubles and led the Lakers in scoring in 11 games in 1999

Scored 33 of his career-high 38 points (15-24 FG) in the 2nd half, adding 4 assists and 3 rebounds, in a 113-104 victory over the Orlando Magic on 3/21/99

Posted 26 points and career-highs of 13 rebounds and 9 assists against the Denver Nuggets on 2/22/99

Totaled 17 points and 4 rebounds, in his only start of the 1997-98 season, against the Portland Trail Blazers on 2/10/98

Became the youngest All-Star in NBA history, posting a team-high 18 points and 6 rebounds, in the 1998 NBA All-Star Game in New York

Teamed with Lisa Leslie of the WNBA's L.A. Sparks in the inaugural Nestle Crunch All-Star 2ball during All-Star Saturday

Scored a career-high 33 points, hitting 3-of-5 three-pointers, and grabbed 3 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls on 12/17/97

Has appeared in 20 career NBA Playoff games, averaging 8.5 ppg in 17.7 mpg

Named to the 1996-97 NBA All-Rookie Second Team, averaging 7.6 ppg and 15.5 mpg in 71 games

Won the Nestle Crunch Slam Dunk during the 1997 NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland and participated in the Schick Rookie Game, posting a rookie game-record 31 points and 8 rebounds

Made his first career start, scoring 12 points, against the Dallas Mavericks on 1/28/97

Made his NBA debut at the age of 18 years, 2 months and 11 days old, became the youngest player ever to appear in an NBA game, against the Minnesota Timberwolves on 11/3/96

Selected by USA Today and Parade Magazine as the National High School Player of the Year as a senior at Lower Merion H.S.

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