KOBE BRYANT Atestat Final

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Highschool DR.I.MESOTA NATIONAL COLLEGE Braov

English Certification Paper

Kobe Bryant - The Next NBA Legend

Coordinator: Author:

Prof. Rogoz Rodica Mamina Vlad AndreiCls a-XII-a E

MAY 2008


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Foreword

Basketball is my favourite sport and I have been practising it sincethe beginning of high school.

I like this sport because it is very creative and you can dosomething extraordinary with the ball on court even if your team isled by another one.

It is said that basketball was invented in the USA and they alsohave the most complex tournaments worldwide. The National

Basketball Association (NBA) was founded here too.

It is composed of thirty teams in which the greatest players in theworld can be found.

Like most fans, I have a favourite player who plays in the NBA.His name is Kobe Bryant and he is my idol.

The purpose of this certification paper is to present the life of this

extraordinary man from the day he was born until he became asuccessful basketball player who gained the hearths of many fans.You cannot think of NBA without thinking of Kobe Bryant and hisoutstanding achievements. He has become a popular sportsman inthe USA and a household name around the world, many peoplecopying his playing style and way of life.


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Contents

1 Early life..1 2 Life's Work......2 3 High School Standout..4 4 Bypassed College for the Pros.....5 5 Faced Reality Check....7 6 NBA career profile

o 6.1 1996 Draft...11o 6.2 First two seasons.11o 6.3 Championship years....12o 6.4 End of a dynasty..12o 6.5 Unquestioned leader13o 6.6 2005-06 season ...13o 6.7 2006-07 season15

7 Player Profile...17 8 Regular season statistics..18

9 Awards and achievementso 9.1 Career highlights.19o 9.2 NBA milestones..20o 9.3 NBA records...21o 9.4 Lakers franchise records.22o 9.5 Other awards and achievements.23

Conclusion.24 Bibliography..25
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1.Early life

Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the youngest childand only son ofJoe and Pam Bryant (they also have two daughters, Shayaand Sharia).When Bryant was six, his father left the NBA, moved his familyto Italy, and started playing professional basketball there. Bryant acclimatedto the lifestyle there and became fluent in Italian. At an early age, he learnedto play soccer. He has said that if he had stayed in Italy, he would have triedto become a professional soccer player, and that his favorite team is ACMilan.

In 1991, the Bryants moved back to the United States. Kobe earned nationalrecognition during a spectacular high school career at Lower Merion HighSchool in the Philadelphia suburb ofLower Merion. His SAT score of 1080

would have ensured his basketball scholarship to various top-tier colleges.Bryant has stated that had he decided to go college after high school, hewould have attended Duke University. Ultimately, however, the 17-year-oldBryant made the controversial decision to go directly into the NBA.

Kobe Bryant joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 and became part of a

celebrated one-two punch with centerShaquille O'Neal. The pair led theLakers to NBA championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Bryant was an NBA

prodigy, jumping straight from high school to the pros. (He was drafted in1996 by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Lakers for center VladeDivac.) Bryant's charisma and flashy talent led some to compare him withformer NBA superstarMichael Jordan. In July 2003 Bryant was chargedwith sexual assault after an encounter with a 19-year-old resort employee inColorado; Bryant insisted that his relationship with the woman wasconsensual. The case was eventually dismissed and Bryant settled a civil suitwith the woman out of court. Bryant continued to play with the Lakers, andon 22 January 2006 scored 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors.It was the second highest-scoring individual performance in NBA history,trailing only the 100 points scored by Wilt Chamberlain on 2 March1962.Bryant stands 6'7" and plays guard...He wore the jersey number 8 for years, but switched to 24 at the start of the2006 NBA season...
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According to Bryant's NBA bio, his parents "named him after a kind of steak(kobe) seen on a restaurant menu prior to his birth"...Bryant's father JoeBryant played eight seasons in the NBA and also played pro ball in Italy,where Kobe spent part of his childhood... Bryant married the formerVanessa Laine in April 2001; their daughter, Natalia, was born in January2003.

2. Life's Work

At the age of 18 years 2 months and 11 days, Kobe Bryant became theyoungest man ever to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA).Bryant bypassed college and moved straight from high school to the NBA, a

feat accomplished by only 27 other players in the long history of the league.Drafted by the Charlotte Hornets on July 11, 1996, Bryant was soon tradedto the Los Angeles Lakers, where he became the youngest player ever tomake that West Coast team. He has been a Laker ever since, joining starssuch as Shaquille O'Neal and Nick Van Exel in the team lineup.
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Basketball players who have had some college experience often find themove to the NBA a tough adjustment. How much harder it must be, then, toarrive in the league as an 18-year-old high school graduate. Bryant'stransition was hardly a smooth one, but he seemed to handle the mediaattention, the new expectations, the travel, and all the challenges far beyondhis years. Asked about his sudden stardom in theLos Angeles Times, Bryantresponded: "It's crazy. If you sit back and start thinking about it, maybe youcould be overwhelmed by the situation. You've just got to keep going slowlyand keep working hard on your basketball skills. Then, I don't think yourhead can swell because you won't have time to think about it."

At six-feet seven-inches tall and 210 pounds, Bryant was hardly too small or

frail to compete in the NBA. Observers cited his size, agility, and shot-making ability when forecasting his pro success. Another asset was hisawareness of NBA life--his father, Joe, played as a pro. "Basketball is kindof like life," Bryant explained in thePhiladelphia Inquirer. "It can get roughat times. You can get knocked on your butt a couple of times. But what youhave to do is get up and hold your head high and try again."

The youngest of three children born to Joe and Pam Bryant, Kobe Bryantwas born in Philadelphia in 1978--the year before Magic Johnson joined theLakers. The Lakers press guide said his parents named him after a type of

steak they saw on a restaurant menu shortly before he was born. Bryant'sfather was in the midst of a 16-year pro basketball career that first took thefamily through Philadelphia, San Diego, and Houston, and then took themoverseas to an Italian league. When not traveling with his team, Joe"Jellybean" Bryant played sports with his children, teaching them his moves.Kobe proved to be a particularly apt student, and he adored his father. SaidBryant in theNew York Times: "Other kids don't have a father. I don't haveanything in common with them. My father's my best friend. Those kids say Ilead a Beaver Cleaver life. I don't care." Kobe was five years old when his

father left the NBA and moved the family to Pistoia, Italy. There the elderBryant competed eight more years in the Italian Professional BasketballLeague. Since no one in the Bryant family could speak Italian at first, the

bonds between members grew even closer as they struggled with learninganother language. "We didn't have anybody to depend on but our family.

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We had to stick together," Bryant remembered in the Riverside, California,Press-Enterprise. Kobe got along well with his sisters Sharia and Shaya,and--when time allowed--he played hoops with his dad. He also playedsoccer, a favorite sport in Italy.

3. High School Standout

When Joe Bryant's pro career ended in 1991, the family returned to theUnited States and settled in a comfortable home on the Main Line--the most

prestigious of Philadelphia's suburban areas. Thirteen-year-old Kobesurprised his fellow students at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore:they marveled at the young black man who could speak Italian fluently but

who was relatively unaware of the hip urban attitudes popular among teens.In aLos Angeles Times profile Bryant recalled that time: "It was kind ofstrange because, being away, I didn't know a lot of the slang that kids used.Kids would come up to me and say whatever, and I'd just nod."

Basketball helped bridge the gap between Bryant and his classmates atLower Merion High. Tall and skilled, Bryant quickly became a starter forthe varsity team and just as quickly began to make a name for himself ingreater Philadelphia. While Bryant became a national star in the late 1990s,he was a local celebrity for years--and that level of attention helped to

prepare him for the heightened attention he received in the NBA. He refusedto make his ambitions to play in the NBA secret even though many peopleadvised him to pursue safer goals. His parents, however, supported hisdreams, and his high school coach, Gregg Downer, offered encouragement."When I first met [Kobe], at age 13, and I saw him play, after five minutes Isaid, 'This kid is going to be a pro,"' Downer told theLos Angeles Times."Never was there one moment I doubted that. That it would happen soquickly, I may have doubted that. But I knew if he progressed so quickly andcontinued to make good decisions, he would someday get there."Bryantconcluded his high school career as the all-time leading scorerin the historyof Southeastern Pennsylvania basketball. His 2,883 points far surpassed the2,359 points of Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain. As a junior, he was namedPennsylvania's high school player of the year.

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Acccolades poured in from both local and national sources. USA Todaynamed him National High School Player of the Year, and he also won the

Naismith Player of the Year citation. Downer told theLos Angeles Times, "Iknow the high school market very well and I've watched it for close to 20years, and to think there could be another player come into my hands and bethis good, that's an abstract concept. [Kobe's] blessed with a lot of naturalability and great genes, but the work ethic is his and it's very strong. Kobehas the skills and the maturity and everything you could want."

4. Bypassed College for the Pros

Not surprisingly, Bryant was offered scholarships to almost every majorcollege and university in the country. Not only was he a brilliant basketballplayer, he was also a good student, scoring an above-average 1100 on his

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Bryant and his parents remained coy abouthis future, however. They realized that they faced a momentous decision:whether to bypass college completely and go straight into the NBA draft.

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Just before prom time, Bryant called a news conference to declare hisdecision to make himself available for the 1996 NBA draft in June.Philadelphia sports fans who had expected Bryant to enroll at one of thelocal colleges greeted the announcement withjeers. The criticism escalated

when Joe Bryant quit his job as an assistant coach at La Salle University tomanage his son's career. Answering all his detractors in theNew York Times,Joe Bryant stated, "Would Kobe be more accepted going to the NBA if he'd

been a dummy? Do you have to be poor, with five kids, living on welfare?"He concluded, "Kobe should have had the key to the city. Instead they triedto crucify him. No one saw how special he is."

No one, that is, except the Charlotte Hornets, who chose Bryant as thethirteenth pick in the first round of the 1996 NBA draft. No one but Adidas,who swooped in to sign the young star to a product endorsement contract.

No one but Brandy, who praised her prom date as a terrific guy and invitedhim to guest-star on her television show,Moesha. And no one but the LosAngeles Lakers, who traded veteran center Vlade Divac to obtain theuntested rookie.

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A month shy of his eighteenth birthday, Kobe Bryant signed a three-year,$3.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and moved into amansion in Pacific Palisades, California. If anyone could be said to be "ontop of the world," it was Bryant.

5. Faced Reality Check

Poised for greatness, Bryant took the Southern California Summer ProLeague by storm. He appeared in four games--drawing huge overflowcrowds-- and netted 27 points in one game and 36 in another. Then, just

before training camp was due to start in September, he broke his wristplaying pickup ball and could not practice for five weeks. This set back

effectively undercut his first chance to learn the NBA style of play. To makematters worse, he took a body shot from an opponent in Philadelphia duringan exhibition game in October of 1996 and missed not only the rest of the

preseason but also the season opener in November.

The injuries gave Bryant a huge disadvantage during the Lakers' regularseason. Lakers coach Del Harris explained in the Riverside, California,

Press-Enterprise that "You've got to figure that not only did [Kobe] skipcollege, he also skipped training camp. Given that, the fact that he was ableto compete at this level by January [1997] is incredible--especially with a

team that's been in first or second place all year, rather than a team thatmight say, 'Well, we're not going anywhere anyway, so let's play the youngguys."'

Harris saw Bryant as ajourneyman who needed more training in the progame and restricted his playing time accordingly. Bryant warmed the bench,averaging 15.5 minutes, 7.6 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 71regular season appearances. Naturally the former high school star who had

pretty much carried his previous team on his back felt frustrated by thelimited play. "One of the hardest things this year was not knowing whetheryou're going to play or how many minutes you're going to play," Bryantacknowledged in an Associated Press report. "But at the same time that kindof helps you, because you just have to be ready every night."

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Bryant's chance to shine as a rookie came during the All-Star break, when hescored 31 points in the Rookie All-Star Game and aced the slam-dunk titlewith a dramatic shot that began between his legs. That moment of fame wassome compensation for his slow start as a professional, and it served toreinforce his coaches' conviction that he would make an impact within a yearor two.

Debate, meanwhile, still raged over whether Bryant took a wrong turn whenhe decided to skip college. As Theresa Smith observed in the OrangeCounty Register, "It's still too early.... If he hadn't turned pro, he'd belearning strategy and refining skills in frequent practice sessions, andstarring for a Top 25 team two days a week. Instead, his practice time islimited by a rigorous game and travel schedule and his game time is limited

by Harris, who has the incongruous task of developing young talent and

winning at the same time." The New York Times quoted Harris as expressingsimilar frustrations: "I don't want to be remembered ... [as] the guy whowouldn't let Kobe Bryant play." He also observed, "I have to do it. I can'tgive him special treatment just because he's 18. He elected to come into aman's world and he'll have to play by a man's rules."

That "man's world" presents many challenges for a person of Bryant's age.Not yet old enough to order an alcoholic beverage legally and enormouslywary of the multitude of other temptations beckoning NBA players, hegenerally kept to himself both at home and on the road. His parents often

traveled with him, and they lived in his Pacific Palisades home. Bryant hadno regrets about his busy schedule or his level of responsibility, however."It's fun," he enthused in an Associated Press report. "I'm in the NBA. Noway I'm bored. In four years, then I'll probably be like, 'Oh, God. We've gotanother road trip.' Right now, it's great."

Bryant's regrets did not extend to missing college, either. In fact, he said heplanned to get a degree some day, either in basketball's off season or after heretires. "I know I would have liked college, but if I was there, I'd be

thinking, 'Man, I should be in the NBA,'" he told theNew York Times. "NBAlife is fun."

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It was also lucrative. In addition to his multimillion dollar contract, Bryanthad many endorsement deals "I like getting out there for promotionalappearances and having a good time and meeting people," he said in theLos

Angeles Times. "I like to see the end product, and I take pride in it. I wantmy product to be one of the best things out there. And I love going in frontof the cameras and learning something new." At the same time, he added, "Iunderstand basketball is what got me here and on top of that, I love to do itso much that it will always be my focal point."

His family loved him, the Lakers loved him, and his fans loved him. Heattained celebrity status at lightning speed, "Most players have shoe dealsand one or two others, but the opportunities Kobe has had are far greaterthan any other team athlete, aside from Jordan and Kobe's, have comequicker," said Kobe's agent, Arn Tellem. By the age of twenty, Bryant lived

the American dream: money, good basketball moves, good looks, and a bigsmile. But, as could be expected, Bryant had some difficulties adjusting tothe demands.

Off season, he had a rigorous schedule traveling and promoting consumergoods for several large corporations including Sprite, Spalding, and Adidas.In addition, Kobe had his own Nintendo game. When he was not traveling,he spent his time with his family. According toNewsweek, "Bryant says hedoesn't have a single close friend on the team or in the city." Bryant wasdescribed as a loner.

By age twenty-one, Bryant landed millions of dollars in endorsement dealsand had an All Star NBA status. Rather than squanderhis money on the highlife, Bryant became co-owner of an Italian basketball league, OlimpiaMilano. He also released a hip-hop album, K.O.B.E. Inevitably, kids growup. 76ers coach, Larry Brown, told Sports Illustrated, "Kobe's a model ofwhat a young player should aspire to be. Year by year he has learned andmade his game more solid, and now he's not just a highlight-film guy but anaccomplished NBA player." But Bryant was not perfect. During a spring

2000 game with the New York Knicks, Bryant entered into a halftimescuffle with the Knicks guard, Chris Childs. Both players were ejected fromthe game, fined, and suspended.

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Bryant kept his focus throughout the rest of the season, however, and alongwith the NBA's Most Valuable Player, Shaquille O'Neal, Bryant helped theLakers win their first championship in 12 years. The media frequentlymentioned tension between Shaq and Kobe. They are very different people.According to Los Angeles Magazine, "Shaq had never become an adult,while Kobe had never been a child."

The Lakers repeated as champions in 2001 and 2002. In 2003, Bryant wasaccused of sexual assault in Eagle County, Colorado; prosecutors dropped

the charge in September of 2004, saying the accuser, a 19-year-old hotelemployee, could not move forward with the case. She did, however, file acivil suit against Bryant one month earlier. They settled early in 2005,concealing the terms.

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Bryant often took shuttle flights between the trial in Colorado and Lakersgames. He still made the All-NBA first team. The Lakers reached the NBAFinals in 2004, losing four games to one to the Detroit Pistons. The teamsettled the feud between Bryant and O'Neal by trading O'Neal to the MiamiHeat and signing Bryant to a seven-year, $136 million contract extension.Coach Phil Jackson left the Lakers and during the 2004 offseason, wrote a

book in which he said Bryant's trial and attitude in general wore down theteam.

Bryant was again an All-Star in 2005 but the Lakers missed the playoffs foronly the second time in twenty-nine years. After the season, team ownerJerry Buss rehired Jackson as head coach and he and Bryant both public saidthey are at peace. Still, Bryant and Jackson began the 2005-06 seasonexpecting to be under media glare.

6.NBA career profile

6.1. 1996 Draft

Before he was chosen as the 13th overall draft pick by the Charlotte Hornetsin 1996, the 17-year-old Bryant had made a lasting impression on then-Lakers general managerJerry West, who immediately foresaw potential in

Bryant's basketball ability during pre-draft workouts. He went on to statethat Bryant's workouts were some of the best he had seen. Immediately afterthe draft, Bryant expressed that he did not wish to play for the Hornets andwanted to play for the Lakers instead. Fifteen days later, West traded hisstarting center, Vlade Divac to the Hornets for the young Kobe Bryant.

6.2. First two seasons

During his first season with the Lakers, Bryant mostly came off the benchbehind guards Eddie Jones andNick Van Exel. Initially, he played limited

minutes, but as the season continued, he began to see more playing time. Heearned himself a reputation as a high-flyer and a fan-favorite by winning the1997 Slam Dunk Contest.

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In Bryant's second season (1997-98), he received more playing time andbegan showing more of his abilities as a talented young guard. He was therunner-up for theNBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award, and through fanvoting, he also became the youngestNBA All-Starstarter. While hisstatistics were impressive for his age, he was still a young guard who lackedthe experience to complement Shaquille O'Neal and significantly help theteam contend for a championship.

6.3. Championship years

However, Bryant's fortunes would soon change when Phil Jackson becamecoach for the Los Angeles Lakers. After years of steady improvement,Bryant had become one of the premiershooting guards in the league, a factthat was evidenced by his annual presence in the league's All-NBA, All-Star,

and All-Defensive teams. The Los Angeles Lakers became perennialchampionship contenders under Bryant and O'Neal, who formed anoutstanding center-guard combination. Their success gave the Lakers threeconsecutive NBA championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002.

6.4. End of a dynasty

In the 2002-03 NBA season, Bryant averaged 30 points per game andembarked on a historic scoring run, posting 40 or more points per game innine consecutive games while averaging 40.6 in the entire month of

February. In addition, he averaged 6.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.2 stealsper game, all career highs up to that point. For the first time in his careerBryant was voted on to both--All-NBA and All-Defensive 1st teams. Afterfinishing 50-32 in the regular season, the Lakers floundered in the playoffsand lost in the Western Conference Semi-finals to the eventual NBAchampion San Antonio Spurs in six games.

In the following 2003-04 NBA season, the Lakers were able to acquire NBAAll Stars Karl Malone and Gary Payton to make another push at the NBAChampionship. With a starting lineup of four potential Hall of Fame playersin Shaquille O'Neal, Malone, Payton, and Bryant, the Lakers were able toreach the NBA Finals. In the Finals, they were eliminated by the DetroitPistons in 5 games. In that series, Bryant averaged 22.6 points per game,shooting 35.1% from the field, and 4.4 assists per game.

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6.5. Unquestioned leader

When O'Neal was traded, Bryant became the Lakers' unquestioned leader ofthe team going into the 2004-05 season. As it turned out, however, his firstseason without O'Neal would prove to be a very rocky one. With hisreputation badly damaged from all that had happened over the previous year,Bryant was closely scrutinized and criticized during the season.

A particularly damaging salvo came from Phil Jackson in The Last Season:A Team in Search of Its Soul. The book detailed the events of the Lakers'tumultuous 2003-04 season and has a number of criticisms of Bryant. In the

book Jackson also calls Bryant "uncoachable."

Then, midway through the season, Rudy Tomjanovich suddenly resigned as

Lakers coach, citing the recurrence of health problems and exhaustion.Without "Rudy T," stewardship of the remainder of the Lakers' season fell tocareer assistant coach Frank Hamblen. Despite the fact that Bryant was theleague's second leading scorer at 27.6 points per game, the Lakersfloundered and missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Thisyear signified a drop in Bryant's overall status in the NBA by not making the

NBA All-Defensive Team and being demoted to All-NBA Third Team.

6.6. 2005-06 season

The 2005-06 NBA season would mark a crossroads in Bryant's basketballcareer. Despite past differences with Bryant, Phil Jackson returned to coachthe Lakers. Bryant endorsed the move, and by all appearances, the two menworked together well the second time around, leading the Lakersback intothe playoffs. Bryant also resolved his conflict with former teammateShaquille O'Neal. The team posted a 45-37 record, an eleven-gameimprovement over the previous season, and the entire squad seemed to beclicking.In the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers played well enough (3-1 series lead) to come within six seconds of eliminating the second-seededPhoenix Suns.

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Despite Bryant's remarkable game winning shot in Game 4, the Lakers brokedown, and ultimately fell to the Suns in seven games. In the followingoffseason, Bryant had knee surgery, preventing him from participating in the2006 FIBA World Championship tournament.

In many ways, the team's improvement in 2005-06 was often overshadowedby the individual scoring accomplishments posted by Bryant which resultedin the finest statistical season of his career. The season included manyspectacular individual performances including a game on December 20th inwhich Bryant scored 62 points despite playing only three quarters against

the Dallas Mavericks. Entering the fourth quarter Bryant had, by himself,outscored the entire Mavericks team 62-61, the only time a player has donethis through three quarters since the advent of the 24-second shot clock. OnJanuary 22, Bryant scored 81 points,[4] in a 122-104 victory against theToronto Raptors. In addition to breaking the previous franchise record of 71set by Elgin Baylor, his point total in that game was the second highest in

NBA history only to Wilt Chamberlain's legendary 100-point game in 1962.

Also in January, Bryant became the first player since 1964, and the only

player aside from Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor to score 45 points or morein four consecutive games. For the month of January, Bryant averaged 43.4per game, the eighth highest single month scoring average in NBA history,and highest for any player other than Chamberlain.

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By the end of the season, Bryant had also set Lakers single-season franchiserecords for the most 40-point games (27) and most points scored (2,832),among others. Bryant won the league's scoring title for the first time, postingthe highest scoring average (35.4) since Michael Jordan's 37.1 average in1986-87. Bryant finished in fourth-place in the voting for the 2006NBAMost Valuable Player Award, but also received 22 first place votes second only to winnerSteve Nash, and by far the highest number of first-

place votes Bryant had ever received in his career.

6.7. 2006-07 season

Kobe Bryant scored 50 points or more in four consecutive games in 2007.

Bryant was selected to his 9th All-Star Game appearance, and on February18th, logged 31 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals, earning his secondcareer All-Star Game MVP trophy. He is currently averaging 30.8 points per

game, while shooting 46.7% from the floor.

Over the course of the season, Bryant became involved in a number of oncourt incidents.

15
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On January 28th while attempting to draw contact on a potential gamewinning jumpshot, he flailed his arm striking San Antonio Spurs guardManu Ginobili in the face with his elbow. Following league review, Bryantwas suspended for the subsequent game at Madison Square Garden againsttheNew York Knicks, the basis given for the suspension was that Bryanthad performed an "unnatural motion" in swinging his arm backwards. Later,on March 6th, he seemed to repeat the motion this time striking MinnesotaTimberwolves guard Marko Jari. On March 7th the NBA handed Bryant hissecond one-game suspension, leading several commentators in the media tocall recent happenings into question. In his first game back on March 9th, heelbowed Kyle Korverin the face which has been retrospectively re-classifiedas a Type 1 flagrant foul.

On March 16, Bryant scored a season-high 65 points in a home game againstthe Portland Trailblazers, which helped end the Lakers 7-game losing streak.This was the second best scoring performance of his 11-year career. Thefollowing game, Bryant recorded 50 points against the MinnesotaTimberwolves, after which he scored 60 points in a road win against theMemphis Grizzlies - becoming the second Laker to score three straight 50-

plus point games, a feat not seen since Michael Jordan last did it in 1987.

16
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On March 23, in a game against the New Orleans Hornets, Bryant scored 50points, making him the second player in NBA history to have 4 straight 50point games behind Wilt Chamberlain, who is the all-time leader with sevenconsecutive 50 point games.

7. Player Profile

Bryant is a shooting guard who plays small forward andpoint guard on someoccasions. He is considered one of the most complete players in theNBA,

being elected into the All-NBA Teams en bloc from 1999 on and featured inthe last nine NBA All-Star call-ups. Bryant was a vital part of the three mostrecent Lakers' championships. He is a prolific scorer, averaging 24.4 points

per game for his career, along with 4.5 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.5 stealsper game. He is known for his ability to create shots for himself, and is an

adept outside shooter, sharing the single-game NBA record for three pointersmade with twelve.

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8. Regular season statistics

SEASON TEAM GP MPG SPG BPG RPG APG PPG Hi 40+ 50+ 60+ TD

1996-97Los AngelesLakers

71 15.5 0.69 0.32 1.9 1.3 7.6 24 0 0 0 0

1997-98 Los AngelesLakers

79 26.0 0.94 0.51 3.1 2.5 15.4 33 0 0 0 0


50 37.9 1.44 1.00 5.3 3.8 19.9 38 0 0 0 0


66 38.2 1.61 0.94 6.3 4.9 22.5 40 1 0 0 0


68 40.9 1.68 0.63 5.9 5.0 28.5 51 6 1 0 2


80 38.3 1.48 0.44 5.5 5.5 25.2 56 1 1 0 1

2002-03 Los AngelesLakers 82 41.5 2.21 0.82 6.9 5.9 30.0 55 19 3 0 5


65 37.6 1.72 0.43 5.5 5.1 24.0 45 3 0 0 1


66 40.7 1.30 0.80 5.9 6.0 27.6 48 10 0 0 5


80 41.0 1.84 0.38 5.3 4.5 35.4 81 27 6 2 0


77 40.8 1.44 0.47 5.7 5.4 31.6 65 18 10 2 0

Career 784 36.2 1.49 0.60 5.2 4.5 24.6 81 85 21 4 14

TD = Triple-doubles

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9. Awards and achievements

9.1. Career highlights

3-time NBA Champion: 2000, 2001, 2002 9-time NBA All-Star: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,

2006, 2007

Has started in each of his appearances 9 consecutive appearances (No All-Star game in 1999 due to

league-wide lock-out)

2-time NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2002, 2007 8-time All-NBA Selection:

First Team: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 Second Team: 2000, 2001 Third Team: 1999, 2005

6-time All-Defensive Selection:

First Team: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006 Second Team: 2001, 2002

NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 1997 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Champion: 1997 NBA regular season leader in:

points: 2003 (2,461), 2006 (2,832, 7th highest in NBA history),2007 (2,430)

points per game: 2006 (35.4, 9th highest in NBA history),2007 (31.6)

field goals attempted: 2006 (2,173), 2007 (1,757) field goals made: 2003 (868), 2006 (978), 2007 (813)

free throws attempted: 2007 (768) free throws made: 2006 (696), 2007 (667)

2nd highest single-game point total in NBA history: 81 (January22, 2006 vs. the Toronto Raptors)

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9.2. NBA milestones

Youngest player in NBA history to reach:

10,000 points (24 years, 193 days), set March 5, 2003 vs. theIndiana Pacers.

14,000 points (26 years, 240 days), set April 20, 2005 vs. thePortland Trail Blazers.

15,000 points (27 years, 136 days), set January 6, 2006 vs. thePhiladelphia 76ers.

16,000 points (27 years, 192 days), set March 3, 2006 vs. theGolden State Warriors.

17,000 points (28 years, 86 days), set November 17, 2006 vs.

the Toronto Raptors. 18,000 points (28 years, 156 days), set January 26, 2007 vs. the

Charlotte Bobcats.[18]

19,000 points (28 years, 223 days), set April 3, 2007 vs, theDenver Nuggets.

Youngest player to start an NBA game (18 years, 158 days), makinghis first start for the Los Angeles Lakers on January 28, 1997.

Youngest player to start an NBA All-Star Game (19 years, 175 days),making his debut at the 48th annual All-Star Game at Madison Square

Garden on February 8, 1998. Youngest player to be named to the NBA All-Defensive Team (1999-

2000) Youngest player to be named to the NBA All-Rookie Team (1996-

1997) Youngest NBA All-Star Slam Dunk champion (18 years, 175 days),

after winning the contest at the 1997NBA All-Star Weekend.

20
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9.3. NBA records

Kobe Bryant holds or shares seven NBA records:

Most three-point field goals made, one game: 12 (January 7, 2003 vs.

Seattle SuperSonics; shared with Donyell Marshall) Most three-point field goals made, one half: 8 (March 28, 2003 vs.

Washington Wizards; shared with 5 players). Most consecutive three-point field goals made, one game: 9 (January

7, 2003 vs. Seattle SuperSonics; shared with Latrell Sprewell and BenGordon).

Most free throws made, one quarter: 14 (3rd quarter, December 20,2005 vs. Dallas Mavericks; shared with 5 players).

Most free throws attempted, one quarter: 16 (3rd quarter, December

20, 2005 vs. Dallas Mavericks; shared with 6 players). Holds shot-clock era records for:

Greatest percentage of own team's point total (66.4% of theLakers' 122 points) ( set on January 22, 2006 vs. the TorontoRaptors).

Greatest percentage of both teams' combined point total (35.8%of the Lakers' and Raptors' 226 points) (Also set on January 22,2006 vs. the Toronto Raptors).

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9.4. Lakers franchise records
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_SuperSonicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donyell_Marshallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Wizardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrell_Sprewellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Gordonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Gordonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_SuperSonicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donyell_Marshallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Wizardshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrell_Sprewellhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Gordonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Gordonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_22http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006


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Kobe Bryant holds or shares twenty-eight Los Angeles Lakers franchiserecords:

Points

Season: 2,832 (2005-06; 7th highest NBA single season scoringoutput of all-time)

Game: 81 (January 22, 2006 vs. Toronto Raptors) Half: 55 (2nd half, January 22, 2006 vs. Toronto Raptors). Quarter: 30 (twice, most recently on November 30, 2006 in 3rd

quarter vs. Utah Jazz) Scoring average, month: 43.4 (January 2006) Games scoring 50 points or more, all-time: 21 Games scoring 50 points or more, season: 10 (2006-07)

Games scoring 40 points or more, season: 27 (2005-06) Consecutive games of 50 points or more: 4 (March 16March

23, 2007) Consecutive games of 40 points or more: 9 (February 6

February 23, 2003) Consecutive games of 20 points or more, season: 62 (December

9, 2005April 19, 2006)

Free throws made

Game: 23 (twice, most recently on January 31, 2006 vs.NewYork Knicks).

Half: 16 (January 30, 2001 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers) Quarter: 14 (3rd quarter, December 20, 2005 vs. Dallas

Mavericks) Quarter, playoffs: 11 (tied with 3 players; May 8, 1997 vs. Utah

Jazz). Consecutive: 62 (January 1122, 2006).

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Three-point field goals made
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005-06_NBA_seasonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006-07_NBA_seasonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Knickshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Knickshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Cavaliershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Jazzhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Jazzhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005-06_NBA_seasonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006-07_NBA_seasonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Knickshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Knickshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Cavaliershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Jazzhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Jazz


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All-time: 936 (1996present)[

Game: 12 (January 7, 2003 vs. Seattle SuperSonics). Half: 8 (1st half, March 28, 2003 vs. Washington Wizards). Consecutive: 9 (January 7, 2003 vs. Seattle SuperSonics).

Three-point field goals attempted

All-time: 2,775 (1996present) All-time, playoffs: 410 (1996present) Season: 518 (2005-06) Game: 18 (January 7, 2003 vs. Seattle SuperSonics).

Steals

Half: 6 (tied with 3 players; February 13, 2006 vs. Utah Jazz). Quarter, playoffs: 3 (tied with 6 players; May 17, 1999 vs. San

Antonio Spurs).

9.5. Other awards and achievements

1996 Naismith High School Player of the Year 1996 Gatorade Circle of Champions High School Player of the Year 1996 McDonald's High School All-American 1996 USA Today All-USA First Team 1995 Adidas ABCD Camp Senior MVP Named to the USA Today All-Time All-USA First Team in 2003. USA Today andParade Magazine's 1996 National High School

Player of the Year with a seasonal average of 30.8 points, 12.0rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4.0 steals and 3.9 blocks per game.

Led Lower Merion High School to a 31-3 record, including 27 straightwins, and the PIAA Class AAAA state title as a senior (1996).

23

Conclusion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio_Spurshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio_Spurshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald's_High_School_All-Americanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Todayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Todayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Todayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parade_Magazinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIAAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio_Spurshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio_Spurshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald's_High_School_All-Americanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Todayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Todayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Todayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parade_Magazinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIAA


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Looking through the aspects mentioned before we can say thatKobe Bryant has become an emblematic figure in the USAs

history. The success he gained through his sport life encourageda lot of teenagers that are keen on basketball to continue untilthey fulfill their dreams.

My opinion is that Kobe Bryant is better than Michael Jordan,though not more successful. He failed to draw as much of the

publics attention as his counterpart and has not to this pointbeen such such a centre of the mass-medias interest. However,Kobe Bryant did something Michael Jordan never did: scored50-plus in four consecutive games. As a better player, Kobe cando everything Michael did, and even a few things Michael couldnot do. Kobe is just as good a defender, for example. His killerinstinct is just as pronounced. He can shoot, finish and explode.And just like Jordan, the more infuriated he is, the moreunstoppable he appears.

All in all, if you were to think of a method to spend your time

in a healthy way I believe that basketball is the perfect choice.

24

Bibliography


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http://www.nba.com

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news

http://www.losangeleslakersonline.com

http://hoopshype.com

http://www.eonline.com

http://allstarz.hollywood.com

http://.kb24.com

http://www.lakerstats.com

http://www.ko8e.com

http://en.wikipedia.org

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http://www.nba.com/http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/newshttp://www.losangeleslakersonline.com/http://hoopshype.com/http://www.eonline.com/http://allstarz.hollywood.com/http://mamba.kb24.com/http://www.lakerstats.com/http://www.ko8e.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/http://www.nba.com/http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/newshttp://www.losangeleslakersonline.com/http://hoopshype.com/http://www.eonline.com/http://allstarz.hollywood.com/http://mamba.kb24.com/http://www.lakerstats.com/http://www.ko8e.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/


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KOBE BRYANT Atestat Final