Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant (August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association. Born in Philadelphia, Bryant is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Early Life in Philadelphia

Kobe Bryant was born at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, a suburb of Philadelphia. He was the youngest child and only son of former NBA player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. His parents named him after the famous beef of Kobe, Japan, which they saw on a restaurant menu.

Bryant spent the first six years of his life in Philadelphia before his father moved the family to Italy to continue his professional basketball career. The family returned to the Philadelphia area when Kobe was 13, settling in Lower Merion.

Lower Merion High School

Bryant attended Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, where he became a national high school basketball sensation. During his four years at Lower Merion, Bryant led the Aces to four consecutive state playoff appearances and the 1996 PIAA Class AAAA state championship, the school's first in 53 years.

His high school achievements included:

• 2,883 career points, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain's southeastern Pennsylvania record
• Four-time Pennsylvania Player of the Year
• 1996 Naismith High School Player of the Year
• 1996 Gatorade National Player of the Year
• McDonald's All-American

NBA Career

In 1996, 17-year-old Bryant became the first guard drafted directly out of high school, selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets and immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. His career accomplishments with the Lakers include:

• 5 NBA championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010)
• 2 NBA Finals MVP awards (2009, 2010)
• 1 NBA Most Valuable Player (2008)
• 18-time NBA All-Star
• 81 points in a single game (second-highest in NBA history)
• 4th all-time NBA scoring leader at retirement

Philadelphia Connection

Despite building his legend in Los Angeles, Bryant maintained strong ties to Philadelphia throughout his career. He frequently spoke about his Philadelphia roots and his admiration for the city's sports culture and passionate fans.

Bryant was known to root for Philadelphia sports teams, particularly the Eagles, and often mentioned his affection for the city in interviews. In 2020, the Philadelphia 76ers honored Bryant following his death by dimming the arena lights and displaying his image at Wells Fargo Center.

Lower Merion High School has renamed its gymnasium the "Kobe Bryant Gymnasium" in his honor, and his retired jersey number 33 hangs in the rafters.

Death and Legacy

On January 26, 2020, Bryant died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others. His death sparked an outpouring of grief worldwide, including in Philadelphia, where fans gathered at Lower Merion High School to pay their respects.

Bryant was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020. His jersey numbers 8 and 24 were both retired by the Lakers.

See Also

• Philadelphia 76ers
• Wilt Chamberlain
• Philadelphia Sports Culture