kobe bryant biography speech

Kobe Bryant

Former pro basketball player Kobe Bryant won five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers while establishing himself as one of the game's all-time greats. He died tragically in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.

(1978-2020)

Who Was Kobe Bryant?

Kobe Bean Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Named after a city in Japan, Bryant is the son of former NBA player Joe "Jellybean" Bryant.

In 1984, after ending his NBA career, the elder Bryant took the family to Italy, where he played in the Italian League. Growing up in Italy alongside two athletic older sisters, Shaya and Sharia, Bryant was an avid player of both basketball and soccer. When the family returned to Philadelphia in 1991, Bryant joined the Lower Merion High School basketball team, leading it to the state championships four years in a row. With an eye on the NBA, he also started working out with the 76ers.

Though he boasted good grades and high SAT scores, Bryant decided to go straight to the NBA from high school. He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick of the 1996 NBA draft and was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA Career and Stats

In his second season with the Lakers, Bryant was voted a starter for the 1998 All-Star Game, becoming the youngest All-Star in NBA history at 19. The shooting guard then teamed up with superstar center Shaquille O'Neal to win three consecutive NBA championships and was voted first-team all-NBA from 2002-2004. He also inked multi-year endorsement deals with Adidas, Sprite and other top sponsors.

Although the Lakers struggled after O'Neal left in 2004, Bryant performed brilliantly. He scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in January 2006, the second-highest single-game mark in NBA history, and led the league in scoring that year and the next.

In 2008, Bryant was named Most Valuable Player and carried his team to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics. In the 2009 NBA Finals, the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic to win the championship. Shortly afterward, Bryant was part of the memorial service to honor friend and music superstar Michael Jackson . The following year, the Lakers won their second straight title by defeating the Celtics.

Bryant played on both the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams, winning consecutive gold medals with teammates Kevin Durant , LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony , among several other top players.

After suffering a torn Achilles tendon in April 2013, Bryant worked hard to return to the court before fracturing his knee just six games into the 2013-2014 season. The veteran All-Star surpassed Michael Jordan for third all-time on the NBA scoring list in December 2014, but his season ended due to injury for the third straight year when he sustained a torn rotator cuff in January 2015.

Although Bryant returned in time for the start of the 2015-2016 NBA season, he personally struggled alongside his young Lakers teammates. In November 2015, he announced that he would retire at the end of the season. "This season is all I have left to give," he wrote on The Players' Tribune website. "My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind but my body knows it's time to say goodbye."

The announcement drew a strong reaction, particularly from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. "With 17 NBA All-Star selections, an NBA MVP, five NBA championships with the Lakers, two Olympic gold medals and a relentless work ethic, Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players in the history of our game," Silver said in a statement. "Whether competing in the finals or hoisting jump shots after midnight in an empty gym, Kobe has an unconditional love for the game."

On April 13, 2016, Bryant dazzled a sold-out crowd at the Staples Center and fans everywhere in the last game of his career, scoring 60 points and leading the Lakers to a win against the Utah Jazz. It was Bryant’s sixth 60-point game of his career.

After the game, Bryant spoke to the crowd. "I can't believe how fast 20 years went by," he said. "This is absolutely crazy ... and to be standing at center court with you guys, my teammates behind me, appreciating the journey that we've been on — we've been through our ups, been through our downs. I think the most important part is we all stayed together throughout."

An all-star lineup of Laker icons also paid tribute to Bryant, including O’Neal, Phil Jackson, Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom and Magic Johnson . "We are here to celebrate greatness for 20 years," Johnson said. "Excellence for 20 years. Kobe Bryant has never cheated the game, never cheated us as the fans. He has played through injury, he has played hurt. And we have five championship banners to show for it."

Academy Award for 'Dear Basketball'

In November 2015, Bryant announced his upcoming retirement from the Lakers with a poem on The Players' Tribune website, titled "Dear Basketball." The athletic great soon sought the best in other fields to turn his poem into a short film, including Disney animator Glen Keane and composer John Williams .

The result was a beautifully rendered five-minute, 20-second film, which debuted at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. Oscar voters took note, leading to the unexpected sight of Bryant accepting an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 2018 ceremony.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's short films and animation branch also extended an invitation for Bryant to become a member of the organization. However, in June 2018 it was revealed that the Academy's governors committee had rescinded the invitation, saying the retired basketball great needed to show more efforts in the field before being considered for membership.

Sexual Assault Charge

In July 2003, Bryant was charged with one count of sexual assault on a 19-year-old female hotel worker in Colorado. Bryant said he was guilty of adultery but innocent of the rape charge. The case against Bryant was dismissed in 2004, and he settled the civil lawsuit filed by the hotel worker against him out of court.

Philanthropy

Among his philanthropic endeavors, the basketball great partnered with the non-profit After-School All-Stars as part of the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation. He also ran an annual summer camp called the Kobe Basketball Academy.

Wife and Children

Bryant married 19-year-old Vanessa Laine in April 2001. The couple became parents to four daughters: Natalia Diamante (b. 2003), Gianna Maria-Onore (b. 2006, d. 2020), Bianka (b. 2016) and Capri (b. 2019).

On January 26, 2020, Bryant was onboard a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter that crashed in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas. Nine people, including Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna "Gigi," died. The helicopter was on its way from Orange County to Thousands Oaks, California where Bryant was scheduled to coach a tournament game at Mamba Sports Academy .

"We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri," Bryant's wife Vanessa posted on Instagram . "There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon."

Bryant and his daughter were laid to rest in a private funeral on February 7, 2020. On February 24, they were honored in a memorial service at the Staples Center, with Beyoncé and Alicia Keys delivering musical tributes and Jordan, Shaq and wife Vanessa among those sharing emotional recollections of the basketball great and family man.

On April 4, 2020, Bryant was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

In February 2021, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled that pilot Ara Zobayan was “flying under visual flight orders, or VFR, which legally prohibited him from penetrating the clouds,” likely causing him to be disoriented.

QUICK FACTS

• Birth Year: 1978
• Birth date: August 23, 1978
• Birth State: Pennsylvania
• Birth City: Philadelphia
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Former pro basketball player Kobe Bryant won five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers while establishing himself as one of the game's all-time greats. He died tragically in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.
• Astrological Sign: Virgo
• Lower Merion High School
• Death Year: 2020
• Death date: January 26, 2020
• Death State: California
• Death City: Calabasas
• Death Country: United States

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Dear Basketball

Kobe Bryant

Los Angeles Lakers

Dear Basketball,

From the moment I started rolling my dad’s tube socks And shooting imaginary Game-winning shots In the Great Western Forum I knew one thing was real:

I fell in love with you.

A love so deep I gave you my all — From my mind & body To my spirit & soul.

As a six-year-old boy Deeply in love with you I never saw the end of the tunnel. I only saw myself Running out of one.

And so I ran. I ran up and down every court After every loose ball for you. You asked for my hustle I gave you my heart Because it came with so much more.

I played through the sweat and hurt Not because challenge called me But because YOU called me. I did everything for YOU Because that’s what you do When someone makes you feel as Alive as you’ve made me feel.

You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream And I’ll always love you for it. But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer. This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the pounding My mind can handle the grind But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.

And that’s OK. I’m ready to let you go. I want you to know now So we both can savor every moment we have left together. The good and the bad. We have given each other All that we have.

And we both know, no matter what I do next I’ll always be that kid With the rolled up socks Garbage can in the corner :05 seconds on the clock Ball in my hands. 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1

Love you always, Kobe

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Kobe Bryant

• Small Forward
• Birthdate 8/23/1978
• Draft Info 1996: Rd 1, Pk 13 (CHA)
• Birthplace Philadelphia, PA

Career History

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‘Time to say goodbye’: Kobe Bryant’s poetic farewell to basketball is unbearably heartbreaking now

Entering the fourth quarter of their last game of the season, the Lakers were down, again. But inside Los Angeles’s Staples Center on April 13, 2016, that didn’t really matter. Fans in the seats and the millions tuning into broadcasts of the game were watching for one reason: to witness Kobe Bryant’s final night in gold and purple.

Five months earlier, Bryant – then 37 and one of basketball’s most decorated players – announced that he would be retiring from the sport after the 2015-2016 season, concluding a storied and at times controversial 20-year career with the Lakers. Bryant shared the news in a short poem titled “Dear Basketball,” which went on to inspire an Oscar-winning animated short.

It’s difficult to watch now, knowing how his story ended Sunday.

– – –

You gave a six-year-old boy his Laker dream

And I’ll always love you for it.

But I can’t love you obsessively for much longer.

Memories of Bryant’s last moments on the court came rushing back Sunday, after the five-time NBA champion, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, Calif. Bryant was 41. Amid countless tributes from fans, fellow athletes, celebrities and politicians, thousands remembered his professional career, which ended in Los Angeles, where it began.

Up until the final game, Bryant’s last season had been a difficult slog for the Lakers. The team had only won 16 games, its worst-ever record. The April 13 matchup against the Utah Jazz was shaping up to be another defeat in the Lakers’ collection of losses.

The season was tough for Bryant, too, as several before it had been. He had weathered a series of injuries during his lengthy career with the Lakers, but the brutal damage he endured in his last few years finally put an end to his game. He battled ankle sprains and eventually snapped his Achilles’ tendon. In the January before his final season, he had surgery for a torn rotator cuff. If it weren’t for his body, Bryant said he would have continued to play.

This season is all I have left to give.

My heart can take the pounding

My mind can handle the grind

But my body knows it’s time to say goodbye.

Even as the Lakers trailed the Jazz 75-66 going into the fourth quarter of Bryant’s farewell game, the mood in the nearly 20,000-seat Staples Center was electric. Bryant had already racked up 37 points, taking shot after shot as his teammates fed him the ball, and the “Black Mamba” was far from finished.

With roughly nine-and-a-half minutes left on the clock, Bryant knocked in a three-pointer that brought fans to their feet, sparking deafening chants of “Kobe. Kobe. Kobe.” The crowd barely had time to settle down before Bryant hit another three 30 seconds later.

“There’s not one person in here saying, ‘Kobe, pass,'” one announcer said.

Soon, Bryant was on the cusp of 50 points, having broken the record for most points scored by an NBA player in a career finale. His supporters, who had waited all season long for this night, were ecstatic.

So we both can savor every moment we have left together.

The good and the bad.

We have given each other

All that we have.

As the clock wound down, Bryant was relentless, driving around defenders to the hoop and taking shots left and right. Then, with just over 30 seconds to go, Bryant pulled up and fired off a mid-range jumper to give the Lakers a one-point lead. Two made free throws and an assist later, Bryant had secured 60 points for himself, and even better, a 101-96 victory for his team.

Bryant’s teammates mobbed him on the court, even though there were still 4.1 seconds left in the game. Applause filled the arena as the Laker legend walked to the sideline one the last time and embraced his coach, Byron Scott.

I’ll always be that kid

With the rolled up socks

Garbage can in the corner

:05 seconds on the clock

Ball in my hands.

5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1

After the final buzzer, a still-sweating Bryant gave an emotional farewell to the stadium and fans watching at home.

“This has been absolutely beautiful,” he said. “I can’t believe it’s come to an end. You guys will always be in my heart.”

The crowd roared as Bryant finished speaking and prepared for his last walk through the fan-studded tunnel leading to the Lakers’ locker room.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you.” he said, just before dropping the microphone onto the polished court floor.

“Mamba out.”

One year later, Bryant’s farewell poem took a different form: an animated short that would go on to win an Oscar, making him the first former NBA player to ever receive the award.

The beautifully illustrated film, which Bryant narrates, traces his love of basketball as a 6-year-old to his grueling training late in his career. The young Bryant throws balled-up socks into a bin in the corner of his bedroom while picturing himself sinking shots in the NBA. An older Bryant, in his number 24 jersey, falls on the hardwood, spraining his joints and collapsing in pain, only to muscle through and keep playing.

But in the end, he says goodbye.

As a six-year-old boy

Deeply in love with you

I never saw the end of the tunnel.

I only saw myself

Running out of one.

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Michael Jordan remembers his 'little brother' Kobe Bryant. Read his entire speech.

Michael Jordan gave a moving speech about his close friend Kobe Bryant during the memorial at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Monday.

Jordan played an 18-year-old Bryant in 1996, and as emcee Jimmy Kimmel noted, Bryant asked him during the game for tips on his jump shot. Bryant scored 33 points, while Jordan scored 36 to lead the Chicago Bulls to victory.

Jordan was Bryant's idol and mentor growing up in the game and during his 11-minute speech, the six-time NBA champion shared heartfelt stories about their late-night texts and times together.

Jordan's complete speech

"I would say good morning, but it's afternoon. I'm grateful to Vanessa and the Bryant family for the opportunity to speak today.

"I'm grateful to be here to honor Gigi and celebrate the gifts that Kobe gave us all – what he accomplished as a basketball player, as a businessman, and a storyteller and as a father. In the game of basketball, in life, as a parent – Kobe left nothing in the tank. He left it all on the floor.

"Maybe it surprised people that Kobe and I were very close friends. But we were very close friends. Kobe was my dear friend. He was like a little brother. Everyone always wanted to talk about the comparisons between he and I. I just wanted to talk about Kobe.

"You know all of us have brothers and sisters, little brothers, little sisters, who for whatever reason always tend to get in your stuff, your closet, your shoes, everything. It was a nuisance – if I can say that word – but that nuisance turned into love over a period of time. Just because the admiration that they have for you as big brothers or big sisters, the questions in wanting to know every little detail about life that they were about to embark on.

"He used to call me, text me, 11:30, 2:30, 3 o'clock in the morning, talking about post-up moves, footwork, and sometimes, the triangle. At first, it was an aggravation. But then it turned into a certain passion. This kid had passion like you would never know. It's an amazing thing about passion. If you love something, if you have a strong passion for something, you would go to the extreme to try to understand or try to get it. Either ice cream, Cokes, hamburgers, whatever you have a love for. If you have to walk, you would go get it. If you have to beg someone, you would go get it.

"What Kobe Bryant was to me was the inspiration that someone truly cared about the way either I played the game or the way that he wanted to play the game. He wanted to be the best basketball player that he could be. And as I got to know him, I wanted to be the best big brother that I could be.

"To do that, you have to put up with the aggravation, the late-night calls, or the dumb questions. I took great pride as I got to know Kobe Bryant that he was just trying to be a better person – a better basketball player. We talked about business, we talked about family, we talked about everything. And he was just trying to be a better person.

"Now, he's got me and I'll have to look at another crying meme for the next ... 

(Lengthy laughter and applause.)

"I told my wife I wasn't gonna do this cause I didn't want to see that for the next three or four years. That is what Kobe Bryant does to me. I'm pretty sure Vanessa and his friends all can say the same thing – he knows how to get to you in a way that affects you personally, even though he's being a pain in the ass. But you have a sense of love for him and the way that he can bring out the best in you. And he did that for me. 

"I remember maybe a couple months ago he sends me a text and he said, 'I'm trying to teach my daughter some moves. And I don't know what I was thinking or what I was working on, but what were you thinking about when you were growing up trying to work on your moves?' I said 'What age?' He says '12'. I said '12, I was trying to play baseball.' He sends me a text back saying 'Laughing my ass off.' And this is at 2 o'clock in the morning.

"But the thing about him was we could talk about anything that related to basketball but we could talk about anything that related to life. And we, as we grew up in life, rarely have friends that we can have conversations like that. Well, it's even rarer when you can grow up against adversaries and have conversations like that. 

"I went and saw Phil Jackson in 1999, maybe 2000, I don't know, when Phil was here in L.A. And I walk in and Kobe's sitting there.

"And the first thing, Kobe said, 'Did you bring your shoes?'

" 'No, I wasn't thinking about playing.'

"But his attitude to compete and play against someone he felt like he could enhance and improve his game, that's what I loved about the kid. I absolutely loved the kid. No matter where he saw me, it was a challenge. And I admired him because his passion, you rarely see someone who is looking and trying to improve each and every day, not just in sports, but as a parent, as a husband. I am inspired by what he's done, and what he's shared with Vanessa, and what he's shared with his kids.

"I have a daughter who's 30 and I became a grandparent. And I have two twins. I have twins at 6. I can't wait to get home to become a GirlDad and to hug them and to see the love and smiles that they bring to us as parents. He taught me that just by looking at this tonight, looking at how he responded and reacted with the people he actually loved. These are the things that we will continue to learn from Kobe Bryant.

"To Vanessa, Natalia, Bianka, Capri, my wife and I will keep you close in our hearts and our prayers. We will always be here for you. Always. I also want to offer our condolences and support to all the families affected by this enormous tragedy.

"Kobe gave every last ounce of himself to whatever he was doing, After basketball, he showed a creative side to himself that I didn't think any of us knew he had. In retirement, he seemed so happy. He found new passions. And he continued to give back, as a coach, in his community. More importantly, he was an amazing dad, amazing husband, who dedicated himself to his family and who loved his daughters with all his heart. Kobe never left anything on the court. And I think that's what he would want for us to do.

"No one knows how much time we have. That's why we must live in the moment, we must enjoy the moment, we must reach and see and spend as much time as we can with our families and friends and the people that we absolutely love. To live in the moment means to enjoy each and every one that we come in contact with. 

"When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died. And as I look in this arena and across the globe, a piece of you died, or else you wouldn't be here. Those are the memories that we have to live with and we learn from. 

"I promise you from this day forward, I will live with the memories of knowing that I had a little brother and I tried to help in every way I could.

"Please, rest in peace little brother. "

Kobe Bryant

• Born August 23 , 1978 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
• Died January 26 , 2020 · Calabasas, California, USA (helicopter crash)
• Birth name Kobe Bean Bryant
• The Black Mamba
• Height 6′ 6″ (1.98 m)
• Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Bryant won five NBA championships, was an 18-time All-Star, 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, and ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. He was posthumously voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. Born in Philadelphia and partly raised in Italy, Bryant was recognized as the top American high-school basketball player while at Lower Merion. The son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, he declared for the 1996 NBA draft and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick; he was then traded to the Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned a reputation as a high-flyer by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, and was named an All-Star by his second season. Despite a feud with teammate Shaquille O'Neal, the pair led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. In 2003, Bryant was charged with sexual assault;with the alleged victim being a 19 year old hotel employee. Criminal charges were later dropped after the accuser failed to testify, and a lawsuit was settled out of court, with Bryant issuing a public apology and admitting to a sexual encounter while maintaining the interaction was consensual. The accusation briefly tarnished Bryant's reputation, resulting in the loss of several of his endorsement contracts. After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal was traded and Bryant became the cornerstone of the Lakers. He led the NBA in scoring in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. On January 22, 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points; the second most points scored in a single NBA game, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game. Bryant led the team to consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, both times being named NBA Finals MVP. He continued to be among the top players in the league through the 2012-13 season, when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon at age 34. His next two seasons were cut short by injuries to his knee and shoulder, respectively. Citing physical decline, Bryant retired after the 2015-16 season. In 2017, the Lakers retired both his #8 and #24 jerseys, making him the only player in NBA history to have multiple jerseys retired by the same franchise. The all-time leading scorer in Lakers history, Bryant was the first guard in NBA history to play 20 seasons. His 18 All-Star designations are the second most all time, and he has the most consecutive appearances as a starter. Bryant's four NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards are tied with Bob Pettit for the most in NBA history. He gave himself the nickname "Black Mamba" in the mid-2000s, and the epithet became widely adopted by the general public. He won gold medals on the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams. In 2018, he won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for the film Dear Basketball (2017). Bryant died, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in 2020. A number of tributes and memorials were subsequently issued, including renaming the All-Star MVP Award in his honor. He was. 5× NBA champion (2000-2002, 2009, 2010); 2× NBA Finals MVP (2009, 2010); NBA Most Valuable Player (2008); 18× NBA All-Star (1998, 2000-2016); 4× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011); 11× All-NBA First Team (2002-2004, 2006-2013); 2× All-NBA Second Team (2000, 2001); 2× All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2005); 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2000, 2003, 2004, 2006-2011); 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2001, 2002, 2012) - IMDb Mini Biography By: Bonitao
• Kobe Bryant is an American professional basketball player. Bryant played his entire 20-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the Los Angeles Lakers . He entered the NBA directly from high school and won five NBA championships. Bryant was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, 12-time member of the All-Defensive team, and the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, he led the NBA in scoring during two seasons, ranks fourth on the league's all-time regular season scoring, and ranks fourth on the all-time postseason scoring list. Kobe Bryant was the first guard in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons. His four All-Star MVP Awards are tied with Bob Pettit for the most in NBA history. At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals as a member of the U.S. national team. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Tango Papa
• Spouse Vanessa Bryant (April 18, 2001 - January 26, 2020) (his death, 4 children)
• Children Capri Bryant Bianka Bella Bryant Gianna Bryant Natalia Bryant Bianka Bryant
• Parents Joe Bryant Pam Bryant
• Relatives Sharia (Sibling) Shaya (Sibling)
• Only basketball player to ever win an Oscar.
• Made his debut at 18 years, 2 months and 11 days old, the youngest player ever to appear in an NBA game (3 November 1996)
• Met his wife, Vanessa Bryant , during a visit to the set of one of Snoop Dogg 's video, where she was working as a model.
• Scored 1,080 on his SATs
• On 22 January 2006, Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second-highest single-game scoring output by a player in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain 's legendary 100 points on 2 March 1962. Bryant achieved his feat by converting 28 of 46 field goals (including 7 of 13 3-pointers), and making 18 of 20 free throws.
• I look at a boy like Daniel, who truly is a miracle baby, and I thank God that I'm in a position to help make his world a little brighter. But he made my world a little brighter, too. If I was his Christmas present today, than he was mine.
• The topic of leadership is a touchy one. A lot of leaders fail because they don't have the bravery to touch that nerve or strike that chord. Throughout my years, I haven't had that fear.
• [announcing his plans to retire from the NBA after twenty seasons] My mind can handle the grind but my body knows it's time to say goodbye.
• [the last words in his farewell speech after his final game] what can I say...Mamba out
• [on if he would consider guarding the upstart Jeremy Lin] Jesus Christ. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

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