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Kobe

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Born on August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kobe Bryant played for the Charlotte Hornets right out of high school. He was soon traded to the L.A. Lakers, where he went on to win five championships and become one of the leading scorers of the NBA. He has had a famous rivalry with one-time teammate Shaquille O'Neal and was once accused of sexual assault, though charges were later dropped. Bryant played on both the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams, winning two consecutive gold medals with teammates Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, among several other top players.

Early Life

Kobe Bean Bryant was born August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Named after a Japanese steakhouse, Kobe 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 on the Italian League. Growing up in Italy alongside two athletic older sisters, Shaya and Sharia, Kobe 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. In 1996, he was picked by Charlotte in the draft, and was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA Career

In his second season as guard, with the Lakers, Bryant was voted a starter for the 1998 All-Star Game, becoming at 19 the youngest All-Star in NBA history. Bryant went on to help the team win three consecutive NBA championships and was voted first-team all-NBA in 2002 and 2003. He also inked multi-year endorsement deals with Adidas, Sprite and other top sponsors.

After a few lackluster

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