Kobe Bryant’s Life in Photos

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Kobe Bryant's Life in Photos

Gone too soon. Kobe Bryant died at the age of 41 on January 26, 2020, but left behind quite a legacy. The NBA star, as well as his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, died in a fiery helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The Los Angeles County Sheriff confirmed there were nine people on board the helicopter that crashed, none of whom survived. They were reportedly on their way to the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks for Gianna's basketball game. Kobe was her coach. During his final interview, the five-time champion opened up about coaching after retiring and how important it was to him. “You got to do what you love to do,” he told USA Today Sports in a profile published on January 23, 2020. “I love telling stories. I love inspiring kids or providing them with tools that are going to help them. ... Coaching youth sports is so important to take very seriously because you’re helping the emotional [development] of young kids, so it’s understanding not to be overcritical and understanding that [there] are going to be mistakes." During a 2018 interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he opened up about his daughter and her hopes to become a basketball star. [jwplayer Y25B74VK-zhNYySv2] “The best thing that happens is when we go out and fans will come up to me and she’ll be standing next to me and say, ‘Hey you’ve got to have a boy, you and [wife] Vanessa [Bryant] have to have a boy, somebody to carry on the tradition, the legacy,'" he told Kimmel. "She’s like, 'Hey, I got this. Don’t need no boy for that. I got this.'" In the wake of his death, Kobe’s former teammates and friends paid tribute to him, his basketball legacy and his infectious personality. “Kobe was my teammate on the Lakers and we were more than just teammates, we were like brothers,” Lamar Odom said during a February 2022 confessional interview on Celebrity Big Brother. “I haven’t really thought about how much I looked up to him but now that he’s not here, I really realize it. That day [when I learned about his death], it just sticks in my memory forever.” The former NBA star added: “When he’s your teammate and becomes your brother, you feed off that. You want to try and reach that or at least be great at something.” Kobe is survived by Vanessa as well as daughters Natalia, Bianka and Capri. Scroll through the timeline below for some of the many highlights of the athlete's life:

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1996

In May 1996, Kobe graduated from Lower Merion High School in Ardmore and decided to immediately go to the NBA.

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1996

After being drafted to Charlotte Hornets in the first round, Kobe was traded to the L.A. Lakers in July 1996, less than one month later. He'd remain on the Lakers for his entire 20-year NBA career.

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1996

During his first year, he was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie second team.

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1997

In February 1997, he won the All-Star Weekend slam dunk competition.

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1999

In November 1999, Kobe met Vanessa Laine, 17 at the time, while she was a dancer. 

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2000

In May 2000, Kobe won his first NBA Championship with the L.A. Lakers, winning the series 3-2 against the Indiana Pacers.

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2000

That same month, Laine and Kobe got engaged — only six months after meeting — but kept the news private since she was still in high school.

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2000

From 2000 to 2002, the L.A. Lakers won the NBA Championship three years in a row.

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2001

In April 2001, Laine and Kobe tied the knot at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, California.

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2002

No. 33, the jersey Kobe wore in high school, was hoisted to the rafters in the Lower Merion High School gym in 2002.

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2002

During the 2001-2002 series, he claimed his first All-Star MVP trophy. He went on to receive the honor in 2007, 2009 and 2011.

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2003

In January 2003, Kobe and Vanessa welcomed their first daughter, Natalia Diamante Bryant.

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2003

In July 2003, Kobe was charged for sexual assault in a case involving a 19-year-old hotel worker. While he admitted to having a sexual relationship with the woman, he adamantly denied having raped the woman.

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2003

In October 2003, the pro showed off his tattoo, a tribute to his wife, along with Psalm 27, while in Hawaii.

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2004

In September 2004, the lawsuit was settled and the criminal sexual assault charge was dropped.

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2006

In May 2006, Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, Kobe and Vanessa's second daughter, arrived.

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2008

In May 2008, Kobe won the regular-season MVP award.

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2008

In August 2008, Bryant won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics as a member of the U.S. men's basketball team.

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2009

In June 2009, Bryant was named the NBA Finals MVP.

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2011

In December 2011, Vanessa filed for divorce from Bryant.

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2012

In August 2012, the U.S. men's basketball team won the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

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2013

On January 11, 2013, Kobe announced on Facebook that he and Vanessa had called off their divorce.

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2014

In December 2014, the NBA star became third on NBA's all-time scoring list, surpassing Michael Jordan.

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2015

In November 2015, Bryant wrote a piece for The Players' Tribune, announcing he was retiring at the end of the NBA season.

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2016

In Bryant's final game on April 13, 2016, he scored 60 points. 

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2016

In December 2016, Vanessa and Kobe welcomed their third daughter, Bianka Bella Bryant.

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2017

The Lakers retired both of Bryant's jersey numbers, No. 8 and No. 24, during a ceremony in December 2017.

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2018

At the 90th annual Academy Awards, Bryant won the Oscar for Dear Basketball.

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2019

Vanessa and Kobe's fourth daughter, Capri Kobe Bryant, arrived in June 2019.