Kobe “Bean” Bryant came into the NBA as a young seventeen-year-old. Drafted in 1996 by the Charlotte Hornets, he would eventually be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and the rest is history. This season, he has announced will unfortunately be his last. After twenty years of frolicking up and down courts, his age is starting to catch up with him. I was absolutely devastated by this news as Kobe Bryant is my favorite basketball player of all time. Although I wasn’t able to actually watch his entire career develop, I still feel like I was there on that day he got drafted. Since this will be his final season, I’d like to dedicate this piece to Kobe Bryant and remember his illustrious career, the ups and downs.
I’m going to skip talking about his origins, because I don’t intend for this to be a conventional biography. Instead I want to relive some of the memorable moments of his career and reminisce. Here are four points that highlight his career. At 6’6 with hyper-athleticism, Kobe Bryant was a high-flyer and a good portion of his game was played above the rim.
1. His high-flying antics carried over to the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest where he experienced his first taste of success in the big leagues. This was no easy feat, as legends like Michael Jordan, and Dominique Wilkins have won that very same contest. Bryant put his name in the history books early next to some all-time greats.
2. By the year 2000, Bryant was in the beginning of his prime years. Despite feuds with former teammate Shaquille O’Neal, the duo led the Lakers to three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002. He was definitely at the top of his game, and the top of the world. Unfortunately, the inevitable happened, adversity.
3. In 2003, Bryant was accused of sexual assault in Colorado. However, the charges were eventually dropped and the two parties were able to reach a settlement. No one really knows what happened, but this just shows all the different kinds of controversies professional athletes’ face. We’ll never know all of the facts, but sexual assault should never be tolerated no matter how famous you are. Or vice versa, if she was lying, that shouldn’t be tolerated either. Regardless, Kobe Bryant learned a valuable lesson, and never really got into anymore legal trouble.
4. He was the youngest player in NBA history to reach 30 thousand points, the all-time leading scorer in Lakers history, and a perennial all-star since his second season, Kobe Bean Bryant will go down as a legend, and the closest thing to Michael Jordan. He’s definitely a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer, and his legacy will be cemented into the basketball world as long as the sport is played.
Unfortunately, there comes a time when all great things must come to an end. He’s handling this with class and bravery, and honestly, it seems as if I’m more disappointed by this than he is. Nonetheless, he has said multiple times that he is “at peace” with his decision, and ultimately that’s all that matters. I wish the Lakers the best, and specifically Kobe the best in his last Season in the NBA and in future endeavors. He’ll always be an inspiration to me whether he’s playing or not. Long live the Mamba!
Works Cited
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.
