Bryant would see a rise in minutes when the Lakers "played small", which might function Bryant taking part in small forwardalongside the guards he would normally back up. Bryant was the runner-up for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award, and through fan voting, he additionally turned the youngestNBA All-Star starter in NBA history. He was joined by teammates O'Neal, Van Exel, and Jones, making it the primary time since 1983 that four players on the identical team had been selected to play in the identical All-Star Game. Bryant's 15.4 points per game was the best of any non-starter in the season. Born in Philadelphia and partly raised in Italy, Bryant was acknowledged as the top high-school basketball player in the us whereas at Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania. The son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, he declared for the 1996 NBA draft after graduation, and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall choose; the Hornets then traded him to the Lakers.

Speakers at the service included Vanessa, Jordan, and O'Neal, together with Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi and Geno Auriemma, Taurasi's coach at Connecticut, where Gianna had been aspiring to play. The Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, and the FBI launched investigations into the crash. The explanation for the crash was exhausting to investigate, because the helicopter was not equipped with a black box. Over a 12 months after the crash, on February 9, 2021, the NTSB declared that pilot Ara Zobayan probably grew to become disoriented after flying into thick clouds.

In 2017, the Lakers retired both his Nos. 8 and 24, making him the one participant in NBA historical past to have a quantity of numbers retired by the identical franchise. In 2008 and once more in 2016, ESPN ranked him the second biggest capturing guard of all-time after Jordan. Players including Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, and Derrick Rose have called Bryant their technology's model of Jordan.The Press-Enterprisedescribed Bryant as "possibly the best Laker in the organization's historical past". He is the Lakers' all-time main scorer, and his five titles are tied for the most in franchise historical past. In the playoffs, the Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz in 5 games and the Houston Rockets in seven games within the opening two rounds.

Later within the season, it was reported that Bryant would change his jersey quantity from eight to 24 firstly of the 2006–07 season. Bryant's first high-school quantity was 24 earlier than he switched to 33. After the Lakers' season ended, Bryant mentioned on TNT that he wished 24 as a rookie, nevertheless it was unavailable because it was worn by George McCloud, as was 33, retired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bryant wore 143 on the Adidas ABCD camp and selected eight by adding those numbers. In the first round of the playoffs, the Lakers played well enough to reach a 3–1 sequence lead over the Phoenix Suns, culminating with Bryant's overtime-forcing and game-winning pictures in Game four. They got here inside six seconds of eliminating the second-seeded Suns in Game 6, nonetheless, they lost that game 126–118 in overtime.

Crystal Hogan, who’s been officiating at the Drew League since 2005, was one of the referees for Bryant’s recreation. She known as that second an all-time favourite of hers but what stood out probably the most was Bryant’s willingness to play exhausting for the individuals who squeezed into the tiny health club at Washington Park within the Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles. Three days after James dropped 33 factors, 10 rebounds and seven assists, Smiley obtained a call from Bryant’s agent – the Lakers star wanted to play. Two of the top players on the earth left their mark on the Drew League, and naturally followers began to wonder when Kobe Bryant would stop by. Then commissioner of the Drew League, Los Angeles’ prime pro-am basketball league, Smiley had seen his fair proportion of NBA professionals play during the league’s 38-year history.

This marked the fifth time in Bryant's career and the first time with out Shaquille O'Neal to go to the NBA Finals. The Lakers then misplaced to the Boston Celtics in 6 games. On December 23, 2007, Bryant turned the youngest player to reach 20,000 points, in a game against the New York Knicks, in Madison Square Garden. In the following 2003–04 season, the Lakers were in a position to acquire NBA All-Stars Karl Malone, and Gary Payton to make another push at the NBA Championship. Before the season started, Bryant was arrested for sexual assault. This brought on Bryant to overlook some games because of court appearances or attend court earlier in the day and journey to play video games later in similar day.

The group was signed by Sony Entertainment, however the firm's ultimate goal was to get rid of the group and have Bryant document on his personal. The label wished to capitalize on Bryant's youth and NBA fame. In the summer season of 2003, the sheriff's office of Eagle, Colorado, arrested Bryant in connection with an investigation of a sexual assault grievance filed by a 19-year-old lodge worker. Bryant had checked into The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera in Eagle County upfront of present process knee surgical procedure close by. The accuser stated that Bryant raped her in his hotel room the night time earlier than Bryant was to have the process.

Bryant was as quickly as once more voted to each the All-NBA and All-Defensive First Teams, and got here in third place in voting for the MVP award. After ending 50–32 within the common season, the Lakers floundered within the playoffs and misplaced within the Western Conference semi-finals in six video games to the eventual NBA champions San Antonio Spurs. The son of former NBA participant Joe Bryant, he was born in Philadelphia and partly raised in Italy.