14 Things that you didn’t know about Kobe Bryant
Tags: NBA, Basketball, Kobe Bryant, Kobe

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According to official statistics, with every day that passes, thousands of people die. In reality, every minute 110 people leave this earth; that means that in reality, by the end of this video, several hundred people will be gone. Most of us have lost loved ones or have even faced death, and from our life experiences we do know that death is blind. It strikes infants, it strikes young children, it strikes parents, it strikes pregnant mothers, it strikes elderly people, it strikes people in very good health. It strikes rich and poor alike, it strikes whites, yellows, and blacks. And yet death still shocks us, surprises us, and traumatizes us. When a well-known and liked celebrity dies suddenly before their time, the whole world seems to mourn. Why is it that when some people die we get the feeling that the whole planet pays tribute to them, while when others leave us there is sometimes absolute silence, as if nothing had happened? Is it because there are lives that are worth more than other lives? Of course not. I do not think that the life of Kobe Bryant, who has recently left us, is worth more than the lives of all those people unknown to us. In any case, those who have left us nevertheless surely left their family in excruciating pain. Why is it that we find ourselves celebrating or paying vibrant tributes to certain people? My reflection on this suggests to me that it is because of the trace that these people have left behind. There are people who live lives in which they have an impact on people around them and others who have an impact beyond their immediate circle. People like Kobe Bryant have made an impact on millions of people around the world. They influence people not just by their talents, but by what they do with their talents, because I am convinced that each of us comes to this earth with talents, but what we do with them is everything. I think we all know that today sports and famous athletes are highly celebrated all around the world. We’ve just lost, through the death of Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest sportsmen of all time. We all have been touched by his death even more greatly of course because of the dramatic way that he left us, since we did not expect he would be gone so soon and so tragically.

Who was Kobe Bryant? If you do not know who Kobe was, you were just born.

Before we start, let’s watch one of Kobe’s greatest motivational speeches.

Kobe was a former NBA glory and a legend. Kobe Bryant was born on August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and grew up with two sisters. He died in a helicopter crash Sunday January 26, 2020, along with his daughter Gianna and seven other people, in the state of California. The whole world burst into tears following the confirmation of the news. Bryant was on his way to a Mamba Sport Academy game that Sunday when the helicopter crashed. Kobe Bryant was a basketball player, but was much more beyond that. The world first learned about who Kobe Bryant was when he was a young man on the NBA courts, but growing up I learned that Kobe Bryant’s life actually inspired a lot of people because of the man he was and the personality that he had. Kobe Bryant was a champion, but he was also a man who had an exceptional character in terms of discipline and achievement on top of his crazy talent. Kobe Bryant didn’t hesitate to come to the gym at 4 a.m. when everyone else was still sleeping because he felt it was the price to pay for being one of the best in such a prestigious and competitive league. Kobe was not only a basketball player, but he was also known to the business world as a brand builder, and he left behind a business empire that stretched beyond the basketball court. According to Forbes, Bryant had an estimated net worth of 600 million dollars. In clearing up his life story, let’s learn together 14 facts or anecdotes that might surprise anyone that admires the late celebrity.

Number 1.

He owes his first name “Kobe” to a Japanese restaurant in Philadelphia.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated in 1998, the father of the legendary Kobe Bryant, Joe Bryant, revealed that his son’s first name came from a Japanese restaurant, “Kobe Japanese Steakhouse,” that his father frequented regularly. As we already know, the legendary Kobe Bryant is from Philly.

Number 2.

He is the fourth player in scoring the most points in the NBA

The “Black Mamba,” which Kobe was also known as, has been ranked in the 4th position in terms of players with the most points in official competitions throughout the history of the NBA. With a total of 33,643 points, his name succeeds that of Lebron James (who has 33,655 with a career in progress) and is just behind Karl Malone (36,928) and Kareem Abdul Jabbar (38,387).

Number 3.

He’s the second NBA player in scoring the most points in the same game.

Kobe Bryant is everywhere on the records list. AFP said he was the second ranked player to score the most points in a single game with 81 points on January 22, 2006 against the Toronto Raptors (122–104). Only basketball player Wilt Chamberlain scored more points in a game than he did with 100 points in 1962.

Number 4.

Always ahead

Several of his teammates report anecdotes that describe the Star as a hard worker who always gets a head start on those around him, even if he is injured. According to teammate John Celestand, Kobe was always first in training, even with one wrist injured. He was always the first to train, every day, at least an hour and a half ahead. Celestand admits to having been jealous of his dynamism and punctuality in comments reported in the press. “I lived ten minutes from the gymnasium while Kobe lived at least 35 minutes [away],” said the player, who still does not understand why Bryant was always ahead.

Number 5.

Kobe has worn 3 numbers in his career, 8, 33 and 24.

As part of the Los Angeles team, Kobe chose to wear the number 8, and it was no coincidence. According to his revelations to the media, this choice paid tribute to his favorite play by Mike D’Antoni but it was also the sum of the digits of his number at ABCD Camp (143). To pay homage to his father, a basketball player by profession, he temporarily wore the number 33 before opting to wear the number 24 in 2007, which he said expressed his maturity in the game.

Number 6.

He chewed his jersey during the matches

If Lebron James is constantly doing his powder in the air ritual, and Stephen Curry chews his mouthguard, Kobe Bryant also had a habit; he used to chew his jersey during games. It’s a habit that the star inherited from his father which was actually a technique to cool himself when he felt overwhelmed by the heat and no timeout could be granted by the referee.

Number 7.

Kobe was briefly a rapper.

Something that’s surprising from the star of 33,643 points is that Bryant had a short career in American Hip-Hop. In 1998, the young adored Los Angeles Lakers player recorded a rap album which unfortunately never came out. He planned to name his album “K.O.B.E”, and the basketball player-rapper even released a clip for a song called “G’d Up”, in which we see him rapping like the pioneers of American Hip-Hop. Note that it was during the shooting of this rap clip that he met his wife, Vanessa Laine.

Number 8.

He is the only one to have played 20 seasons in a row on the same team.

Kobe’s history with the Los Angeles Lakers team spanned more than two decades; a record for a player on one team. During this time Bryant collected 5 champion titles with this famous NBA team and MVP for the 2007–2008 season. That’s a feat that various icons in basketball have not been able to achieve. Michael Jordan has been on two teams during his time with the NBA (Chicago Bulls and Wizards of Washington) while Lebron James played with the Miami Heat then joined the Cleveland Cavaliers before reaching the team of Los Angeles Lakers.

Number 9.

He holds an Oscar for his short film “Dear Basketball”.

By entering the world of cinema, Kobe Bryant had time to leave his mark as a talented director. On March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California, Kobe Bryant won the Oscar for best animated short film for this mini-film in which he showed his passion for professional basketball.

Number 10.

The youngest player to have started in the starting five of an All-Star Game.

The NBA All-Star Game is an annual basketball game in which the best players in the East and West Conferences of the NBA compete, putting on a show by demonstrating their skills with the orange ball. At 19 years and 175 days, Kobe Bryant made his early debut in this celebrity environment as being the youngest player to have started in the starting five of an All-Star Game.

Number 11.

Kobe spent part of his childhood in Italy.

Before joining the NBA after graduating from high school, Bryant spent part of his childhood in Italy, where his father Joe Bryant ended his career as a professional basketball player. According to details provided by the AFP news agency, the basketball player, who spoke fluent Italian, lived on the peninsula between the ages of 6 and 13, before returning to Pennsylvania where he was from. Before his death, in an interview with Reggio Emilia, Kobe Bryant revealed that his story originated in Italy. And it was on Italian soil that he started dreaming of playing in the NBA.

Number 12.

He was accused of rape in 2003.

On July 1, 2003, the Los Angeles Lakers star arrived in Colorado to undergo a knee arthroscopy. He was accused of rape by a young employee of a luxury hotel he stayed at. The case was closed in 2004, without trial, but with the apologies of the basketball legend and an alleged civil payment of more than $2 million in damages to the young woman.

Number 13.

He intended to publish a book with Paulo Coelho.

Paulo Coelho and Kobe Bryant worked together to write a children’s book. The aim of the book was to inspire disadvantaged children by inviting them to face adversity through sports. According to revelations from Paulo Coelho on his Twitter account, the project was started in 2016 when Kobe Bryant retired after his 20-year career in the NBA. The two had started writing a few months before according to the Huffington Post newspaper.

Number 14.

Did you know that Kobe Bryant and his Wife had a Deal?

They would never fly on a helicopter together. Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant were killed in a helicopter crash alongside seven other people. Thankfully his wife Vanessa, 37, and their daughters Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, who was born in June 2019, were not in that helicopter. Kobe Bryant used helicopters to get around Los Angeles frequently, but he and his wife Vanessa Bryant made a point not to fly together. “He and Vanessa had a deal that they would never fly on a helicopter together,” a source on the couple, who tied the knot in 2001, told People Magazine. The former NBA player, 41, and his daughter were on their way to a youth basketball game at the time of the crash, according to ESPN. The same source also told People Magazine that Bryant “only” flew in helicopters with pilot Ara Zobayan, who was among those killed in the crash. Bryant had previously shared that he began using helicopters while he still played for the Los Angeles Lakers as a way to spend more time with his family and less time stuck in traffic. Let’s watch him talking about that.

Bryant, as a basketball player, was as fierce a competitor as the game has ever seen. We still can’t believe how fast and tragically Kobe has gone. From the moment that the world discovered Kobe’s talent, we believed that he was gonna be a true legend. Kobe was not only a legend, but also a philanthropist.

Kobe impacted countless lives and was a voice of motivation, opening doors for many. Kobe changed the lives of so many people while in the NBA. When Bryant transitioned into the next stage of his life, he brought that same intensity as an advocate for youth and women’s sports. Here is a clip of Bryant explaining how he was ready to retire from playing in the NBA on April 13, 2016.

We will never forget Kobe and Gianna’s talents and the joy Kobe put in our hearts. Kobe inspired the whole world, from others in the NBA to people everywhere.

The impact that he made in so many areas and in people’s lives and the impact he planned to keep making will be greatly missed. The loss of Kobe, Gianna, and the 7 other people who were lost in the incident will be missed. We are sending our love their families. Kobe, a legend that was gone too soon.

We hope that these 15 things you now know about Kobe have inspired you. Do you miss Kobe? What is the most important thing in Kobe’s career that has left an impression on you? Black Mamba for life.

How do you see the world now without Kobe Bryant. We hope you will be safe.

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