Kobe Bryant greets fans in his last game on the road.
Fearless, genius, leader, legend.
Just some of the words that have been echoing across the world over the past five months as one of the legends of basketball finishes his glittering 20 year career.
For Kobe Bryant the NBA has been his life since he was a teenager, when he was drafted into the league straight from high school at 17 years old. Two decades later, Bryant has made his last pass, hit his last three-point shot and saluted his last adoring crowd.
At the Los Angeles Lakers’ Staples Center home it was Kobe who bonded together a team that would win five NBA championships. He was named an All-Star 18 times and he amassed over 30,000 points.
But what made Kobe one of the best players of all time?
Sportsworld has been finding out.
Kobe's Italian Roots
Basketball was a part of Kobe’s life from day one. He’s the son of former Philadelphia 76ers star Joe Bryant and the twilight years of his father’s career had a profound impact on the young Bryant.
Joe finished his career in Italy with Pallacanestro Reggiana which meant that Kobe grew up in northern Italy. Another ex-Philadelphia player, Joe Isaac, coached the team and when Kobe reached 11 years old, Isaac became aware that there might be two generations of talent in the Bryant family.
'I jokingly told Kobe that he'd never be a basketball player' - Joe Isaac
Former NBA player Joe Isaac recollects seeing Kobe Bryant's talent at 10 years old"The time I knew that Kobe had some type of talent was when my assistant coach said 'hey this kid is a pretty good ball player'. He was playing in practice against guys that were 16, 17, 18 years old, but he was reaching the rim and making his three-point shots."
Bryant's childhood home-town, Reggio EmiliaI was lucky to grow up in Italy. I was taught extreme fundamentals. I wasn't the strongest, fastest or most athletic. I was probably the most skilful, but that didn't matter.Kobe Bryant
High-School Life
In 1991 the Bryant family moved back to the United States, to Kobe's birthplace of Philadelphia.
It was then that Kobe had to adapt to his new cultural surroundings, and having enrolled at Lower Merion High School he tried out for the basketball team.
Coach Gregg Downer remembers meeting Kobe that day when Bryant was still just 13 years old:
"After watching him for five minutes I knew he was goi
ng to be a pro, I'd never seen such a good player at such a young age. I knew I had the chance of working with something very special when I first met him. We formed a good connection and we worked hard together."
"A kid thrown into the trenches of Hollywood"
Kobe's high school coach admits he was worried for Bryant when he joined the NBA.
The special bond between Bryant and Downer took Lower Merion High School to their first state championship in over 50 years and by this point Kobe was picking up the attention of many colleges. But, instead of staying in the system, Kobe decided to follow the example set the previous year by Kevin Garnett and head straight to the professional game from high school. He would be eligible for 1996 NBA Draft.
The One on One that changed Kobe's life forever.
The Lakers were suffering from a championship drought. They had gone five years without sitting atop the NBA pyramid and the club in general were struggling to rediscover the magic of…well, Magic. The 'showtime' era of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dominated the 1980s but the 90s had been tough on the team.
Jerry West, a former player and coach with the Lakers, was tasked with rebuilding the team and he arranged a pre-draft workout which resulted in the discovery of LA’s next headline act.
Kobe was one of several youngsters given the challenge of going one-on-one with two-time NBA defensive player of the year Michael Cooper, another star of the Lakers showtime squad.
Cooper still believes he’s ‘the best defensive player the Lakers ever had’, but Kobe caused him all kinds of problems.
Thirty minutes later, Kobe's life had changed forever.
"I was pulling out all the tricks that I used to use on the likes of Larry Bird and he handled them all. He was always able to manoeuvre himself to get the shot that he'd want.
"I was beat, I hadn't sweated like that for a long time and he opened up everyone's eyes and everyone knew he could play from that day.
"Afterwards we went for a huddle and I said wow!Because now I knew who Kobe Bryant was. He wasn't a high-school kid, he was a future star of the NBA."
"I was a piece in his chess game".
NBA champion Michael Cooper was told to rough up Kobe, it didn't play out like that
Bryant was selected 13th in round one of the 1996 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. However, the Lakers traded the draft rights of Kobe to the Lakers for Serbian centre Vlade Divac one week later.
Bryant would stay with the Lakers until the day he retired.
It took four years, though, for the future star to have his first taste of success with his team. The introduction of coach Phil Jackson in 1999 saw the team become true championship contenders with the double act of Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. The duo would help the team to their first championship in 12 years, but they didn’t stop there. In 2000 they repeated that triumph and then in 2001 came a “threepeat”.
O’Neil broke the partnership when he couldn't agree on a new deal with the Lakers but Kobe stayed and after some more barren years he would lift the trophy again in 2009 and once more in 2010.
In both of his final two championship years he was named the finals' Most Valuable Player.
What's it like to play with Kobe?
"When I was a free agent I was called by a number of Lakers players and Kobe was one. It was a good trick (by the Lakers), it was an offer hard to reject. They knew what they were doing".
Vladimir Radmanović started his NBA career in 2001 when he was drafted to the Seattle Supersonics. He would also play for the Los Angeles Clippers before he had the opportunity to play for their city rivals.
Moving ball clubs across LA is pretty brave but it’s hard to say no when Kobe calls.
When Kobe Bryant Calls
Vladimir Radmanović says it was hard to turn down Kobe Bryant's invite to become a Laker
Kobe would win his fifth and final NBA title in 2010. Since then the Lakers haven't reached an NBA final.
Bryant's final years at the top were plagued with injuries and last year, on 29 November, Kobe published a poem titled ‘Dear Basketball’. This wasn’t just a poem, it was the announcement that he would retire from the game at the end of the season.
In the final months of his professional career, teams from across the NBA paid tribute to Bryant. The impact he had on the game is in no doubt. And on 13 April, where else but at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, 19,000 fans said farewell to the man they call ‘Mamba’ as he took to the court one last time.
The game at one point looked like providing anything other than the perfect send-off - Kobe’s Lakers trailed Utah Jazz by 20 points at half-time.
But Kobe had two more quarters left in him and he finished the game with an astonishing 60 points, guiding his only
The World says Goodbye
Life after retirement.
Focus now will turn to Kobe's life away from the court. Many will hope he will come back to the NBA in some capacity in the future.
For the time being Bryant will have exactly that - time. Lots of it. So what should he do next?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar points out that "so many people in the NBA feel like basketball is their only identity, and they don't find out there's a whole big wide world out there for them to interact with."
"Now Kobe gets a chance to experience this world, and he can still be a fan of professional sports and the NBA which has been his passion. I surely think he has the intelligence and insight to do well, he just has to let go of his fears and take the step.
'There's a Whole Big World Out There'
Kareem gives Kobe Bryant advice on life after retirement.
Before him there was showtime, then there was Kobe time, now it’s someone else’s time. The Los Angeles Lakers have been spoilt by 20 years of his greatness, filling his shoes will be far from easy.
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