Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, obtained the Eucharist together just hours earlier than they died. Before the 1996 NBA draft, Bryant had worked out in Los Angeles, where he scrimmaged against former Lakers gamers Larry Drew and Michael Cooper and, in accordance with then-Laker basic supervisor Jerry West, "marched over these individuals". Kobe Bryant had indicated that transitioning from a basketball participant into a business mogul was a long-term objective that was important to him, particularly given his goal-orientated mindset. Bryant made $323,312,307 from the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his playing career, the sixth-highest earnings in NBA historical past behind LeBron James, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Garnett.

The group was signed by Sony Entertainment, however the firm's final goal was to remove the group and have Bryant report 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 complaint filed by a 19-year-old hotel employee.

Bryant also had a career-high forty six.9% taking pictures and once again led his group in assists. While making the All-NBA Defensive Team once more, Bryant was additionally named to the All-NBA First Team for the primary time in his profession. The Lakers received fifty eight games that yr and completed second within the Pacific Division behind in-state rival Sacramento Kings. Bryant was suspended one sport after he punched Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers after the Lakers' March 1, 2002 victory over the Pacers. Bryant debuted within the Summer Pro League in Long Beach, California, scoring 25 factors in front of a standing-room-only crowd. Defenders struggled to get in front of him, and his efficiency excited West and Lakers coach Del Harris.

Bryant started playing basketball when he was three, and the Lakers had been his favorite staff when he was growing up. When Bryant was six, his father retired from the NBA and moved his household to Rieti in Italy to continue taking half in professional basketball. After two years, they moved first to Reggio Calabria, then to Pistoia and Reggio Emilia.

The team's quest for an additional three-peat was ended once they have been swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs. The Mavericks would go on to win the 2011 NBA Finals. On May 27, 2007, ESPN reported that Bryant acknowledged that he needed to be traded if Jerry West didn't return to the group with full authority.

In two crucial wins in March, he scored a minimum of 40 points and had a minimum of 10 assists in back-to-back games, turning into the first Laker to accomplish the feat since Jerry West in 1970. Later in the season, it was reported that Bryant would change his jersey number from 8 to 24 firstly of the 2006–07 NBA season. Bryant's first highschool quantity was 24 before he switched to 33.

"I see for the first time an element of doubt in Kobe's eyes," Vitti recalled. Sometimes the smallest moments in time could be probably the most revealing. Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani newest teammates to face off in internati...

This adopted with O'Neal winning the MVP and Bryant being named to the All-NBA Team Second Team and All-NBA Defensive Team for the first time in his profession . While playing second fiddle to O'Neal in the playoffs, Bryant had some clutch performances including a 25-point, eleven rebound, 7 assist, four block game in game 7 of the Western Conference finals towards the Portland Trail Blazers. He additionally threw an alley-oop cross to O'Neal to clinch the game and the collection. In the 2000 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, Bryant injured his ankle within the second quarter of Game 2 after touchdown on the Pacers' Jalen Rose's foot. Rose later admitted he positioned his foot under Bryant intentionally. Bryant didn't return to the sport, and he also missed Game 3 as a outcome of injury.