Skip to content

Top Navigation

PEOPLE.com PEOPLE.com
    • All News
    • Coronavirus
    • Crime
    • Human Interest
    • Politics
    • Heroes
    • Stories to Make You Smile
    • All Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Country
    • Awards
    • Sports
    • Theater
    • Books
  • Royals
    • All Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Fashion
    • Beauty
    • Health
    • Parents
    • Home
    • Pets
    • Food
    • Tech
    • Travel
  • PeopleTV
    • All Shopping
    • People Tested
    • All Podcasts
    • Me Becoming Mom
    • People Every Day
    • PEOPLE in the '90s

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Premium
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Premium
Login
Subscribe

Explore PEOPLE.com

PEOPLE.com PEOPLE.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • Rita Moreno Says She Dated Elvis as Revenge Against Cheating Ex Marlon Brando: 'It Was Wonderful'

      Rita Moreno Says She Dated Elvis as Revenge Against Cheating Ex Marlon Brando: 'It Was Wonderful'

      Rita Moreno revealed she dated Elvis Presley to get back at her ex-boyfriend Marlon Brando for cheating on her Read More
    • Machine Gun Kelly Poses with Daughter Casie at the 2021 American Music Awards

      Machine Gun Kelly Poses with Daughter Casie at the 2021 American Music Awards

      The American Music Awards, hosted by Cardi B, are broadcasting live from Los Angeles on Sunday Read More
    • Jennifer Lopez Sings from the Heart in New 'On My Way' Music Video

      Jennifer Lopez Sings from the Heart in New 'On My Way' Music Video

      Jennifer Lopez released the official music video for her song "On My Way," which is featured in her upcoming rom-com Marry Me Read More
  • News

    News

    See All News
    Stars Who Opened Up About Their Sexuality and Gender Identity in 2021

    Stars Who Opened Up About Their Sexuality and Gender Identity in 2021

    • Coronavirus
    • Crime
    • Human Interest
    • Politics
    • Heroes
    • Stories to Make You Smile
  • Entertainment

    Entertainment

    See All Entertainment
    The Best (& Worst) Jeopardy! Celebrity Guest Host Show Moments

    The Best (& Worst) Jeopardy! Celebrity Guest Host Show Moments

    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Country
    • Awards
    • Sports
    • Theater
    • Books
  • Royals
  • Lifestyle

    Lifestyle

    See All Lifestyle
    Billie Eilish Ditches Her Blonde Hair for Brunette Tresses: 'Miss Me?'

    Billie Eilish Ditches Her Blonde Hair for Brunette Tresses: 'Miss Me?'

    The singer revealed that she dyed her hair dark brown after debuting her blonde look earlier this year
    • Style
    • Fashion
    • Beauty
    • Health
    • Parents
    • Home
    • Pets
    • Food
    • Tech
    • Travel
  • PeopleTV
  • Shopping

    Shopping

    See All Shopping
    • People Tested
  • Podcasts

    Podcasts

    See All Podcasts
    Sen. Tammy Duckworth Calls Going Back to Work After Having a Miscarriage 'Inhumane'

    Sen. Tammy Duckworth Calls Going Back to Work After Having a Miscarriage 'Inhumane'

    "Even though we cleared my calendar for the day, I was still on the phone. There was no resting, you just kept on going," Tammy Duckworth says on an episode of PEOPLE's podcast Me Becoming Mom
    • Me Becoming Mom
    • People Every Day
    • PEOPLE in the '90s

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Premium
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Premium
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. People.com
  2. Sports
  3. From NBA Star to Devoted Family Man: Kobe Bryant's Life in Photos

From NBA Star to Devoted Family Man: Kobe Bryant's Life in Photos

The legendary basketball star, born Aug. 23, 1978, died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020

By Kate Hogan Updated January 26, 2022 08:30 AM
Skip gallery slides
FB Tweet

1 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant Is Born

Kobe Bryant
Credit: Kobe Bryant/Instagram

Kobe Bryant (here in a throwback photo with big sister Shaya, one of his two siblings) was born in Philadelphia on Aug. 23, 1978, to mom Pamela Cox Bryant and father Joe Bryant, a former NBA player, who played for the Philadelphia 76ers, the San Diego Clippers and the Houston Rockets. He spent much of his childhood in Italy, where his father moved the family after he retired from the NBA and began playing abroad, and moved back to the U.S. in 1991.

1 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant with Brandy

kobe-bryant-Brandy
Credit: Bruce Cotler/Globe Photos

Before entering the NBA Draft as a teen, the high school senior brought a very special date to his prom: singer Brandy.

2 of 18

3 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant Joins the Lakers

Kobe Bryant
Credit: Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images

A standout athlete as a teen at Lower Merion High School, Bryant decided to enter the NBA straight out of 12th grade. He was the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, by the Charlotte Hornets, who traded his draft rights to the Los Angeles Lakers in a prior agreement.

3 of 18

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant Breaks Records

Kobe Bryant
Credit: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

Bryant became the youngest person to ever play in an NBA game when he began in 1996, at 18 years, 2 months and 11 days. And by 1998, he was the youngest starter ever in an NBA All-Star Game.

4 of 18

Advertisement

5 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant Meets and Marries Vanessa

Diddy birthday couples
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty

In 1999, a 21-year-old Bryant met 17-year-old Vanessa Laine. The two became engaged six months later and married on April 18, 2001, in Dana Point, California. In 2003, they welcomed their first child, daughter Natalia, followed by Gianna in 2006.

In December 2011, Vanessa filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, but 13 months later, the pair announced they'd reconciled.

5 of 18

6 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant Wins NBA Championships

Kobe Bryant
Credit: Keith Torrie/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

Bryant and teammate Shaquille O'Neal — who often had a contentious relationship — helped lead the Lakers to three consecutive NBA Championships from 2000 to 2002.

6 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant Is Accused of Sexual Assault

2017 Tribeca Film Festival - Portrait Studio
Credit: Erik Tanner/Contour/Getty

In 2003, Bryant made headlines off the court when he was accused of sexual assault by a 19-year-old hotel employee. Bryant admitted to an adulterous sexual encounter with the accuser but maintained that it was consensual. The charges were eventually dropped and a civil suit was settled out of court.

7 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson's Partnership

Kobe Bryant
Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Coach Phil Jackson — fresh off his championship run with the Chicago Bulls — was an instrumental part of Bryant's career and legacy with the Lakers, coaching him to his first three titles with the team. Jackson left the team in the 2004 off-season and wrote a book about his time there, calling Bryant "uncoachable."

In 2005, Jackson returned, and addressed his comments in a chat with ESPN.

"When I came back for my second stint with the Lakers, Kobe and I worked it all out," he said. "I gave him more of a license to do his thing, as long as it stayed within the overall context of the triangle. And we did win two more championships. Anyway, I've always seen Kobe as a truly great player, an intelligent guy and a remarkable person."

8 of 18

Advertisement

9 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant as NBA MVP

Kobe Bryant
Credit: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images

After winning the league's Most Valuable Player honors in 2008, Bryant, Jackson and the Lakers went on to win two more Championships, in 2009 and 2010. "You know, I just wanted it so bad," Bryant told reporters after the game. "I wanted it so, so bad."

9 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant at the Olympics

Kobe Bryant
Credit: Steve Christo/Getty Images

Abroad, Bryant won two gold medals for Team USA, at the 2012 London games (pictured) and 2008 Beijing games.

10 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

11 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant Retires

Kobe Bryant
Credit: Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

Following a string of injury-plagued seasons, Bryant announced via a poem on The Players' Tribune on Nov. 29, 2015, that he was leaving the NBA after 20 seasons.

"Dear Basketball," he wrote. "From the moment I started rolling my dad's tube socks and shooting imaginary game-winning shots in the Great Western Forum I knew one thing was real: I fell in love with you."

It continued: "But I can't love you obsessively for much longer. This season is all I have left to give. My heart can take the pounding. My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it's time to say goodbye. And that's OK. I'm ready to let you go."

11 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement

12 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant's Daughters

Kobe Bryant
Credit: Kobe Bryant/Instagram

After his retirement, Bryant and Vanessa welcomed two more daughters: Bianka in 2016 and Capri in 2019.

12 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

13 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant in Retirement

Kobe Bryant
Credit: Dave Mangels/Getty

In the months following his retirement, Bryant was honored everywhere, including with the Legend Award at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports Awards in July 2016.

13 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

14 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant Wins an ESPY Award

The 2016 ESPYS - Backstage And Audience
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty

He also earned the Icon Award at the 2016 ESPYs, along with Abby Wambach and Peyton Manning.

"We're up here because of 4 a.m. We're up here because of two-a-days or five-a-days. We're up here because we had a dream and let nothing stand in our way," he said during his speech. "If anything tried to bring us down, we used it to make us stronger."

"I believe that there's time for resting at the end, but for me that time is not now," Bryant continued. "Thank you for this tremendous honor and honoring my basketball career, but I'm far from done. My next dream is to be honored one day for inspiring the next generation of athletes to have a dream, sacrifice for it and never, ever rest in the middle."

14 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement

15 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant Coaches, Volunteers

Kobe Bryant basketball team
Credit: Kobe Bryant/Instagram

In retirement he was doing just that, inspiring young athletes through coaching and charity work (and posting about it on Instagram). Here, he posed with his fourth place "winners," six of whom he worked with on a daily basis to improved their skills.

15 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

16 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant's Numbers Are Retired

Kobe Bryant
Credit: Allen Berezovsky/Getty

On Dec. 18, 2017, the Lakers retired Bryant's two numbers, 8 and 24 (he switched to 24, his high school number, in 2006). It was an emotional night for the star, who was honored by fellow players and his family.

In his speech, he addressed his girls and their futures.

"You guys know that if you do the work, you work hard enough, dreams come true. You know that, we all know that. But hopefully what you get from tonight is that those times when you get up early and you work hard; those times when you stay up late and you work hard; those times when don't feel like working — you're too tired, you don't want to push yourself — but you do it anyway. That is actually the dream. That's the dream. It's not the destination, it's the journey. And if you guys can understand that, what you'll see happen is that you won't accomplish your dreams, your dreams won't come true, something greater will. And if you guys can understand that, then I'm doing my job as a father."

16 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

17 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant Wins an Oscar

Kobe Bryant
Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage

In 2018, Bryant won his first-ever Oscar for his film Dear Basketball, an animated short based on his Players' Tribune poem.

"I don't know if [the impossible is] possible," Bryant said in his speech. "I mean, as basketball players, we are really supposed to shut up and dribble. But I am glad we do a little bit more than that."

17 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement

18 of 18

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Kobe Bryant Dies

Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers
Credit: Harry How/Getty Images

On Jan. 26, 2020, PEOPLE confirmed Bryant, 41, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. His daughter Gianna, 13, was also killed. Celebrities and players from around the world remembered the star, with many crediting him for their careers. He is survived by Vanessa and their daughters Natalia, Bianka and Capri.

18 of 18

Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Kate Hogan

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 18 Kobe Bryant Is Born
    2 of 18 Kobe Bryant with Brandy
    3 of 18 Kobe Bryant Joins the Lakers
    4 of 18 Kobe Bryant Breaks Records
    5 of 18 Kobe Bryant Meets and Marries Vanessa
    6 of 18 Kobe Bryant Wins NBA Championships
    7 of 18 Kobe Bryant Is Accused of Sexual Assault
    8 of 18 Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson's Partnership
    9 of 18 Kobe Bryant as NBA MVP
    10 of 18 Kobe Bryant at the Olympics
    11 of 18 Kobe Bryant Retires
    12 of 18 Kobe Bryant's Daughters
    13 of 18 Kobe Bryant in Retirement
    14 of 18 Kobe Bryant Wins an ESPY Award
    15 of 18 Kobe Bryant Coaches, Volunteers
    16 of 18 Kobe Bryant's Numbers Are Retired
    17 of 18 Kobe Bryant Wins an Oscar
    18 of 18 Kobe Bryant Dies

    Share & More

    Pinterest Email Send Text Message
    PEOPLE.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Meredith© Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab. People is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab Manage Push Notificationsthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab

    Manage Push Notifications

    If you would like to opt out of browser push notifications, please refer to the following instructions specific to your device and browser: Google Chrome and Android, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge.
    © Copyright PEOPLE.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://people.com

    Sign in

    View image

    From NBA Star to Devoted Family Man: Kobe Bryant's Life in Photos
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.