He was also the overall league MVP in 2008.The accident shocked basketball fans and athletes from across the country and around the globe. Countless tributes were held to honor Bryant, his daughter and the others killed in the crash. Bryant returned for the 2014–15 season, his 19th season with the Lakers, who had replaced D'Antoni with Bryant's former Lakers teammate, Byron Scott. On November 30, 2014, in a 129–122 extra time victory towards the Toronto Raptors, Bryant recorded his twentieth profession triple-double with 31 factors, 12 assists and eleven rebounds. At age 36, he grew to become the oldest NBA participant to ever obtain 30 factors, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a sport.

With a starting lineup of O'Neal, Malone, Payton, and Bryant, the Lakers have been in a place to attain the NBA Finals. However, they were upset in five games by the Detroit Pistons, who won their first championship since 1990. In that series, Bryant averaged 22.6 points per game and 4.4 assists. Jackson's contract as coach was not renewed, and Rudy Tomjanovich took over.

"Go forward and get another MVP, if you'd like. And discover the town you wish to live in. But we'll win the championship. Don't worry about it." With a brutal seven-game victory over the Celtics within the financial institution for Bryant, the 2010 offseason is dominated by LeBron James' choice to depart Cleveland for Miami. He's a kid making an attempt to appear to be a grown man, except when Jeanie Buss fills in for her vacationing father and has lunch with Bryant on the Forum Club after the press convention, something unexpected happens. "The gentle spot that no person sees in Kobe Bryant," as Vitti later describes how Bryant melts with kids, particularly his personal, is what fuels him on the worst night of his profession.

Bryant started enjoying basketball when he was three, and the Lakers were 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 playing professional basketball. After two years, they moved first to Reggio Calabria, then to Pistoia and Reggio Emilia.

Since his second year within the league, Bryant has been selected to begin each NBA All-Star Game that has been held within the last fourteen years. He has won the All-Star MVP Award 4 occasions , tying him for the most All Star MVP Awards in NBA historical past. He is a 14-time member of the All-NBA group and an 12-time member of the All-Defensive team; he's also the youngest player ever to obtain defensive honors. At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals as a member of the USA national team. In 2009, Sporting News and TNT named Bryant the highest NBA participant of the 2000s . Tragedy struck the world of basketball and sport generally on 26 January 2020 when Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash in California on the age of 41.

Bryant additionally had a career-high forty six.9% shooting and as soon as again led his team in assists. While making the All-NBA Defensive Team again, Bryant was also named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career. The Lakers won 58 games that yr and finished second in the Pacific Division behind in-state rival Sacramento Kings. Bryant was suspended one recreation after he punched Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers after the Lakers' March 1, 2002 victory over the Pacers. Bryant debuted in the Summer Pro League in Long Beach, California, scoring 25 points in front of a standing-room-only crowd. Defenders struggled to get in front of him, and his performance excited West and Lakers coach Del Harris.

The group was signed by Sony Entertainment, but the company's ultimate objective was to remove the group and have Bryant report on his own. The label needed to capitalize on Bryant's youth and NBA fame. In the summer time of 2003, the sheriff's workplace of Eagle, Colorado, arrested Bryant in reference to an investigation of a sexual assault criticism filed by a 19-year-old resort worker.

On November 24, 2015, the Lakers fell to 2–12 after dropping 111–77 to the Warriors. Bryant scored just four factors in 25 minutes on 1-for-14 capturing, matching the worst-shooting game of his profession during which he attempted a minimum of five shots. On December 1, 2015, Bryant performed his last game in opposition to his hometown group, the Philadelphia 76ers, where the Lakers misplaced 103–91. In the 2001–02 season, Bryant performed 80 video games for the primary time in his profession. On January 14, 2002, Bryant recorded a then career-high 56 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in a 120–81 win over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies. He continued his all-round play by averaging 25.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.