His protection disrupted opponents and freed Nash from unfavorable matchups. After beginning the season 1–4, coach Brown was fired. On December 18, in a 101–100 win over the Charlotte Bobcats, Bryant scored 30+ points in his seventh consecutive game, the longest streak by an NBA player after turning 34 years old; it was the fourth-longest such streak in his career. Derek Fisher and Bryant with President Barack Obama through the White House go to honoring the Lakers' 2009 championshipIn early September 2008, Bryant determined to not have surgical procedure to restore his proper pinkie. In the 2008–09 season, the Lakers opened the marketing campaign by winning their first seven games. Bryant led the group to tie the franchise document for many wins to begin the season going 17–2, and by the center of December they compiled a 21–3 report.

It was Bryant’s first recreation since sexual assault expenses have been filed in opposition to him in Colorado. Kobe Bryant, with his spouse, Vanessa, at his facet, holds a news convention at Staples Center in 2003 to discuss accusations by a 19-year-old Colorado lady that he sexually assaulted her. He conceded he was responsible of adultery, but he declared he was innocent of expenses of felonious sexual assault.

Bryant later confirmed his need for West's return to the franchise, but denied stating that he would wish to be traded if that does not happen. Bryant would later be shown on an notorious newbie video saying that heart Andrew Bynum should have been traded for All-Star Jason Kidd. Brown has by no means been inside copyright Arena, the building that the Clippers and the Lakers name home. It’s the world – then called Staples Center – where Bryant performed the overwhelming majority of his 20 seasons with the Lakers, scored his career-best 81 factors against Toronto in 2006 and known as home for 5 championship runs and 18 All-Star campaigns.

I don’t think he had performed all summer time because of his damage, but he nonetheless killed everybody. The first possession, he caught the rock along the baseline and hit a turn-around jumper in my face … a shot I’ve seen him hit literally a thousand instances on TV. “Hey, don’t harm yourself, younger fella,” Kobe uttered to me. I skilled a few of those moments throughout my rookie yr. I had the unenviable task of guarding Kobe throughout coaching camp.

I’d by no means actually heard about upkeep points with a rim before a recreation. A quarter of an inch.” After the buzzer sounded, I was strolling off the court docket and I noticed one of many maintenance guys — one of the guys who was carrying the ladder onto the court during warm-ups. ” “Oh, someone notified us that it was somewhat decrease than regulation.” Then he advised me how a lot it was off by. I might inform you his answer, but I suppose you already know what he mentioned. One of the toughest games I remember taking half in towards Kobe happened in Boston. I think he made seven or eight pictures in a row on me.

He missed a triple-double in each recreation with nine rebounds twice and eight within the different. In two crucial wins in March, he scored no less than 40 factors and had a minimum of 10 assists in back-to-back games, changing into the first Laker to perform the feat since West in 1970. Bryant surpassed Chamberlain to turn out to be the fourth-leading scorer in league history in a March 30, 2013 victory over Sacramento. Aided by the commerce for All-Star Pau Gasol, Bryant led his group to a West-leading 57–25 record. The Lakers swept the Nuggets within the first spherical and on May 6, 2008, Bryant was officially introduced as the league MVP. He would then headline the NBA All-Defensive First Team with Kevin Garnett, receiving 52 points total including 24 first-place nods, earning his eighth choice.

Brown is in Summer League with the Los Angeles Clippers. Bufkin is getting into his rookie yr with the Atlanta Hawks. Both have been named for Bryant, who — for now — is the one participant named Kobe to make it to the NBA.

The film was produced by Bryant's manufacturing firm, Granity Studios. In addition to future animation projects, he had been in talks with animator veteran Bruce Smith for the final six months before his dying about starting his personal animation studio. He performed at a 1997 concert by Sway & King Tech and recorded a verse for a remix of Brian McKnight's "Hold Me". Bryant even appeared on Lakers teammate O'Neal's Respect, beginning the monitor "3 X's Dope", although Bryant's name was not listed on the credit. In September 2012, Bryant shot a business for copyright with FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi.