From the very start when Kobe Bryant played his first game for the Los Angeles Lakers as an 18-year-old basketball phenom, his path to greatness seemed assured. But it would not be easy.
The NBA wasn’t convinced that any player, no matter how sensational or talented, could jump directly from high school to the big leagues.
But Bryant was a different sort of athlete, the son of a well-to-do Philadelphia family who spent his formative years in Europe. His unusual upbringing and steely determination — holding himself and those around him to the highest standards — sometimes led to friction with coaches and teammates.
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None of that could stop the 6-foot-6 shooting guard from becoming one of the greatest in the history of the game, equally dangerous driving to the basket or shooting from outside. None of it could dull the sense of shock that came over Los Angeles, a city that grew to love him, when he died Sunday in a helicopter crash that also took the lives of his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others.
“Just to see the joy he played the game with, the joy he brought to fans, was pretty remarkable,” Lakers great Jerry West said. “You don’t get players of that skill and that caliber that are able to do those things and bring that joy.”
California
Federal investigators look for answers in Kobe Bryant helicopter crash
Lakers legend Kobe Bryant died when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed into a hillside in Calabasas shortly before 10 a.m.
Jan. 26, 2020
Magic Johnson called him “a different cat,” and he was. Opposing teams — wary of his ability to control the game, fearful of his shooting streaks, his maverick prowess — assigned players, known as “Kobe stoppers,” to harass him on court.
He called himself Black Mamba, a code name for an assassin in one of Quentin Tarantino’s films. But his aggression and agility on the court came with a darker side as well.
Midway through his career, in July 2003, Bryant was accused of rape by a hotel employee. The criminal case, which drew national attention when salacious details were leaked, was ultimately dropped after the woman refused to testify. In an ensuing civil suit, Bryant settled and apologized without admitting his guilt.
The Times is offering select coverage of Kobe Bryant’s death for free. Please consider a subscription to support our journalism.
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By the end of his 20-year career — all of it spent with the Lakers — Bryant was a five-time world champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. team and 18-time All-Star. He ranks fourth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list; he was surpassed just this weekend by Laker star LeBron James.
In a manner befitting both his sophisticated background and the city where he spent his adult life, the 41-year-old had transitioned from athletic stardom to a post-basketball career that included an Oscar for the animated short “Dear Basketball,” a series of children’s books that became New York Times bestsellers and a growing business empire.
“Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act,” former President Obama said in a statement.
As federal authorities launched an investigation into the crash that took place on a foggy morning in the hills above Calabasas, teams across the NBA honored Bryant, some by standing absolutely still on the court, letting the clock tick its way to a 24-second violation, matching the number that Bryant wore for much of his time in the league.
“Most people will remember Kobe as the magnificent athlete who inspired a whole generation of basketball players,” former Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar posted on social media. “But I will always remember him as a man who was much more than an athlete.”
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant pauses for a moment as confetti streams down at the Staples Center following his final game on April 13, 2016. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant, the teenager obtained by the Lakers in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets, takes part in an ad shoot for Adidas at Will Rogers State Beach. (Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant was already shooting his first commercial before taking his first shot for the Lakers. (Los Angeles Times)
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Laker rookie Kobe Bryant, 18, listens to coach Del Harris during a break in a 129-99 victory over the Washington Bullets at the Forum. Bryant scored 13 points. (Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant drives against Utah center Greg Ostertag in the Western Conference Finals at the Forum in Inglewood. Utah won 109-98 to give the Jazz a 3-0 lead in the series. (Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant is dejected after losing the ball late in the second half of Game 3 of the 1999 Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs at the Forum. The Lakers lost, 103-91, giving the Spurs a 3-0 advantage in the series. The Spurs went on to win the series 4-0. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant drives past Chris Webber in Game 4 of the first round of the 2000 Western Conference playoffs at Arco Arena in Sacramento. The Kings won, 101-88, but the Lakers went on to win the series in five games and advanced to face the Phoenix Suns in the next round. (Bob Galbraith / Associated Press)
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Despite Jason Kidd’s hand in his face, Kobe Bryant puts up the winning shot in the Lakers’ 97-96 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals at Staples Arena. The Lakers won the series, 4-1. (K.C. Alfred / Associated Press)
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Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal had a moment to relax after winning their first title together in the 2000 NBA Finals. The two kicked back after a 116-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 at Staples Center. Bryant is holding the championship trophy and O’Neal has his Finals MVP trophy. (Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant performs on stage at the House of Blues in West Hollywood in 2000 during a celebration of the launch of his record label, Heads High Entertainment. (Clarence Williams / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant is swarmed by teammates Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Shaquille O’Neal as he heads to the foul line in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Bryant scored 45 points as the Lakers beat the Spurs, 104-90, on their way to a sweep of the series. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant goes up for a dunk in the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during Game 3 of the 2001 Western Conference finals at Staples Center. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers players Kobe Bryant, left, Lindsey Hunter and Shaquille O’Neal celebrate their NBA title victory over the New Jersey Nets on June 12, 2002. (Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant, with his wife, Vanessa, at his side, holds a news conference at Staples Center in 2003 to discuss accusations by a 19-year-old Colorado woman that he sexually assaulted her. He conceded he was guilty of adultery, but he declared he was innocent of charges of felonious sexual assault. The charges were later dropped. (Lori Shepler / Los Angeles Times)
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Los Angeles Lakers Karl Malone, left, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Shaquille O’Neal before their preseason opener with the Los Angeles Clippers. It was Bryant’s first game since sexual assault charges were filed against him in Colorado. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant, left, looks at his defense attorney Pamela Mackey as he is advised by Eagle County Judge Frederick Gannett during his felony sexual assault hearing in Eagle, Colo., on Aug. 6, 2003. (Barry Gutierrez / Associated Press)
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Hours after pleading not guilty to a felony sexual assault charge in Colorado, an exhausted Kobe Bryant is congratulated by teammate Derek Fisher after the Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs, 98-90, in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals at the Staples Center. Bryant scored 42 points as the Lakers tied the series at 2-2. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant writhes in pain after injuring his right ankle during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 13, 2005, in Los Angeles. Bryant was injured when he landed awkwardly on his right foot while going for a rebound under the Cavaliers’ basket and had to be helped off the court. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant and his new backcourt partner, William “Smush” Parker, during a 2005 preseason game against Utah at the Anaheim Pond. (Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant stands next to coach Phil Jackson during a playoff game against the Phoenix Suns in April 2006. (Matt York / Associated Press)
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Kobe Bryant walks off the court with his wife, Vanessa, and daughter Natalia after scoring a career-high 81 points in a Lakers win over the Toronto Raptors at Staples Center on Jan. 22, 2006. (Noah Graham / NBAE/Getty Images)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant scores in front of Toronto’s Matt Bonner on his way to scoring 81 points during the Lakers’ 122-104 victory on Jan. 22, 2006. (Matt A. Brown / Associated Press)
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Kobe Bryant celebrates the Lakers’ victory over the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant celebrates after winning his fourth NBA title following the Lakers’ win over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals. (Emmanuel Dunand /AFP/Getty Images)
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Kobe Bryant celebrates the Lakers’ Game 7 victory over the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals at Staples Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant holds the NBA championship trophy during the team’s 2010 NBA title victory parade. (David McNew / Getty Images)
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Kobe Bryant shows off what he can do with a basketball during an event in Milan, Italy, in September 2011. (Luca Bruno / Associated Press)
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Lakers guard Kobe Bryant goes up for a shot over New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler during a game in December 2011. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
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U.S. players Kevin Durant, left, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant celebrate after winning the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. (Charles Krupa / Associated Press)
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Kobe Bryant writhes in pain after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during a game against the Golden State Warriors on April 12, 2013. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant warms up before playing against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 8, 2013, in his first game back from a torn Achilles tendon. (Harry How / Getty Images)
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Kobe Bryant is congratulated by teammates after passing Michael Jordan on the NBA’s all-time scoring list during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 14, 2014. (Jeff Wheeler / TNS)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant goes to hug his family after his final NBA game on April 13, 2016. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant poses with his family after getting his jerseys retired before a game between the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center on Dec. 18, 2017. (Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
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Lakers legend Kobe Bryant walks off the court after his jersey retirement ceremony at the Staples Center in 2017. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant smiles after winning an Academy Award for best animated short film for “Dear Basketball” on March 4, 2018. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant shares a laugh with his daughter Gianna while attending a women’s basketball game between Long Beach State and Oregon on Dec. 14, 2019. (Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press)
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Lakers star Kobe Bryant watches a tribute video at Staples Center before the final game of his career on April 13, 2016. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Basketball ran in Bryant’s lineage.
His father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, played eight seasons in the NBA, including three for the then-San Diego Clippers. When the elder Bryant and his wife, Pam, had a son on Aug. 23, 1978, they named him after the city in Japan.
“It was the ’60s,” Joe said. “We weren’t naming kids Joe or John.”
The Bryants moved overseas so Joe could play for a series of Italian pro teams after his NBA career ended. Kobe was 6 at the time and was obsessed with basketball, watching videotapes of U.S. games mailed to him by his grandfather.
The Lakers were his favorite team. He idolized Elgin Baylor — “the footwork king” — and admired the way West could fire a quick jump shot or smoothly cut to the basket. His greatest admiration was reserved for Johnson, who had a sixth sense on the court, anticipating plays as they developed, delivering the ball precisely where it needed to be.
Returning to the U.S. as a teenager, Bryant stood out among his classmates at Lower Merion High in Ardmore, Pa., speaking fluent Italian and earning a high score on his SAT. He was even better on the basketball court.
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Averaging more than 30 points and 10 rebounds a game, he broke Wilt Chamberlain’s record as the leading high school scorer in the history of the Philadelphia area. Still, there was skepticism when the 17-year-old made himself available for the 1996 NBA draft.
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Though scouts characterized him as “borderline sensational,” young players were expected to spend at least a few years honing their skills at the college level.
“Sure he’d like to come out,” an NBA scouting director said at the time. “I’d like to be a movie star. He’s not ready.”
Bryant had no doubts, showing the sort of bravura that could — at times — irritate his critics.
“I know that I’ll have to work extra hard, and I know that it’s a big step,” he said. “I can do it.”
If Kobe was young, he was also confident. He saw for himself a future beyond the suburbs of Philadelphia. Needing a date for the prom, he invited Brandy Norwood, a pop singer and star of the “Moesha” sitcom.
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A Lakers fan sobs at a memorial for Kobe Bryant outside the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans (from left) Alex Fultz, Eddy Rivas and Rene Alfaro gather with others near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center on Sunday after learning of his death. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
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Martin Yan, 35, of Diamond Bar stands beside of a mural depicting Kobe Bryant on Lebanon Street northeast of Staples Center. Fans are flocking to the area and having photos taken with the mural. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
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The investigation continues Tuesday at the crash site in Calabasas where a helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others crashed, killing all aboard. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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The pilot was identified by colleagues as Ara Zobayan, 50, of Huntington Beach. (Bernadette McKeever)
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The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter (N72EX) that crashed in Calabasas. (Geraldine Petrovic / Polaris)
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A tribute to Kobe Bryant is projected on the Los Angeles Times building. (Los Angeles Times)
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A couple pay their respects at a memorial at home plate in honor of Orange Coast College head baseball coach John Altobelli, who perished with wife Keri, and daughter, Alyssa, in Sunday’s helicopter crash with Kobe Bryant. (Don Leach / Daily Pilot)
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Uziel Colon takes a photo of his wife, Maria Home, and daughter Lena with a mural created to honor Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. The mural is by Art Gozukuchikyan on the side of VEM Exotic Rentals on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
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People pay tribute to Kobe Bryant outside the gated community in Newport Coast where his family lives. (Don Leach / Los Angeles Times)
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Kinzo Beachem writes on the cement next to a makeshift memorial for former Lakers player Kobe Bryant at L.A. Live plaza in front of Staples Center. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans gather outside Staples Center in Los Angeles to mourn the death of Kobe Bryant after news spread that Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among the nine killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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Emergency responders cover remains at the site of the helicopter crash that killed nine people including Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna on Sunday in Calabasas. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
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From left, Christopher Pena, 33, and his wife Lizbeth, 30, of Pacoima, mourn with Jose Gutierrez, 33, of La Puente, near the site of the Calabasas helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Nancy Fernandez of Van Nuys lights a candle at a memorial for Kobe Bryant at De Anza Park in Calabasas on Sunday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans mourn near Staples Center after learning that Lakers great Kobe Bryant had died. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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Mourners huddle at L.A. Live, across from Staples Center, site of the home court of Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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A woman kneels at the makeshift memorial to Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center in Los Angeles. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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A man kisses the ground as Lakers fans gather at a memorial to Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans gather around a makeshift memorial to Kobe Bryant at L.A. Live on Sunday evening. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Naima Smith, 37, and Swania Hogue, 48, both of Los Angeles, mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant at a vigil in Leimert Park on Sunday. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
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A Lakers fan touches a memorial for Kobe Bryant outside the Lakers practice facility in El Segundo on Sunday. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Mourners gather at the corner of Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street in Calabasas near the site of the helicopter crash. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
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Naima Smith, 37, lays flowers at a makeshift memorial during a vigil for Kobe Bryant in Leimert Park on Sunday. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans stand near a memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center on Sunday after learning of his death in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
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Naima Smith, 37, center, and other fans mourn the death of Kobe Bryant at a vigil in Leimert Park on Sunday. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans stand near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center on Sunday after learning of his death in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
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A screen at L.A. Live on Sunday displays an image of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant following his death in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
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Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans gather near a makeshift memorial for Kobe Bryant outside Staples Center after learning of the Lakers legend’s death Sunday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
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Bryant Hirshman is hugged by his father, Craig, and mother, Elena, near the helicopter crash site in Calabasas that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others Sunday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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People gather on Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas near the site of a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others Sunday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Amanda Gordon and her husband, Philip, mourn the death of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant near the site of a helicopter crash Calabasas that claimed the lives of the Lakers legend, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others Sunday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Jianing Zhang, right, and his girlfriend Cathy Xiao gather with others near the helicopter crash site in Calabasas that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others Sunday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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Large Kobe Bryant memorial signs are illuminated at L.A. Live as fans Aldo Luna and his son Ethan of Pomona gather with others paying their respects outside Staples Center. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Lakers fans mourn the death of Kobe Bryant at a makeshift memorial. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans post sticky notes paying tribute to Kobe Bryant on a mural of the former NBA superstar outside Shoe Palace on Melrose Avenue in L.A. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans gather at a makeshift memorial outside Staples Center to mourn Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
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Fans gather outside Staples Center at a makeshift memorial to Kobe Bryant. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
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Kobe Bryant’s No. 8 and No. 24 Lakers jerseys hang in the rafters at Staples Center during preparations for the Grammy Awards on Sunday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers were a team in transition in the mid-1990s. Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy had retired. A lineup featuring the likes of Vlade Divac and Elden Campbell had yet to re-create the glory of the “Showtime” era.
Looking for something more, team officials had their eye on two possible additions. There was Shaquille O’Neal, a hulking center for the Orlando Magic, on the free-agent market. And there was the kid from Pennsylvania.
The Charlotte Hornets had chosen Bryant with the 13th pick of the 1996 draft, based on scouting reports that described him as “a good ball handler, a slashing driver and, depending on when you see him or whom you talk to, a decent or erratic outside shooter.”
As the Lakers’ executive vice president, West saw great potential. The guard-turned-executive worked a trade, sending Divac to Charlotte in exchange for Bryant.
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Bryant was still 17, so his parents had to co-sign the three-year, $3.5-million contract the team offered him. The hype began immediately with his pro debut in a summer league game against a Detroit Pistons squad at Cal State Long Beach.
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“He was, by far, the most skilled player we’ve ever worked out,” West said. “This is not a 17-year-old kid. Period.”
Less than a month later, the team also added the 24-year-old O’Neal who, at the time, was being touted as the second coming of Abdul-Jabbar. Just that quickly, L.A. had a duo that would bring both championships and a few headaches for years to come.
In those early days, Bryant bought a Pacific Palisades home, where he lived with his parents until they eventually moved a quarter-mile away. He signed an endorsem*nt contract with Adidas and obtained a Screen Actors Guild card for the roles he was now playing not only on “Moesha” but also on “Arli$$,” a cable show about a sports agent.
It would be a mistake to think money or Hollywood could distract him. Whether at the Lakers’ training facility or in pickup games at Venice Beach, Bryant remained intent on improving.
“I always tried to hold a basketball, watch basketball, think about basketball,” he told The Times in 1996. “People told me to get away from basketball, but I can’t. It’s in my blood.”
His first game with the Lakers was on Nov. 3, 1996, just after he turned 18. The stats from that loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves were nothing special: six minutes, a rebound, a blocked shot and a turnover.
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Fans could sense something familiar in the team’s new lineup — a frontcourt-backcourt twosome reminiscent of Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar. And like those former stars, Bryant and O’Neal would soon dominate the NBA.
The Lakers won three consecutive championships through the early 2000s. But these complementary styles did not necessarily make for harmony in the locker room.
The 7-foot-1 O’Neal could exert his presence near the basket by sheer size and strength. Bryant represented a different type of game.
Among the best one-on-one players ever, he could beat opponents off the dribble, slashing to the basket for a highlight-reel dunk or pulling up for a medium-range jumper. As his career continued, he improved upon the shooting acumen that scouts had initially doubted, becoming a threat from long range.
Juggling two emerging superstars, both with egos, coach Phil Jackson made O’Neal his first priority, forcing Bryant into something of a supporting role that did not sit well with the young guard.
Bryant’s curious background might also have set him apart from other players who grew up under very different conditions. He was known to keep to himself on the team bus, listening to music or talking on the phone. Some teammates thought of him as distant or even aloof.
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By contrast, O’Neal was the big goofy kid, always laughing and joking, popular with the media.
A newspaper profile described them as prizefighters engaged in a war of wills, a standoff that threatened to divide one of the most talented basketball teams ever assembled. Two gifted athletes unwilling to surrender their egos, they were cast in Shakespearean terms, Bryant as Ariel against O’Neal as Caliban.
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Jackson spoke about the players’ “emotional tussles” and the need for them to “corral their own personal interests.”
Off the court, Bryant was adding to his portfolio of sponsorships, reaping millions from deals with McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Spalding and Nike.
It was around this time that he met Vanessa Laine, a 17-year-old he saw in a video where she performed as a “gangsta siren in a metallic bikini and heavy black eyeliner.” Bryant called for her to appear in a rap album that he was recording.
When word spread that they were dating, news crews swarmed the Orange County high school she attended. He sent her roses and picked her up after class in his black Mercedes.
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They announced their engagement four days after her 18th birthday.
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The families had their doubts. He was black and she was Latina. He was close to his father, and she had scarcely known hers. He was raised in Europe and an affluent suburb of Philadelphia; she had grown up in a Garden Grove tract house.
Bryant and Vanessa were married in Dana Point in 2001. Neither his parents nor his sisters nor any of his teammates attended. Bryant would later acknowledge the engagement and marriage led to a two-year estrangement from his father.
When the Lakers won their second championship in Philadelphia in 2001, Kobe was spotted holding the trophy in the shower and crying. Some wondered if the conflict with O’Neal was taking its toll; Bryant would later say he was thinking about the rift in his family.
“It had been such an awful year for me, so hard,” he said. “I want a father. I want my father.”
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Bryant took refuge in his relationship with Vanessa, as bodyguards accompanied them to Disneyland and got them seats at the local Cineplex after the lights went down. The couple bought a home in the Newport Beach community of Newport Coast, where they installed his “Star Wars” memorabilia and her Disney collectibles. For her 19th birthday, he bought her a Lamborghini with a special adapter so she wouldn’t have to drive a stick shift.
Their first daughter was named Natalia Diamante, in deference to Vanessa’s taste for diamonds.
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The life they led — part fairy tale and part extended family drama — would explode in the summer of 2003 when Bryant, visiting Colorado to rehab from a knee surgery, was accused of raping a 19-year-old hotel employee.
Flying back to L.A., he called a news conference at Staples Center and, with tears in his eyes and voice quavering, acknowledged having sex with the woman but insisted it was consensual. Vanessa was by his side as he spoke.
“I didn’t force her to do anything against her will,” he said. “I’m innocent. You know, I sit here in front of you guys, furious at myself, disgusted at myself for making the mistake of adultery.”
Prosecutors charged him with felony sexual assault, creating a media whirlwind fed by themes of sex, celebrity and race. Bryant’s attorney talked about a history of “black men being falsely accused of this crime by white women.”
The case was also marked by serious blunders, with officials mistakenly emailing transcripts from closed hearings to seven news organizations.
In September 2004, just days before the trial was to begin, his accuser decided not to go forward and the charges were dropped.
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By then, some sponsors had severed their deals with Bryant, his reputation tarnished.
::
The years that followed were difficult.
Tabloids speculated about the Bryants seeking a divorce, which they denied. When a fan shouted at him from the stands of a game against the Clippers, she jumped up and got into a confrontation.
O’Neal would leave for the Miami Heat in 2004, helping that team to an NBA championship one season later, while the Lakers retooled their roster.
But Bryant was never the sort to shy from a challenge. Still paired with backcourt mate Derek Fisher, and surrounding by newcomers such as Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, he led the team to back-to-back championships in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
By the time Bryant announced his retirement in November 2015, the Lakers had slipped back into mediocrity or worse.
Bryant had talked about making a comeback, but he had been hit by injuries, including a ruptured Achilles tendon in 2013. A year later, he was already looking to his future.
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“Twenty years is a long time, man,” he said in an interview with the New Yorker in 2014. “The challenge also has to shift to doing something that a majority of people think that us athletes can’t do, which is retire and be great at something else.”
He had just signed a two-year contract extension for nearly $50 million.
Kobe Bryant approaches his family for a hug after his final game with the Lakers on April 13, 2016.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
As his final season drew to a close, fans merely wanted a last chance to see him.
Tickets for his final game sold for as much as $27,500 on the secondary market. Rock guitarist Flea played the national anthem and the crowd included celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.
“Kobe Bryant has never cheated the game,” Johnson said before tipoff. “He has never cheated us fans. He has played hurt and we have five championship banners to show for it. When you think about this town for the last 20 years, this man has been the biggest and greatest celebrity we’ve had…. He’s the greatest to wear the purple and gold.”
In the fourth quarter, as Bryant made shot after shot against the Utah Jazz, on his way to 60 points, the arena was filled with a steady, deafening cheer. Bryant picked up a microphone afterward to address the crowd.
“This has been absolutely beautiful,” he said. “I can’t believe it’s come to an end.”
Times staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.
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