The Lakers finished the season at 45–37, good for seventh within the West. Playing without Bryant, the Lakers have been swept in 4 games by the San Antonio Spurs within the first round of the playoffs. Bryant acquired experimental platelet-rich plasma remedy known as Orthokine in Germany to treat the ache on his left knee and ankle, and Mike Brown replaced the retired Phil Jackson as coach of the Lakers within the offseason.

His formal induction was delayed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2021, Bryant was honored as one of many league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA seventy fifth Anniversary Team. The Lakers swept the Utah Jazz within the second round and advanced to the Western Conference Finals, the place they confronted the Phoenix Suns. In Game 2, Bryant completed the game with 13 assists, setting a model new playoff career-high; it was the most assists by a Laker in the playoffs since Magic Johnson had 13 in 1996.

Bryant acknowledged he was a more focused defender when he had a difficult defensive project as opposed to when he performed off the ball towards weaker players. His defense disrupted opponents and freed Nash from unfavorable matchups. After starting the season 1–4, coach Brown was fired. On December 18, in a 101–100 win over the Charlotte Bobcats, Bryant scored 30+ factors in his seventh consecutive recreation, the longest streak by an NBA player after turning 34 years old; it was the fourth-longest such streak in his career.

In the 2002–03 season, Bryant set an NBA document for three-pointers on January 7, 2003, making 12 against the Seattle SuperSonics. He averaged 30 factors per recreation and embarked on a historic run, posting 40 or extra points in 9 consecutive games whereas averaging 40.6 in the complete month of February. In addition, he averaged 6.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.2 steals per sport, all career highs to that time. Bryant was as soon as again voted to both the All-NBA and All-Defensive 1st teams, and came in third place in voting for the MVP award. After ending 50–32 within the regular season, the Lakers floundered within the playoffs and lost within the Western Conference semi-finals to the eventual NBA champions San Antonio Spurs in six games. He additionally had a career excessive forty six.9% capturing and once again led his staff in assists.

This marks the fourth time the Hall of Famer and Los Angeles Lakers icon has been chosen to grace the quilt. The number 24 in the sport's title holds particular significance, because it represents one of many two jersey numbers Bryant wore all through his illustrious 20-year NBA profession. A media village sprang up across the street from the Justice Center in Eagle during the summer of 2003 following an accusation of rape lodged at the basketball star. He played for the Italian basketball team Virtus Bologna in the course of the NBA lockout. Before serving to to carry Cincinnati into the higher echelon of faculty soccer and earlier than the Seahawks made him a outstanding a half of their defensive overhaul, he was a baby whose family beloved the NBA. So when it got here time to call his youngest son, Ronnie determined to pay homage to his favorite player.

Or when you clubbed him or hit him, he’d make you pay. That’s ’cause Mamba would actually take your head off to win the sport, man. There’s plenty of trash talking on the courtroom, but nobody ever said shit to Kobe.

Bryant led the NBA in scoring in the course of the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. His 81-point performance against Toronto in 2006 was the second-highest in NBA historical past, behind only Chamberlain's a hundred. He scored a minimal of 50 factors 24 occasions in his career, which is third in league historical past behind Jordan and Chamberlain ; six occasions Bryant scored no much less than 60. He was simply the third player in NBA historical past to common forty factors in a calendar month, which he accomplished 4 occasions. Bryant was voted the league MVP in 2008 and led his staff to the 2008 NBA Finals as the primary seed in the Western Conference. In the 2008 Summer Olympics, he gained a gold medal as a member of the U.S. males's basketball group, often known as "The Redeem Team".

It wasn’t even preseason but, however Kobe was going full speed. Somehow he made it look as if he was just gliding round. I don’t suppose he had performed all summer due to his injury, however he still killed everyone. The first possession, he caught the rock alongside the baseline and hit a turn-around jumper in my face … a shot I’ve seen him hit actually a thousand instances on TV. “Hey, don’t hurt yourself, younger fella,” Kobe uttered to me. I skilled a few of those moments throughout my rookie 12 months.