By: Nina Cray
On August 23rd in 1978, an 18-time NBA All-Star, 15-time All-NBA talent and 5-time NBA champion was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Kobe Bean Bryant, who spent his 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, was a true ambassador for the game of Basketball, but so much more than that. He helped fund the National Museum of African American History, became a milestone donor and also contributed greatly to cancer research and helped those facing homelessness and mental health issues.
Today we honor and remember him as a hero, an inspiration and a key component in the shaping and history of the game of basketball.
Kobe was drafted 13th overall out of high school, selected by the Charlotte Hornets before being traded on draft night to the Los Angeles Lakers. What a huge mistake.
From there, Kobe went on to rank fourth on the NBA’s all-time scorer list, eighth in career minutes played, sixth in total field goals made and one of only three players in history to make the NBA All-Star game 18 times in his career – the others being LeBron James Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
When it comes to talk about who is the greatest of all time, Kobe’s name is always in the conversation. He faced off against Michael Jordan eight times during his career, besting him five.
No matter how good he got, Kobe always had the goal to be better and improve. There was always something Bryant believed he could do better, and his “Mamba Mentality” inspired many and was embraced even outside of the basketball world.
From the WUFO family and from many all over the world, happy heavenly birthday to Kobe Bryant.
Sources:
Siegel, Brett. August 2022. Fastbreak News. “On This Day In NBA History: August 23 – Kobe Bryant Is Born.” <https://www.si.com/fannation/nba/fastbreak/news/on-this-day-in-nba-history-kobe-bryant-is-born-los-angeles-lakers>
