Despite successful three championships collectively, Shaq and Kobe had been continually at each other's throats, ripping each other each in the media and behind closed doors. Following Kobe's rape accusations in the summer of 2004, the Lakers went within the tank, sending their feud into overdrive and ultimately main O'Neal to depart the staff. Shaq adopted up along with his infamous rap verse, "Kobe, tell me how my ass tastes." Kobe... Kobe Bryant was a well-recognized figure on campus to many UCI college students throughout his enjoying days.

This adopted with O'Neal successful the MVP and Bryant being named to the All-NBA Team Second Team and All-NBA Defensive Team for the primary time in his profession . While enjoying second fiddle to O'Neal within the playoffs, Bryant had some clutch performances including a 25-point, 11 rebound, 7 help, 4 block game in recreation 7 of the Western Conference finals towards the Portland Trail Blazers. He additionally threw an alley-oop move to O'Neal to clinch the game and the series. In the 2000 NBA Finals towards the Indiana Pacers, Bryant injured his ankle in the second quarter of Game 2 after touchdown on the Pacers' Jalen Rose's foot. Rose later admitted he positioned his foot underneath Bryant deliberately. Bryant didn't return to the sport, and he additionally missed Game 3 because of the injury.

Several months later Bryant was accused of raping a young girl in Colorado. He maintained his innocence, and all charges were finally dropped when the lady refused to testify after a monthslong campaign of harassment by fans of Bryant and a few members of the media. (Bryant later apologized, admitting that he realized his accuser did not believe their sexual encounter was consensual, and a civil suit was settled in 2005.) The incident greatly tarnished his image.

The Brooklyn rapper sat down with The Starting Five podcast on Saturday , where he fondly remembered the NBA great because the host talked about basketball style in Hip Hop . HISTORY.com works with a extensive range of writers and editors to create correct and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com group.

Bryant started playing basketball when he was three, and the Lakers have been his favourite 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 taking half in professional basketball. After two years, they moved first to Reggio Calabria, then to Pistoia and Reggio Emilia.

Parents could watch the video with their children, and their youngsters would watch with their kids, and so forth. Bryant is the second-highest-paid NBA player ever, with $323 million in profession wage. He trails only Kevin Garnett, however LeBron James is catching up shortly. Both were named for Bryant, who -- for now -- is the one player named Kobe to make it to the NBA.

Even at an early stage of his career, sportswriters had been evaluating his expertise to those of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. The playoff results, however, were no higher, as the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs within the Western Conference Semifinals. Fitting in is a problem that I’ve never been capable of master. I was a tall, skinny 13-year-old child who spoke Italian better than English. I knew little or no of American tradition and people knew me solely as “the son of a former NBA participant.” During this time, the game of basketball turned more than only a refuge, it became my outlet.

Along with LeBron James, he was one of the first two players to publicly named to the 2006–2008 U.S. preliminary roster in 2006 by Jerry Colangelo. However, he was once again sidelined after knee surgery and did not take part within the 2006 FIBA World Championship. The 1998–99 season marked Bryant's emergence as a premier guard in the league. With beginning guards Van Exel and Jones traded, Bryant began every sport for the lockout-shortened 50-game season. During the season, Bryant signed a 6-year contract extension value $70 million. This kept him with the Lakers till the top of the 2003–04 season.