Kobe Bryant was a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for his entire 20-year career. Selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA draft, Bryant was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vlade Divac a month later.[1][2] He and then-teammate Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. After O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat following the 2003–04 season, Bryant became the cornerstone of the Lakers franchise.[3] He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons.[4] In 2006, Bryant scored a career-high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second-highest number of points scored in a game in NBA history,[5][6] behind only Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point performance, and highest output for a guard, as well as being the most points scored by an individual during a televised performance. Bryant was awarded the regular season's Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in the 2007–08 season and led his team to the 2008 NBA Finals as the first seed in the Western Conference.[7] As a member of the U.S. men's basketball team, Bryant was a two-time Olympic gold medalist starting with the 2008 Summer Olympics ("The Redeem Team"[8]) and following with the 2012 Summer Olympics team. He led the Lakers to two more championships in 2009 and 2010, winning the Finals MVP award on both occasions.
Bryant currently ranks fourth both on the league's all-time post-season scoring and all-time regular-season scoring lists. He has been selected to 15 All-NBA Team (eleven times to the All-NBA First Team) and 12 All-Defensive Team (nine times to the All-Defensive First Team). He was selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game on 18 occasions, winning All-Star MVP Awards in 2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011 (he shared the 2009 award with Shaquille O'Neal). The award would be named after him in 2020. He also won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest as well as the Rookie Game scoring title in 1997.[9] He has had 1 eighty-point game, 6 sixty-point games (including his final game), 26 fifty-point games, and 134 forty-point games in his career. Kobe had been also in a three-way tie with Stephen Curry and Donyell Marshall for most three-pointers with 12 in a game until November 8, 2016, when Curry set a new record with 13. In his final game on April 13, 2016, at 37 years old, he became the oldest player to score 60 points in a single game and set the highest point total in the 2015–16 regular season.
NBA career statistics
† | Denotes seasons in which the Lakers won an NBA Championship |
* | Denotes seasons in which the Lakers reached the NBA Finals |
^ | Denotes seasons in which Bryant led the league |
Bold | Denotes career-highs |
Regular season
Season | Team | Games played | Games started | Minutes per game | Field goal percentage | 3-point field goal percentage | Free throw percentage | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Blocks per game | Points per game |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996–97 | L.A. Lakers | 71 | 6 | 15.5 | .417 | .375 | .819 | 1.9 | 1.3 | .7 | .3 | 7.9 |
1997–98 | L.A. Lakers | 79 | 1 | 26.0 | .428 | .341 | .794 | 3.1 | 2.5 | .9 | .5 | 15.4 |
1998–99 | L.A. Lakers | 50^ | 50 | 37.9 | .465 | .267 | .839 | 5.3 | 3.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 19.9 |
1999–2000† | L.A. Lakers† | 66 | 62 | 38.2 | .468 | .319 | .821 | 6.3 | 4.9 | 1.6 | .9 | 22.5 |
2000–01† | L.A. Lakers† | 68 | 68 | 40.9 | .464 | .305 | .853 | 5.9 | 5.0 | 1.7 | .6 | 28.5 |
2001–02† | L.A. Lakers† | 80 | 80 | 38.3 | .469 | .250 | .829 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 1.5 | .4 | 25.2 |
2002–03 | L.A. Lakers | 82^ | 82 | 41.5 | .451 | .383 | .843 | 6.9 | 5.9 | 2.2 | .8 | 30.0 |
2003–04* | L.A. Lakers* | 65 | 64 | 37.6 | .438 | .327 | .852 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 1.7 | .4 | 24.0 |
2004–05 | L.A. Lakers | 66 | 66 | 40.7 | .433 | .339 | .816 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 1.3 | .8 | 27.6 |
2005–06 | L.A. Lakers | 80 | 80 | 41.0 | .450 | .347 | .850 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 1.8 | .4 | 35.4^ |
2006–07 | L.A. Lakers | 77 | 77 | 40.8 | .463 | .344 | .868 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 1.4 | .5 | 31.6^ |
2007–08* | L.A. Lakers* | 82^ | 82 | 38.9 | .459 | .361 | .840 | 6.3 | 5.4 | 1.8 | .5 | 28.3 |
2008–09† | L.A. Lakers† | 82^ | 82 | 36.1 | .467 | .351 | .856 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 1.5 | .5 | 26.8 |
2009–10† | L.A. Lakers† | 73 | 73 | 38.8 | .456 | .329 | .811 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 1.5 | .3 | 27.0 |
2010–11 | L.A. Lakers | 82 | 82 | 33.9 | .451 | .323 | .828 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 1.2 | .1 | 25.3 |
2011–12 | L.A. Lakers | 58 | 58 | 38.5 | .430 | .303 | .845 | 5.4 | 4.6 | 1.2 | .3 | 27.9 |
2012–13 | L.A. Lakers | 78 | 78 | 38.6 | .463 | .324 | .839 | 5.6 | 6.0 | 1.4 | .3 | 27.3 |
2013–14 | L.A. Lakers | 6 | 6 | 29.5 | .425 | .188 | .857 | 4.3 | 6.3 | 1.2 | .2 | 13.8 |
2014–15 | L.A. Lakers | 35 | 35 | 34.5 | .373 | .293 | .813 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 1.3 | .2 | 22.3 |
2015–16 | L.A. Lakers | 66 | 66 | 28.2 | .358 | .285 | .826 | 3.7 | 2.8 | .9 | .2 | 17.6 |
Career | 1,346 | 1,198 | 36.1 | .447 | .329 | .837 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 25.0 | |
All-Star | 14 | 14 | 27.8 | .507 | .333 | .806 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 2.6 | .4 | 20.0 |
- Source:[9]
Playoffs
Season | Team | Games played | Games started | Minutes per g | Field goal percentage | 3-point field goal percentage | Free throw percentage | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Blocks per game | Points per game |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996–97 | L.A. Lakers | 9 | 0 | 14.8 | .382 | .261 | .867 | 1.2 | 1.2 | .3 | .2 | 8.2 |
1997–98 | L.A. Lakers | 11 | 0 | 20.0 | .408 | .214 | .689 | 1.9 | 1.5 | .3 | .7 | 8.7 |
1998–99 | L.A. Lakers | 8 | 8 | 39.4 | .430 | .348 | .800 | 6.9 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 19.8 |
1999–2000† | L.A. Lakers† | 22 | 22 | 39.0 | .442 | .344 | .754 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 21.1 |
2000–01† | L.A. Lakers† | 16 | 16 | 43.4 | .469 | .324 | .821 | 7.3 | 6.1 | 1.6 | .8 | 29.4 |
2001–02† | L.A. Lakers† | 19 | 19 | 43.8 | .434 | .379 | .759 | 5.8 | 4.6 | 1.4 | .9 | 26.6 |
2002–03 | L.A. Lakers | 12 | 12 | 44.3 | .432 | .403 | .827 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 1.2 | .1 | 32.1^ |
2003–04* | L.A. Lakers* | 22 | 22 | 44.2 | .413 | .247 | .813 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 1.9 | .3 | 24.5 |
2005–06 | L.A. Lakers | 7 | 7 | 44.9 | .497 | .400 | .771 | 6.3 | 5.1 | 1.1 | .4 | 27.9 |
2006–07 | L.A. Lakers | 5 | 5 | 43.0 | .462 | .357 | .919 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 1.0 | .4 | 32.8^ |
2007–08* | L.A. Lakers* | 21 | 21 | 41.1 | .479 | .302 | .809 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 1.7 | .4 | 30.1^ |
2008–09† | L.A. Lakers† | 23 | 23 | 40.9 | .457 | .349 | .883 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 1.7 | .9 | 30.2 |
2009–10† | L.A. Lakers† | 23 | 23 | 40.1 | .458 | .374 | .842 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 1.4 | .7 | 29.2 |
2010–11 | L.A. Lakers | 10 | 10 | 35.4 | .446 | .293 | .820 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 1.6 | .3 | 22.8 |
2011–12 | L.A. Lakers | 12 | 12 | 39.7 | .439 | .283 | .832 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 1.3 | .2 | 30.0 |
Career | 220 | 200 | 39.3 | .448 | .331 | .816 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .6 | 25.6 |
- Source:[9]
Career ranking
- Career – season[9]
- Career – playoffs[10]
NBA awards and accomplishments
- 5-time NBA champion: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010[11][12][13]
- 2-time NBA Finals MVP: 2009, 2010
- NBA Most Valuable Player: 2008[7][16][17]
- 2-time scoring champion: 2006, 2007[18]
- 18-time NBA All-Star: 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016[9]
- 4-time NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2002, 2007, 2009, 2011 (shared the 2009 award with Shaquille O'Neal)[21]
- 15-time All-NBA Team selection:
- 12-time All-Defensive Team selection:
- NBA All-Rookie Team selection:
- NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion: 1997[28]
- 17-time Player of the Month: December 2000, November 2001, January 2003, March 2004, January 2006, April 2006, December 2006, March 2007, April 2007, February 2008, April 2008, December 2008, January 2009, December 2009, March 2011, December/January 2012, February 2013[9]
- Player of the Month was awarded separately to Eastern and Western Conference starting from the 2001–02 season.[29]
- NBA regular season leader:
- games played: 1998–99 (50), 2007–08 (82), 2008–09 (82)[9]
- usage percentage: 2005–06 (38.7), 2010–11 (35.1), 2011–12 (35.7)[9]
- points: 2002–03 (2,461), 2005–06 (2,832, 7th in NBA history),[30] 2006–07 (2,430), 2007–08 (2,323)[9]
- points per game: 2005–06 (35.4, 8th in NBA history),[31] 2006–07 (31.6)[9]
- field goals attempted: 2005–06 (2,173), 2006–07 (1,757), 2007–08 (1,690), 2010–11 (1,639), 2011–12 (1336)[9]
- field goals made: 2002–03 (868), 2005–06 (978), 2006–07 (813)[9]
- free throws attempted: 2006–07 (768)[9]
- free throws made: 2005–06 (696), 2006–07 (667)[9]
- 2nd most points in a game: 81 (on January 22, 2006, vs. the Toronto Raptors)[5][6]
- 2nd most points in a half: 55 (On January 22, 2006, vs. the Toronto Raptors)
- 3rd most 40 point games: 135
- 3rd most 50 point games: 26
- 2nd most 60 point games: 6
- 2× Best NBA Player ESPY Award winner: 2008, 2010
- NBA playoffs leader:
- win shares: 2001 (3.8)
- points: 2004 (539), 2008 (633), 2009 (695), 2010 (671)
- points per game: 2003 (32.1), 2007 (32.8), 2008 (30.1)
- minutes played: 2002 (833), 2004 (973)
- field goals made: 2004 (190), 2008 (222), 2009 (242), 2010 (234)
- field goals attempted: 2002 (431), 2004 (460), 2008 (463), 2009 (530), 2010 (511)
- free throws made: 2004 (135), 2008 (157), 2009 (174), 2010 (154)
- free throws attempted: 2008 (194), 2010 (183)
- steals: 2000 (32), 2009 (38)
- turnovers: 2010 (79)
- personal fouls: 2000 (89)
NBA records
Currently holds
Bryant holds or shares numerous NBA records:
- Most All-Star Game MVP awards won, career: 4 (tied with Bob Pettit)
- Most offensive rebounds in an All-Star Game: 10
- 2nd most All-NBA Team honors won, career: 15
- 2nd most All-NBA First Team honors won, career: 11 (tied with Karl Malone)
- Most All-NBA Team honors won by a guard, career: 15
- Most All-NBA First Team honors won by a guard, career: 11
- 2nd most All-Defensive Team honors won, career: 12
- Most All-Defensive First Team honors won, career: 9 (tied with Michael Jordan, Gary Payton, and Kevin Garnett)
- Most free throws made, four-game playoff series: 51 (second round vs. Sacramento Kings, 2001)[32]
- 2nd most points scored in a game in NBA history (81 points)
- Most points scored in a game in modern era of basketball (81 points)
- 3rd most points scored as an opponent at Madison Square Garden (61 points)
- Most points scored as an opponent at the current Madison Square Garden (61 points)
- Most points scored in one arena, career: 16,161 (as of April 14, 2016, at Staples Center, Los Angeles)[33]
- Most games played at one arena, career: 599 (as of April 14, 2016, at Staples Center, Los Angeles[33]
- Most career points for a guard: 33,643
- Highest Score against rest of teams in the league above 40 (share with Bob Pettit)
- Surpassed Hakeem Olajuwon, the previous holder of the record[34]
- Youngest player to be named to the NBA All-Rookie Team: (1996–97)[35]
- 2nd youngest player to be named to the NBA All-Defensive Team: (1999–2000 season)[35]
- Youngest player to be named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team
- Youngest player to start a game: (18 years, 158 days)[4]
- Youngest player to win the NBA Slam Dunk Championship: (18 years, 169 days)[36]
- Youngest player to start an All-Star game: (19 years, 169 days)[35]
- Youngest player to score in an All-Star game
- Youngest player to score in a Playoff game
- Youngest player to score a 3-pointer in a Playoff game
- Youngest player to score 30+ points in a game as a reserve
- Youngest player to win 3 championships
- Youngest player to appear in 1,000 NBA games (31 yrs, 177 days)
- Only player in NBA history to score at least 600 points in the postseason for three consecutive years.[37]
- 633 (2008), 695 (2009), 671 (2010)[37]
- Only player in NBA history to retire two jersey numbers in a single franchise team (8 and 24)
- Only player to outscore a team in three quarters since the introduction of shot clock
- Only player to record a triple-double with at least 30 points at age 36 or older
- Only player in NBA history to record 47 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks, and 3 steals in an NBA game
- Only player to lead an All-Star game in votes during his final career season
- Oldest player to score 60+ points, one game: (37 years, 234 days)[38]
- Oldest player to record back-to-back games of 40+ points and 10+ assists (34 yrs, 197 days)
- Oldest player to put up a 30-point triple-double (36 yrs, 99 days)
- Oldest player to score 30 or more points in 10+ consecutive games (34 yrs)
Most total playoff CP with 3800
Highest CPPG with 20 cppg
Previously held
Most All-NBA Total Selections won, career: 15 (tied with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan) - Surpassed by LeBron James (16), 2020
- Most three-point field goals made, one game: 12 (on January 7, 2003, vs. Seattle SuperSonics; shared with Donyell Marshall and Stephen Curry)[39]
- Surpassed by Stephen Curry (13) on November 7, 2016[40]
- Surpassed by Klay Thompson (14) on October 29, 2018.[41]
- Most three-point field goals made, one half: 8 (on March 28, 2003, vs. Washington Wizards; shared with 5 other players)[39][42]
- Broken by Deron Williams on March 8, 2013.[43]
- Youngest player to score 23,000 points: (30 years, 171 days)
- Surpassed by LeBron James (29 years, 95 days) on April 4, 2014
- Youngest player to score 22,000 points: (30 years, 99 days)[44]
- Surpassed by LeBron James (29 years, 11 days) on January 10, 2014.[45]
- Youngest player to score 20,000 points: (29 years, 122 days)[46]
- Surpassed by LeBron James (28 years, 17 days) on January 16, 2013.[47]
- Chamberlain (29 years, 134 days),[46] Jordan (29 years, 326 days),[48] Kevin Durant (29 years, 103 days),[49] Bryant, and James are the only five players to reach the milestone before reaching the age of 30.
- Youngest player to score 18,000 points: (28 years, 156 days)
- Surpassed by LeBron James (27 years, 35 days) on February 3, 2012.
- Youngest player to score 15,000 points: (27 years, 136 days)[50]
- Surpassed by LeBron James (25 years, 79 days) on March 19, 2010[51]
- Surpassed by LeBron James (23 years, 59 days) on February 27, 2008[53]
- Youngest player to appear in an NBA game: (18 years, 72 days) on November 3, 1996[35]
- Surpassed by Jermaine O'Neal (18 years, 53 days) on December 5, 1996 [35]
- Then surpassed by Andrew Bynum (18 years, 9 days) on November 2, 2005
Los Angeles Lakers franchise records
Bryant holds or shares numerous Lakers franchise records:
- Most seasons played
- Most playoff seasons played
- Most All-Star Game Selections
- 18 (1998, 2000 – 2016)
- Most All-NBA First Team
- 11 (2002 – 2004, 2006 – 2013)
- Most All-Defensive First Team
- 9 (2000, 2003 – 2004, 2006 – 2011)
- Games
- Points
- Career: 33,643[56]
- Surpassed Jerry West, the previous holder of the record, on February 1, 2010[57]
- Career, playoffs: 5,640[56]
- Surpassed Jerry West, the previous holder of the record, on April 23, 2010)[58]
- Season: 2,832 (2005–06)[9]
- Game: 81 (on January 22, 2006 vs. Toronto Raptors)[5][6]
- Half: 55 (2nd half, on January 22, 2006 vs. Toronto Raptors)[5]
- Quarter: 30 (twice, most recently on November 30, 2006 in 3rd quarter vs. Utah Jazz)[5]
- Games scoring 60 points or more, career: 6
- Games scoring 50 points or more, career: 26[59]
- Games scoring 50 points or more, season: 10 (2006–07)[4]
- Games scoring 40 points or more, career: 134[57]
- Games scoring 40 points or more, season: 27 (2005–06)[60]
- Career: 33,643[56]
- Field goals made and attempted
- Career attempts: 26,200[56][64]
- Career: 11,719[65]
- Career, playoffs: 2,014[66]
- Career attempts, playoffs: 4,499[67]
- Half: 18 (2nd half, on January 22, 2006 vs. Toronto Raptors)[5][68]
- Half attempts: 28 (tied with Elgin Baylor; on November 17, 2002 at Boston Celtics)[68]
- Half, playoffs: 12 (tied with Elgin Baylor; on April 20, 2003 at Minnesota Timberwolves)[69]
- Quarter: 11 (twice, most recently on January 22, 2006 vs. Toronto Raptors)[68]
- Quarter attempts, playoffs: 13 (tied with 3 players; on May 13, 2003 at San Antonio Spurs)[69]
- Free throws made and attempted
- Career: 8,378[56][65]
- Career attempts: 10,011
- Career, playoffs: 1,320[55][70]
- Career attempts, playoffs: 1,617[55]
- Game, playoffs: 21 (on May 4, 2008 vs. Utah Jazz)[69][71]
- Quarter, playoffs: 11 (tied with 3 players; on May 8, 1997 vs. Utah Jazz)[69]
- Most free throws in a game without a miss, playoffs: 18 (May 18, 2012)
- Consecutive: 62 (January 11–22, 2006)[5][68]
- Three-point field goals made and attempted
- Career: 1,827[4][68]
- Career, playoffs: 292[72]
- Game: 12 (on January 7, 2003 vs. Seattle SuperSonics)[68][73]
- Half: 8 (1st half, on March 28, 2003 vs. Washington Wizards)[68][74]
- Consecutive: 9 (on January 7, 2003 vs. Seattle SuperSonics)[73]
- Career attempts: 5,546[56]
- Career attempts, playoffs: 882[75]
- Season attempts: 518 (2005–06)[4][68]
- Game attempts: 18 (on January 7, 2003 vs. Seattle SuperSonics)[68][73]
- Steals
- Minutes played
- Personal Fouls
- Career: 3,353
- Career, playoffs: 660
- Turnovers
- Career: 4,010
Miscellaneous records
- Most points scored as an opponent at the modern Madison Square Garden (IV): 61 (on February 2, 2009, vs. New York Knicks)[59]
- Most points scored in Christmas Day games: 395 (as of December 25, 2015)[78]
- Surpassed Oscar Robertson[78]
Others
- 1995 Adidas Academic Betterment and Career Development (ABCD) Summer Camp Senior MVP[80][81]
- 1996 Naismith High School Player of the Year[80]
- 1996 Gatorade Circle of Champions High School Player of the Year[80]
- 1996 McDonald's High School All-American[80]
- 1996 USA Today All-USA First Team[80]
- USA Today and PARADE's 1996 National High School Player of the Year with a seasonal average of 30.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 4.0 steals and 3.8 blocks per game.[4]
- Named Most Outstanding Player at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in his senior year[80]
- All-time leading scorer in Southeastern Pennsylvania school history with 2,883 points[4]
- Led Lower Merion High School to a 31–3 record, including 27 straight wins, and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class AAAA state title as a senior in 1996.[4]
- #33 retired at Lower Merion High School in 2002[82]
- Five-time ESPY Award winner:
- 2002 Outstanding Team Award (Los Angeles Lakers)[83]
- 2006 Under Armour Undeniable Performance Award (Kobe Bryant's 81 points)[83]
- 2008 Best NBA Player Award (Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers)[83][84]
- 2009 Best Team Award (Los Angeles Lakers)[83]
- 2010 Best NBA Player Award (Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers)[83]
- Gold medal with Team USA, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship (Tournament of Americas)[85]
- Gold medal with Team USA, 2008 Summer Olympics[85]
- Gold medal with Team USA, 2012 Summer Olympics[85]
- Sporting News NBA Athlete of the Decade (2000s)[86]
- TNT NBA Player of the Decade (2000s)[87]
- Ranked #1 in Dime Magazine's 2012 List: The 10 Best NBA Players Since 2000 (published in the February 2011 issue)[88]
- Ranked #5 in SLAM Magazine's 2018 revision of the top 100 greatest players of all time (published in the January 2018 issue)[89]
- 2018 Academy Award - Best Animated Short Film (as a producer of Dear Basketball)
- Inducted into the inaugural Orange County Hall of Fame[90]
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career games played leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career minutes played leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career triple-double leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff 3-point scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association single-game playoff scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with most points in a game
- List of National Basketball Association franchise career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association seasons played leaders
- List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise
- List of NBA players with most championships
- NBA regular season records