In his first recreation again on March 9, he elbowed Kyle Korver in the face which was retroactively re-classified as a Type 1 flagrant foul. In the 2002–03 season, Bryant set an NBA report for three-pointers on January 7, 2003, making 12 against the Seattle SuperSonics. He averaged 30 points per recreation and launched into a historic run, posting 40 or extra factors in nine consecutive games whereas averaging forty.6 in the whole month of February. In addition, he averaged 6.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and a pair of.2 steals per game, all profession highs to that point. Bryant was once once more voted to both the All-NBA and All-Defensive 1st teams, and got here in third place in voting for the MVP award. After ending 50–32 in the common season, the Lakers floundered in the playoffs and lost within the Western Conference semi-finals to the eventual NBA champions San Antonio Spurs in six games.

"As we celebrate 25 years of NBA 2K with Kobe Bryant, we commemorate his legacy and the generational impact he has had on the sport of basketball," Thomas mentioned in an announcement to ESPN. "While we mark the history of the franchise, NBA 2K24 additionally seems forward to the future to convey an revolutionary leap in know-how and the introduction of community-requested features like crossplay." NBA legend Kobe Bryant will grace the quilt of NBA 2K24, 2K Games introduced on Thursday. Bryant might be featured on two separate editions of the sport, the Kobe Bryant Edition and the Black Mamba Edition. I can still hear his voice when I think about the exercise I had with him. He was my hero, my idol, the reason I began enjoying basketball.

He would go at guys so exhausting in practice that I started to assume to myself, Okay, this man is actually trying to be MJ. I’ve all the time appreciated watching younger gamers as a result of you can inform a lot about their understanding of the game from their physique language. In an prompt — I don’t even remember how he received to the ring — he goes by his defender. I mentioned to her, “We ain’t never had nothin’ like that.” That one play, that was my intro to Kobe.

The Lakers swept the Nuggets within the first spherical and on May 6, 2008, Bryant was officially announced as the league MVP. He would then headline the NBA All-Defensive First Team with Kevin Garnett, receiving fifty two factors overall including 24 first-place nods, earning his eighth selection. The solely different Laker to take action was Baylor, who additionally scored 50+ in three consecutive contests in December 1962. Bryant completed the 12 months with a complete of ten 50-plus level games, surpassed solely by Chamberlain. In the 2007 NBA playoffs, the Lakers have been as quickly as once more eradicated within the first spherical by the Phoenix Suns, 4–1.

Teague then detailed his first encounter with McGrady, who confirmed as much as apply with a way of entitlement. That’s T-Mac in the Maybach with some huge ass copyright garments on,” Teague shared. Later in the practice, Teague felt disrespected by how McGrady scoffed at discovering out Jeff was the Hawks’ starting point guard. As a end result, Teague claims he spent the remainder of the 12 months “talking shit” to his elder by reminding T-Mac that he wasn’t on the same degree as generational friends similar to Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

On March 12, 2014, the Lakers dominated Bryant out for the remainder of the season, citing his want for extra rehab and the limited time remaining within the season. At the time, the team was 22–42 and tied for the worst report in the Western Conference. The Lakers completed 27–55 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Bryant resumed training beginning in November, after the start of the 2013–14 season. On November 25, he signed a two-year contract extension with the Lakers at an estimated worth of $48.5 million that would make him the first NBA participant to play 20 years with the same franchise. Bryant led the league in scoring in the course of the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, and in 2008 he was named the league’s MVP for the first time in his career.

On January 21, 2015, Bryant suffered a rotator cuff tear in his right shoulder whereas driving baseline for a two-handed dunk against the New Orleans Pelicans. Though he's right-handed, he returned to play in the recreation and ran the offense while capturing, dribbling, and passing almost solely with his left hand. Prior to the damage, Bryant had been rested in eight of 16 video games. He underwent season-ending surgical procedure for the harm, finishing the season averaging 22.3 points but capturing a career-low 37.three p.c, well under his forty five.four p.c profession mark to start out the season. He was expected to be sidelined for nine months with a return focused towards the start of the 2015–16 season. At age 36, he became the oldest NBA player to attain 30 factors, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a game.

People collect on Las Virgenes Road in Calabasas close to the location of a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others Sunday. Bryant Hirshman is hugged by his father, Craig, and mother, Elena, near the helicopter crash web site in Calabasas that claimed the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and 7 others Sunday. From left, Christopher Pena, 33, and his wife Lizbeth, 30, of Pacoima, mourn with Jose Gutierrez, 33, of La Puente, close to the location of the Calabasas helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others.