Kobe Bryant was born in Philadelphia on August 23, 1978. His father, Joe Bryant, played for the Houston Rockets, the San Diego Clippers, the Philadelphia 76ers, and for European teams. When he was six, Bryant and his family accompanied his father to Italy, and Bryant spent much of his childhood immersed in the culture and the game of basketball. Upon returning to the United States, Bryant attended Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, a suburb of Philadelphia. Bryant, who had started playing the game at the age of three, excelled on the basketball court in high school, and was considering offers from his top choice college, Duke University, when he was selected in the NBA draft at 17 years old. He spent his entire career as a shooting guard on the Los Angeles Lakers, retiring in 2016. He was also a key figure on the USA Men’s Senior National Team, helping the team to win gold medals in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

Bryant was an outstanding force on the Los Angeles Lakers from the moment he joined the team, working through injuries and finding his place among his teammates as he matured as a player and as a young man.