In a 2008 video promoting Nike's Hyperdunk shoes, Bryant seems to jump over a dashing Aston Martin. The stunt was thought of to be fake, and the Los Angeles Times stated a real stunt would in all probability be a violation of Bryant's Lakers contract. On February 9, 2009, Bryant was featured on the cover of ESPN The Magazine.

Despite winning the Oscar, he was denied membership into the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences because of his previous sexual abuse case and their new set of requirements of conduct within the current MeToo motion. The movie also received the Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject and a Sports Emmy Award. The movie was produced by Bryant's production company, Granity Studios.

In Game 4, Bryant scored 22 factors within the second half and led the team to an OT victory as O'Neal fouled out of the sport. With a 116–111 victory in Game 6, the Lakers won their first championship since 1988. With career averages of 25.zero points, 5.2 rebounds, four.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per recreation, he is thought-about one of the most full players in NBA history.

On March 16, Bryant scored a season-high sixty five factors in a house game against the Portland Trail Blazers, which helped end the Lakers 7-game dropping streak. This was the second-best scoring efficiency of his 11-year career. The solely other Laker to take action was Elgin Baylor, who additionally scored 50+ in three consecutive contests in December 1962. Bryant completed the 12 months with a total of ten 50-plus point games, matched only by Chamberlain. Bryant additionally received his second straight scoring title that season. Throughout the 2006–07 season, his jersey grew to become the top promoting NBA jersey within the United States and China.

Kobe had been my basketball idol more than half of my life. So seeing him in the flesh was a reasonably cool second for me. So I’m taking pictures round and there’s nonetheless about forty five minutes till tip.

But Bryant was a different sort of athlete, the son of a well-to-do Philadelphia household who spent his early life in Europe. His uncommon upbringing and steely willpower — holding himself and people around him to the highest standards — generally led to friction with coaches and teammates. The extremely acclaimed NBA 2K online game sequence has introduced its cowl athlete for the upcoming NBA 2K24, and it is none aside from the legendary Kobe Bryant. He emerged as one of the greatest basketball gamers of all time with his exceptional abilities and dedication to the game. The quarterback led his fired-up group out of the load room on that day in Arizona, everyone floating onto the practice area.

He had turned 18 by the point his first NBA season started. During his taking part in days with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant wasn’t simply successful on the courtroom but off the courtroom as well. Before his media ventures took off, Bryant had some of the popular footwear on the market with each fans and gamers clamoring to get the latest pair. He averaged 25.zero factors, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 1,346 regular-season video games.

However, it was not for anything basketball related, quite it was about Bryant being an enormous fan of FC Barcelona. CNN estimated Bryant's endorsement offers in 2007 to be price $16 million a year. In 2010, Bryant was ranked third behind Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan in Forbes‍ '​ list of the world's highest-paid athletes with $48 million. He said his faith and a priest helped him via troublesome occasions, such because the interval following his accusation of rape. A Catholic cantor mentioned she was impressed by Bryant's religion, and the respect that he confirmed her. Bryant and his household were regular attendees at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach.