As it stands now, Durant is thirteenth all-time in NBA scoring at 26,892 factors at 34 years old and has led the NBA in scoring on four totally different occasions. He’s also the youngest scoring champion ever after his impressive 2009–10 campaign when he led all scorers at just 21 years old. Kobe Bryant wrote a 2017 piece for The Players Tribune entitled "Obsession is Natural".

"Not dangerous for the seventh-best player within the league", said Bryant, referring to a preseason ESPN rating of the NBA's prime players. It was the sixth time in his profession he scored 40 or more points in four straight games, a feat exceeded solely by Chamberlain . At the 2012 NBA All-Star Game, Bryant scored 27 points to cross Jordan because the career scoring chief in the All-Star Game. He sat out the season finale in opposition to Sacramento, foregoing the chase for a potential third NBA scoring title, having wanted 38 points to surpass Kevin Durant. The Lakers have been knocked out of the playoffs by Durant and Oklahoma City in the second spherical of the playoffs, shedding in five video games in what would be Bryant's ultimate playoff appearance. The street to the Finals would prove lots harder than the document run the Lakers had loved the earlier 12 months.

On February 1, 2011, Bryant grew to become considered one of seven gamers with at least 25,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, and 5,000 assists. Bryant was sidelined for six weeks prior to the beginning of the 1999–2000 season due to a hand harm that he had incurred throughout a preseason sport towards the Washington Wizards. When Bryant was back and enjoying over 38 minutes a game, he had an increase in all statistical categories through the 1999–2000 season.

By the time he returns to the staff resort throughout the road, lots of the players are hanging out at the hotel lobby bar. Kobe spent his 20-year profession with the Lakers the place he gained 5 NBA championships. His other accomplishments include surpassing Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA all-time scoring record in December 2014 and successful an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Dear Basketball in 2018. On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter had been amongst a gaggle traveling to a ladies basketball recreation in a helicopter when it crashed, killing all nine people aboard. Bryant rejoined the national staff for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Despite the injury, Bryant elected to continue playing, rather than take any day off to rest the injury. Five days after his finger injury, he made another game-winning shot, after lacking on a chance in regulation, this time towards the Milwaukee Bucks in an additional time game. Bryant also grew to become the youngest participant to reach 25,000 points in his career during the season, surpassing Chamberlain. He continued his dominant clutch plays making yet one more game-winning three-pointer towards the Sacramento Kings, and what can be the game-winning area goal against the Boston Celtics. The following day, he surpassed West to become the all-time main scorer in Lakers franchise historical past. After being sidelined for 5 games by an ankle injury, Bryant made his return and made another clutch three-pointer to give the Lakers a one-point lead with 4 seconds remaining in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies.

But perhaps Bryant’s most mythological second got here in how he responded to a doubtlessly career-altering damage. But being a “great friend” is something I will never be. A nice good friend will call you every single day and bear in mind your birthday. I’ll get so wrapped up in my shit, I’ll never keep in mind that stuff. And the people who are my associates understand this, and they’re usually the identical method. But the kind of relationships you see in movies—that’s inconceivable for me.

Chris Chester, a co-plaintiff who misplaced his 45-year-old spouse and 13-year-old daughter in the crash, settled for $19.95 million. Beginning in 2018, Bryant wrote, produced and hosted the television collection Detail, which aired for a number of seasons on ESPN and ESPN+. It featured his insights into the sport of basketball and in-depth analyses of video games and particular person players.

His mentality — his killer instinct — is what separates him from the opposite guys on this record, because once Kobe knows he has you, he’s going to keep attacking you. He’ll throw you down, beat you up and even when you’re knocked out, he’ll hold hitting you. His sister and I are closer in age, so we frolicked all the time when Kobe was still 18, 19.