Kobe Bryant Research Paper

Kobe Bryant was born August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was named after a Japanese steakhouse, according to the press. His middle name is Bean after his father’s nickname: “Jellybean.” Kobe Bryant’s father Joe Bryant was a former NBA player and his mother is Pamela Bryant. He has two older sisters: Shaya and Sharia Bryant. In 1984, when Kobe was a five year old, his father moved the family to Italy because of his work. Before that they lived in San Diego and then Houston, but Kobe spent most of his childhood in Italy. While Kobe lived in Italy he joined an Italian basketball league, he also played soccer there. When their father, Joe Bryant, wasn’t traveling with his basketball team he would teach his children moves for basketball. Their family lived in Italy for 8 years. They left in 1991 because his father's career ended. Kobe’s family moved back to the United States in Philadelphia. When he came back his friends were surprised he could speak Italian fluently. He said “It was kind of strange because, being away, I didn’t know a lot of the slang that kids used, kids would come up to me and say whatever, and I’d just nod” (CBC News). Kobe joined the Lower Merion High School Basketball Team …show more content…
He is a great player but also an amazing student scoring above average. His parents did not interfere in his choice even though it would affect his future greatly. He declared he would be available for the NBA draft in June 1996. No one expected that the Charlotte Hornets would choose Bryant as the thirteenth pick in the first round of the 1996 NBA draft. Soon after Adidas signed Kobe with a contract to make products with them. A month after his eighteenth birthday, Bryant signed a three-year, $3.5 million contract with the Lakers and moved into a mansion in Pacific Palisades, California. If anyone could be said to be, "On top of the world," it was Bryant (CBC