Kobe Bryant Day: All you need to know about the LA Lakers star’s special day
- August 24 marks Kobe Bryant Day, held in honor of the retired NBA legend
- The date is symbolic of the two numbers Bryant wore during his career in LA
- After retiring, Bryant earned a prestigious award for a short animated movie
The NBA may be quiet right now ahead of the upcoming 2018-2019 season, but it still has time to honor one of its biggest stars.
August 24 marks Kobe Bryant Day for Los Angeles Lakers fans.
The event was first declared by the city of Los Angeles in 2016 to honor Bryant every August 24, representing the numbers eight and 24 he wore during his storied NBA career.
Kobe Bryant Day was first held back in 2016 to honor the legendary Los Angeles Lakers player
Those looking to celebrate the iconic basketball player today can do so in a unique way.
A new Kobe Bryant jersey has just been unveiled, notably featuring the Lakers’s new design.
Fans can pre-order the jersey for $109.99 (£85.59), which will be emblazoned with Bryant’s number eight which he wore on the team from 1996 to 2006. The jersey will reportedly ship sometime in early September 2018.
Who is Kobe Bryant?
Koeb Bryant is retired professional basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1996 to 2016.
He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on August 23, 1978.
Bryant, the son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, excelled in basketball while growing up and split his time between the United States and Italy, where his father spent part of his professional basketball career.
After his family eventually settled in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, Bryant was heavily recruited in high school thanks to his impressive talent. He was drafted in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft as the 13th player chosen overall by the Charlotte Hornets, though was quickly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Named Rookie of the Year in his debut season, he played a key role in helping to lead the Lakers to three consecutive NBA titles from 2000 to 2002, though generated controversy in 2003 after allegedly sexually assaulting a hotel employee in Colorado. The case against Bryant was ultimately dropped.
He soon bounced back from the controversy, winning consecutive scoring titles in 2006 and 2007 as well as an MVP Award in 2008.
Bryant then led the Lakers to back-to-back NBA titles in 2009 and 2010 while also helping the United States win gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, UK.
After a series of injury-riddled seasons late in his career, Bryant retired in 2016 and later won an Oscar at the 2018 Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California for his film Dear Basketball, the winner in the Best Animated Short category.
Kobe Bryant’s net worth is believed to be approximately $350 million (£272.1 million).
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