KobeBeanBryant[1](bornAugust23,1978(1978-08-23))isanAmericanAll-StarshootingguardwhoplaysfortheLosAngelesLakersoftheNationalBasketballAssociation.BryantistheonlysonofformerPhiladelphia76ersplayerandformerLosAngelesSparksheadcoachJoe"Jellybean"Bryant.HisparentsnamedhimafterthefamousbeefofKobe,Japan,whichtheysawonarestaurantmenu.[2]

　　Bryantandthen-teammateShaquilleO'NealledtheLakerstothreeconsecutiveNBAchampionshipsfrom2000to2002.AfterO'Neal'sdeparturefollowingthe2003–04season,BryantbecamethecornerstoneoftheLakersfranchise.HeledNBAinscoringduringthe2005–06and2006–07seasons.[2]In2006,Bryantscoredacareerhigh81pointsagainsttheTorontoRaptors,thesecondhighestnumberofpointsscoredinasinglegameinNBAhistory,[3]secondonlytoWiltChamberlain's100pointperformance.

　　Bryantwasawardedtheregularseason'sMostValuablePlayerAward(MVP)inthe2007–08NBAseasonafterleadinghisteamtothe2008NBAFinalsasthefirstseedintheWesternConference.[4]In2008,hewonagoldmedalasamemberofthe2008SummerOlympicsU.S.Men'sBasketballTeam,occasionallyreferredtoas"TheRedeemTeam,"aplayonthenameofthefirstOlympicteamthatfeaturedNBAplayers,theDreamTeam.[5]

　　In2003,BryantmadeheadlineswhenhewasaccusedofsexualassaultatahotelinEdwards,Coloradobyahotelemployee.Bryantadmittedanadulteroussexualencounterwiththeaccuser,butdeniedthesexualassaultallegation.InSeptember2004,prosecutorsdroppedthecaseafterhisaccuserinformedthemthatshewasunwillingtotestify.[6]Bryant'saccuserbroughtaseparatecivilsuitagainsthimthatwasultimatelysettledoutofcourt.