Kobe Bryant

DEAR KOBE,

When I invented this game – called “Basket-Ball. It was to keep the boys busy during the cold hard New England winter months. It was to keep the young men from breaking everything in sight. It was not meant for anyone to get hurt or to be glorified when playing this game called “BASKET-BALL”.

It was to keep the boys busy during the cold hard New England winter months. It was to keep the young men from breaking everything in sight. It was not meant for anyone to get hurt or to be glorified when playing this game called “BASKET-BALL”.

But then you came along. Yes, in the past we had players get hurt and severely end their playing time because of injuries or something like that. Mr. Kobe Bryant changed that ever since his middle school counselor directed him to stop playing because basketball it will not help him.

Well, whoever you are, we thank you for creating what changed what Dr. Naismith ‘s ultimately created, and it was not playing the sport that he created in Springfield ‘s YMCA on December 21st,1891 @11:30 am.

What drove you, is what is in all of us but just your love, your passion, your dedication, and you take all of that and add a fierce dose of confidence and never ending resilience and you reveal what ultimately made you who you were!

Career highlights and awards

• 5× NBA champion (2000–2002, 2009, 2010)
• 2× NBA Finals MVP (2009, 2010)
• NBA Most Valuable Player (2008)
• 18× NBA All-Star (1998, 2000–2016)
• 4× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011)
• 11× All-NBA First Team (2002–2004, 2006–2013)
• 2× All-NBA Second Team (2000, 2001)
• 2× All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2005)
• 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2000, 2003, 2004, 2006–2011)
• 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2001, 2002, 2012)
• 2× NBA scoring champion (2006, 2007)
• NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion (1997)
• NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1997)
• Nos. 8 & 24 retired by Los Angeles Lakers
• Naismith Prep Player of the Year (1996)
• First-team Parade All-American (1996)