AP PHOTOS: Kobe Bryant, NBA legend, dies at 41
Posted January 26, 2020 6:00 am
By any measure, Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest players in NBA history.
The retired Los Angeles Lakers star, who died Sunday in a helicopter crash at age 41, was proudest of his five championship rings, the most recent in 2010. Only four NBA players who weren't on the Boston Celtics' 1960s dynasty teams have won more titles. Bryant reached seven NBA Finals.
His career was remarkable for its longevity and because he played all 20 seasons with the Lakers - the most ever for one team. Bryant was the fifth player to last two full decades.
Bryant scored 33,643 career points, third-most in league history, and averaged 25.0 points per game, including a 60-point performance in his final game on April 13, 2016. His 81-point game in on Jan. 22, 2006, against the Toronto Raptors was the second-highest scoring performance in the NBA and arguably the most dazzling single-game offensive performance in hoops history.
He was an 18-time All-Star, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the 2008 NBA MVP.
Bryant's post-playing career in the entertainment industry began auspiciously when he won an Oscar for 'œDear Basketball,'ť an animated short film based on the letter he wrote announcing his retirement.
FILE - In this Feb. 23, 2006, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, top, goes up for a shot between the Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce, left, and Al Jefferson during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Branimir Kvartuc, File)
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FILE - In this March 28, 2016, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) waves as he walks off the court during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Salt Lake City. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
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FILE - In this Jan. 19, 1996, file photo Kobe Bryant dunks the ball at his Lower Merion, Pa., high school gym during a practice. Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, died in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy, File)
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FILE - In this July 12, 1996, file photo Kobe Bryant, 17, jokes with the media as he holds his Los Angeles Lakers jersey during a news conference at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, died in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Sterner, File)
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FILE - In this April 15, 2003, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers Shaquille O'Neal, left, and Kobe Bryant share a laugh on the bench while their teammate take on the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
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FILE - In this Dec. 20, 2001, file photo Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant jumps over a row of fans after saving the ball from going out of bounds in the second half of the Lakers 107-101 win over the Houston Rockets in Houston. Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, died in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan, file)
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FILE - In this May 19, 2009, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant defends Denver Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals, in Los Angeles. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
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FILE - In this Feb. 5, 1999, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal (34) puts his arms around teammates, Elden Campbell (41) and Kobe Bryant (8) as Eddie Jones (6) and Derek Harper walk in front as they return to play the Houston Rockets in the fourth quarter at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/ Victoria Arocho, File)
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FILE - In this July 22, 2009, file photo, NBA superstar Kobe Bryant of the 2009 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers walks past fans as he enters a Nike store in Singapore. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Joseph Nair, File)
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FILE - In this June 17, 2010, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher, center, holds the Larry O'Brien Trophy as Kobe Bryant, right, holds the MVP trophy as they celebrate after beating the Boston Celtics, 83-79, in Game 7 of the NBA basketball finals in Los Angeles. At second left is Lakers' Sasha Vujacic. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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FILE - In this June 7, 2009, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) points to a player behind him after making a basket in the closing seconds against the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of the NBA basketball finals, in Los Angeles. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
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FILE - In this April 10, 2011, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, in Los Angeles. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
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FILE - In this April 13, 2016, file photo, a giant banner congratulating Kobe Bryant is draped around Staples Center before his last NBA basketball game in downtown Los Angeles. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
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FILE - In this Nov. 20, 2015, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant, center, shoots as Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan, left, and forward Bismack Biyombo, of Congo, defend during the second half of an NBA basketball game, in Los Angeles. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
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FILE - In this June 21, 2010, file photo, holding the NBA championship trophy, Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant flashes the victory sign during a parade in downtown Los Angeles. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
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FILE - In this April 13, 2016, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant poses for pictures with his wife Vanessa, left, and daughters Natalia, second from right, and Gianna as they stand on the court after an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, in Los Angeles. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020.(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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FILE - In this April 13, 2016, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant walks off the court after finishing his last NBA basketball game before retirement in Los Angeles. Bryant, the 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
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