Stew Thornley - Kobe Bryant: Champion Basketball Star

Legendary Champion

Kobe Bryant is an unstoppable scorer. He can swish shots from long range or drive to the basket for a vicious dunk. Bryant once scored 81 points in a single game! He can also dish it to his teammates and play lockdown defense. Despite all these skills, one word describes him best: champion. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar has won five NBA titles since coming out of high school, and he has earned many individual awards. Author Stew Thornley highlights the all-time great career of this basketball champion.

About the Author

Stew Thornley is an award-winning author and researcher. He has written several sports books for Enslow Publishers, Inc. He is also an official scorer for Major League Baseball.

Kobe Bryant is one of the NBAs most exciting players. He can do it all on the court and never fails to give the fans a great performance.

Kobe Bryant can do it all. He is best known for scoring points. Once, he had 81 in a single game. Bryant makes shots from all over the court. He shoots when hes off balance. He shoots when he has a defender in his face. He leaps and dunks. He connects from long range. Some of the shots he makes are incredible. Lamar Odom, one of his Lakers teammates, said, He makes the incredible normal.

Bryant can also pass. When other teams focus on him, it means a teammate is open. Bryant will give up the ball so another player can make an easy basket.

Kobe Bryant is also a great defender. He plays on-the-belt-buckle defense. That means he guards an opponent so closely that its like hes attached to his waist. Joe Johnson, a great player for the Atlanta Hawks, knows what its like to try and score on Bryant. Its not easy. Guarding the other teams best player, hell take that challenge, said Johnson.

Most of all, Bryant helps his team win. The Los Angeles Lakers have won five National Basketball Association (NBA) championships with Bryant. The first three were in the early 2000s. At that time, the Lakers had another great player, Shaquille ONeal. Recently, Bryant led the Lakers to back-to-back titles with different teammates, such as Odom and Pau Gasol.

Bryant works hard on his game. One summer, he made 100,000 shots. He didnt take 100,000 shots. He made 100,000 shots. Bryant says he doesnt practice taking shots. He practices making them.

Bryant makes shots, he passes, he stops the other teams scorer. He is one of the most exciting players ever.

Most of all, Kobe Bryant is a winner.

Kobe Bryants work ethic and commitment to practicing his jump shot have made him an all-time great scorer.

Kobe Bryant fights for a loose ball with Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace during Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Although Bryant did not play his best during the game, he never stopped hustling for his team.

Kobe Bryant was tired. He was also struggling. But it may have been the biggest game of his life. He was still determined.

The Los Angeles Lakers were playing the Boston Celtics in the seventh game of the NBA Finals in 2010. Each team had already won three games in the series. The winner of this game would be the champion.

By this time, Bryant owned four championship rings. He received one each time the Lakers won the NBA title since he had joined them in 1996. He wanted another, and he really wanted it this time. The Celtics and Lakers had been rivals for more than fifty years. They had played many great series in the past. Bryant wanted to beat the Celtics.

Kobe Bryant grabs a rebound in front of Celtics forward Kevin Garnett. Bryant grabbed 15 rebounds in the decisive game and led the Lakers comeback in the second half.

However, the Celtics were in control. Normally a great shooter, Bryant wasnt on target that night. Boston went ahead by thirteen points early in the second half. I wanted it so, so bad, Bryant said later. On top of that, I was on E. (He meant he was running on empty.) Man, I was really, really tired, and the more I tried to push, the more it kept getting away from me.

Bryant was still confident. He was determined to lead the Lakers back. Bryant kept shooting. He also passed. He played great defense, guarding Boston star point guard Rajon Rondo. He rebounded well.

Bryant and Pau Gasol were dominating on the boards for Los Angeles. They had 33 rebounds between them. That gave the Lakers extra chances at making baskets and kept the Celtics from getting those chances.

The Lakers came back and took the lead. Bryant had the ball. He dribbled in toward Ray Allen, another All-Star for the Celtics. Then he held up and hit a fadeaway jump shot from the right side. It was good, and Los Angeles was up by four points. Later, Bryant had the ball with Allen guarding him again. Bryant went into the air. Instead of shooting, he passed to Ron Artest. Artest buried a three-pointer to make it 7973 for the Lakers.

Boston came back and closed the gap. Bryant fired a shot. It was no good, but Gasol got the rebound. He passed to Bryant driving in to the basket. Bryant was fouled. He went to the foul line and made both free throws.

With little time left, Boston missed a shot. Gasol grabbed the ball and fired it toward the other end of the court. Bryant raced down to get the ball and dribbled out the final seconds, then leaped into the arms of his teammates. The Lakers had won, 8379. They had beaten the Celtics!

Kobe Bryant (center) celebrates with his teammates after winning the 2010 NBA championship. Bryant also won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award.

Bryant was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NBA Finals. It was a great honor, but Bryant was more excited about the Lakers winning. He had his fifth ring and said, This is the sweetest.

Kobe Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He quickly became a basketball fan. Kobes dad, Joe Bryant, had played in the NBA. He was a forward for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1970s. He later played for the San Diego Clippers and the Houston Rockets, before leaving the NBA in 1983. Joe Bryants nickname was Jelly Bean, like the candy.

Pam Bryant, Kobes mom, set up a small basketball court behind their home. That way, Kobe could copy what his dad did. When he was three years old, Kobe began dreaming of someday playing in the NBA.

When Joe Bryant stopped playing in the NBA in 1983, he then played in a professional league in Italy. He brought his family with him. It was a great time for Kobe. He visited many different countries in Europe, and he also learned a new languageItalian.