To commemorate basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who recently passed away in a plane crаsh, BBC compiled impressive numbers in his career.
1. In the NBA, Bryant once won the MVP title – Best player of the season, in 2008. The Lakers legend also won an Oscar once, in the category of best animated short film in 2018. The film is based on on the poem “Dear Basketball” that Kobe composed in 2015. To date, Kobe Bryant is still the only former sports athlete to own an Oscar gold statue.
2. Kobe Bryant won Finals MVP twice – the title for the best player in the NBA finals series, in 2009 and 2010. This is also the number of Olympic gold medals Bryant won with the US team, in 2008 and 2012. Year In 2017, the Lakers retired the two jersey numbers that Bryant once wore, 8 and 24.
4. Bryant won All-Star MVP four times in 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011. In the NBA, he shares this record with Bob Pettit.
5. Bryant won the NBA championship five times with the Lakers, in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010.
9. Bryant is one of four players who were selected nine times for the best defensive team of the season, alongside Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett and Gary Payton.