When the sexual assault case involving Kobe Bryant surfaced some years ago, the media flooded the airways with lots of extraneous information about Kobe Bryant . For a while everyone really knew way too much about the private, personal life of Kobe Bryant. The little known facts about Kobe Bryant presented here are meant to be interesting rather than invasive and point out that amidst the bad news about Kobe there is still reason to look for the good.
1. Kobe Bryant’s Hereditary Skills Kobe Bryant has put plenty of hours in on the basketball court developing his playing skills. Bryant may have also had a hidden advantage over competing players due to his genetic makeup. A little known fact about Kobe Bryant is that his father is a former Philadelphia 76ers player, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant. From his childhood days Kobe Bryant understood what it meant and what it took to become an NBA player and he was genetically predisposed to attain that status.
2.Kobe’s Italian Adventure. Before Kobe’s dad made his way into the NBA, he spent some time playing basketball in Italy . Of course he also brought along Kobe and the rest of the family too. Joe Bryant’s efforts were rewarded when he received an NBA contract. Kobe benefited from the experience as well
A little known fact about Kobe Bryant is that during his stay in Italy, Kobe became fluent in Italian. While Kobe may not have much opportunity to use this acquired language skill now, Kobe’s acquisition of a second language at an early age gave indication of his ability as a quick learner. This talent would serve him in good stead later on the basketball court.
3. Kobe’s First First Kobe did learn quickly when it came to basketball. His skills easily surpassed those of his contemporaries. He played with ability and confidence far beyond his years. Kobe seemed to be almost in a class by himself and perhaps one of the few who could pass by the college experience all together.
Many fans recognize that Kobe Bryant was drafted to the Pros out of high school . But a little known fact about Kobe Bryant is that Kobe was the first guard in league history to be drafted out of high school . For Kobe, this was just the first of many firsts to come in his prolific career.
4. Kobe, a Slam Dunk Kobe’s transition to the Pros, though demanding , was successful. Because of the many records that Kobe has set and accomplishments he has had as a professional athlete, it is not surprising that some of his earliest achievements have become lost in the shuffle. Two such little known facts about Kobe Bryant have to do with his participation in the NBA All Star competitions.
At the age of 18, Kobe won the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest and due to an avalanche of fan support was also the youngest NBA All Star starter.
5. Kobe and Shaq A great deal of ink has been expended discussing the conflicts between Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal. Since O’Neal’s departure from the Lakers, more ink has been spent on hyping all games in which the two super stars might potentially collide. In the blur of publicity that their disagreements and rivalry have generated, their accomplishments when paired together have sometimes been almost ignored.
Indeed it seems now that a little known or appreciated fact about Kobe Bryant is that when he and Shaq played together they captured three successive NBA titles in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Amazingly this seems too often forgotten in the desire to talk about their personal differences.
Kobe Bryant nearly destroyed his professional career by actions that reflect at least bad judgment. As he continues to rebuild both his professional standing and his personal life perhaps remembering some of these little known facts about Kobe Bryant will help him and his fans rediscover who he is and who can still become.
