The staff's quest for another three-peat was ended after they had been swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the second spherical of the playoffs. The Mavericks would go on to win the 2011 NBA Finals. On May 27, 2007, ESPN reported that Bryant said that he wished to be traded if Jerry West did not return to the team with full authority. Bryant later confirmed his want for West's return to the franchise, but denied stating that he would need to be traded if that does not happen. Bryant would later be shown on an infamous novice video saying that middle Andrew Bynum ought to have been traded for All-Star Jason Kidd.

He responded by evaluating himself to an 18th century Austrian. Well, most successful people are somewhat boastful.... I was like a wild horse that had the potential to turn out to be Secretariat, but who was simply too fucking wild. He’s also very intelligent, and he understood the dynamic he needed to cope with between me and Shaq.

Several months later Bryant was accused of raping a young lady in Colorado. He maintained his innocence, and all costs have been ultimately dropped when the lady refused to testify after a monthslong marketing campaign of harassment by followers of Bryant and a few members of the media. (Bryant later apologized, admitting that he realized his accuser did not consider their sexual encounter was consensual, and a civil suit was settled in 2005.) The incident significantly tarnished his picture. Led by Bryant, the Lakers returned to the finals in 2004, but they have been upset by the Detroit Pistons.

Bryant admitted to an adulterous sexual encounter together with his accuser but denied her sexual assault allegation. However, Bryant's attorneys asked the public sale house to return the gadgets. Before the scheduled trial, a settlement was reached allowing the auction house the sale of less than 10% of the items.

He was beneficiant with his time, sharing his knowledge and love for basketball, and galvanizing young women and men with his unbelievable commitment to excellence, his unmatched competitiveness, and his legendary work ethic. So Kobe mentioned he studied how white sharks hunted seals to organize for his next assembly with Iverson. That day came on February 20th in 2000, when the Lakers visited the Sixers in Philadelphia for the primary of two head-to-head games performed that season. But as an alternative of watching the two stars go at it in a shootout, it was a shutdown.

In Game 2, Bryant finished the game with 13 assists, setting a new playoff profession high; it was probably the most assists by a Laker in the playoffs since Magic Johnson had 13 in 1996. The Lakers went on to win the sequence in six games capturing the Western Conference Championship and advancing to the NBA Finals for a third straight season. Bryant gained his fifth championship and earned his second consecutive NBA Finals MVP award. This marked the primary time the Lakers received a Game 7 against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Bryant stated that this was probably the most satisfying of all of his 5 championships.

Experience next-level gameplay and lifelike visuals together with your favorite NBA and WNBA teams in PLAY NOW. At the age of six, basketball grew to become a half of my nature. Since 2003, Bryant partnered with Nike, taking half in a management position designing footwear and leading storytelling associated to Kobe Bryant product traces. In 2006, he launched the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation to offer young people entry to sports activities, mentorship and economic empowerment. In 2009, he partnered with the Soong Ching Ling Foundation to create the Kobe China Fund, dedicated to the welfare and education of youth in China.

Bryant is the second-highest-paid NBA participant ever, with $323 million in career wage. He trails solely Kevin Garnett, but LeBron James is catching up quickly. Both had been named for Bryant, who -- for now -- is the only participant named Kobe to make it to the NBA. LAS VEGAS -- There’s Kobe, sporting the uniform of a group from Los Angeles. There’s Kobe, the last one on the court docket at apply and getting yelled at as a outcome of the buses are ready for him. The NBA 2K franchise initially debuted in 1999 with NBA 2K, featuring one other Hall of Famer, Allen Iverson, on the duvet.