Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978(1978-08-23)) is an American shooting guard who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career and made instant headlines when he decided to go directly into the NBA upon graduation. He was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers
Kobe's fortunes would soon change when Phil Jackson
became coach for the Los Angeles Lakers. After years of steady
improvement, Kobe had become one of the premier shooting guards
in the league, a fact that was evidenced by his annual presence
in the league's All-NBA, All-Star, and All-Defensive teams. The
Los Angeles Lakers became perennial championship Contenders
under Bryant and O'Neal, who formed an outstanding center-guard
combination. Their success gave the Lakers three consecutive
NBA championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002.