Shortly afterward, Bryant was part of the memorial service to honor good friend and music famous person Michael Jackson. The following year, the Lakers received their second straight title by defeating the Celtics. The basic card-collecting mode is again and loaded with endless hours of customizable fun. Draw from the past and current using today’s All-Stars and all-time legends to form a squad capable of dominating single participant and multiplayer modes.

This followed with O'Neal profitable the MVP and Bryant being named to the All-NBA Team Second Team and All-NBA Defensive Team for the first time in his career . While playing second fiddle to O'Neal within the playoffs, Bryant had some clutch performances including a 25-point, 11 rebound, 7 assist, 4 block game in sport 7 of the Western Conference finals in opposition to the Portland Trail Blazers. He additionally threw an alley-oop cross to O'Neal to clinch the sport and the sequence. In the 2000 NBA Finals towards the Indiana Pacers, Bryant injured his ankle in the second quarter of Game 2 after landing on the Pacers' Jalen Rose's foot. Rose later admitted he positioned his foot beneath Bryant intentionally. Bryant did not return to the sport, and he additionally missed Game three because of the damage.

He was additionally the primary guard in NBA historical past to play at least 20 seasons. His 18 All-Star designations are the second most all time, while it is the record for many consecutive appearances as a starter. Bryant's 4 All-Star Game MVP Awards are tied with Bob Pettit for probably the most in NBA historical past. He gave himself the nickname "Black Mamba" in the mid-2000s, and the epithet became widely adopted by most people. At the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, he won two gold medals as a member of the united states national group. In 2018, he received the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for his 2017 movie Dear Basketball.

His mentality — his killer instinct — is what separates him from the other guys on this record, because once Kobe is aware of he has you, he’s going to keep attacking you. He’ll throw you down, beat you up and even when you’re knocked out, he’ll hold hitting you. His sister and I are nearer in age, so we hung out all the time when Kobe was still 18, 19.

In an annual survey of NBA common managers, he was chosen in 2012 for the 10th consecutive season because the player they most needed taking the shot with the sport on the line. Bryant enjoys being the villain, and revels in being booed and silencing the crowd with his play. Throughout his profession, he has been disparaged for being a egocentric high-volume shooter; he has missed more field goal makes an attempt in his profession than some other participant in NBA historical past. On June 23, 2008, he was named to the USA Men's Senior National Team for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Bryant declined to play in the 2000 Olympics as he was getting married in the low season. Bryant was initially selected for the FIBA Americas Championship in 2003, however withdrew after present process arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgical procedures.

In October 2021, Bryant was honored as one of many league's best gamers of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. The Lakers swept the Utah Jazz in the second round and superior to the Western Conference Finals, the place they confronted the Phoenix Suns. In Game 2, Bryant finished the sport with 13 assists, setting a new playoff career-high; it was essentially the most assists by a Laker within the playoffs since Magic Johnson had 13 in 1996. Bryant considered the shot "one of the luckiest he has made". A week later, Bryant suffered an avulsion fracture in his right index finger in a sport in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

I knew that when my basketball career was over, I’d be trying to start a enterprise and new profession. I started to see the fervour and dedication from entrepreneurs. I related to it because it’s how I approached the sport every day.

MyTEAM features a collection of innovative improvements, together with an all-new wage cap mode, whereas sustaining its signature competitive really feel. Channel your inner-Mamba Mentality as you recreate Kobe’s most dominant and charming performances during his rise to world superstardom. Revisit his early profession triumphs as a young phenom, and progress through his transcendent journey from elite scorer to one of the best gamers of all time. Grab your squad and experience the past, current, and way ahead for hoops tradition in NBA 2K24. Enjoy pure, authentic motion and limitless customized MyPLAYER choices in MyCAREER.